Mobile/Fennec/Android/Rooting: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "= Rooting Android Devices = == Motivation == "rooting" an Android device is the process by which one gains root access on the device. There's a few reasons why this is desirabl...") |
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* There's a few tricky bits (like how to get to the boot screen) which cry out for more explanation | * There's a few tricky bits (like how to get to the boot screen) which cry out for more explanation | ||
Conceptually it's quite simple, though it can be tricky. Follow these instructions carefully, and please update this page if you think anything could be described more clearly: | |||
* Install the android SDK and platform tools so you can run adb (the tutorial here is reasonable: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/what-is-adb-and-how-to-install-it-android/) | * Install the android SDK and platform tools so you can run adb (the tutorial here is reasonable: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/what-is-adb-and-how-to-install-it-android/) | ||
Revision as of 21:15, 19 September 2011
Rooting Android Devices
Motivation
"rooting" an Android device is the process by which one gains root access on the device. There's a few reasons why this is desirable for Firefox development:
- Run gdb more easily
- Can install additional tools (busybox!) to make development easier
- Install a variety of custom ROMs to test Firefox under different conditions
It's important to note that these instructions come with no warranty whatsoever. You could easily brick your device or unknowingly install a rootkit. There's lots of legitimate reasons to do this, but be careful!
Guide to rooting individual devices
Galaxy Tab
These are the steps I used to root the galaxy tab 10.1 machine I got at the Mozilla All Hands in September 2011 (running Android 3.1).
This tutorial is based on: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-root-samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1/. I'm putting this here here for a few reasons:
- Brevity
- There's a few tricky bits (like how to get to the boot screen) which cry out for more explanation
Conceptually it's quite simple, though it can be tricky. Follow these instructions carefully, and please update this page if you think anything could be described more clearly:
- Install the android SDK and platform tools so you can run adb (the tutorial here is reasonable: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/what-is-adb-and-how-to-install-it-android/)
- Download this file: http://wlach.masalalabs.ca/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_10.1_root.zip (note that this is taken straight from addictivetips.com and I have not verified it to be completely trustworthy!! buyer beware)
- Install the rootkit by running this command via adb:
adb push Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_10.1_root.zip /sdcard/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_10.1_root.zip
- Reboot the device in bootloader mode (Power off then press volume down + power at the same time)
- You'll see a misleading icon saying "Downloading...". Ignore it and press the volume button up button, then the power button, to select the other option.
- Select the option to apply an update from SD card (FIXME: that's inexact-- after having completed this, I can't get to this screen anymore).
- That's it! You should now be rooted. Reboot. If it didn't work, try doing that again (sometimes it might not take). Basically all the above script does is install a specially crafted program called "su" and give the regular user permission to run it. Yes, it's that simple.
What to do after rooting your device
- Install the ROM Manager app from the Android store (should help manage updating your device in the future)
- The default shell on Android sucks. Do better by installing busybox (look on the Android store for a busybox installer). I haven't yet managed to get this working, will update this if/when I do.