[International / GSM] [App] Root Toolkit for Android

[scary alien]

.
All,

Just a heads-up about a little app I whipped-up recently that should be most useful for the Galaxy Nexus folks:

http://androidforums.com/application-announcements/522566-app-android-root-toolkit-beta.html

It'll do some simple root tasks like the various reboot options (normal, recovery, fastboot/bootloader), power-off device, and will also allow you to remount / (rootfs) and /system in read-write or read-only mode.

The boon to Galaxy Nexus root users comes in the form of the ability to:

• flash a stock recovery (4.0.1 or 4.0.2)
  
  
• flash a few different versions of ClockworkMod custom recovery (including the touch versions)
  
  
• make recovery "stick" (so that the stock recovery won't get re-flashed on shutdown)
  
  
• identify the currently installed recovery

The flashing stock recovery feature should be especially helpful to those that are root but with locked bootloaders or who don't wish to have to use fastboot to flash the stock recovery (i.e., just to receive an over-the-air (OTA) update).

I wrote it on and for my VZW GNex, but included support for the the GSM recoveries, too, although I obviously could not directly test those out--I did flash them to my phone to make sure they flashed okay and could be identified. Please let me know how the GSM recoveries work for you if you end-up flashing any of them.

Let me know if you have any comments, questions, suggestions, etc.

Cheers and enjoy!

 

[scary alien]

Version 1.1 has been uploaded to the Market (although the Market's a little slow to show the new version). Here's the change log:

[version 1.1 - 31-March-2012]:

- support GSM/HSPA+ 4.0.4 stock recovery

- remove old/unused/uneeded permissions

- fix null-pointer exception due to mount information parsing on some devices

- provide option to delete existing recovery-from-boot.p-bak when sticking recovery

- several other tweaks and enhancements

Cheers and thanks to all for your support and feedback (more updates and enhancements coming! ).

 

[dimko]

Dear Alien,

sorry for the question, I just need an 4.0.4 upd for my yakjuxw

If I choose "Flash a Stock Recovery->Stock 4.0.4", will it erase something (contacts, apps, etc) in my phone?

Thanks.

 

[scary alien]

Dear Alien,

sorry for the question, I just need an 4.0.4 upd for my yakjuxw

If I choose "Flash a Stock Recovery->Stock 4.0.4", will it erase something (contacts, apps, etc) in my phone?

Thanks.

dimko,

No, flashing a recovery will only replace the recovery partition--no data is affected.

Bear in mind that you'd only want to do this if you are actually running 4.0.4...you wouldn't want to do this if you were only 4.0.2 like most folks currently are.

Flashing the stock recovery is usually only useful for rooted folks with a custom recovery currently installed that are looking to take another, upcoming OTA of a new version of Android.

So, you'd only want to flash the 4.0.4 version of stock recovery if you were already running a 4.0.4 version of Android.

Welcome to the AndroidForums and I hope that helps.

Cheers!

 

[scary alien]

New version just uploaded.

Here's the change log:

[version 1.2 - 09-April-2012]:

- support save/protect root and restore root feature for devices with a ext2/3/4 system filesystem

- minor tweaks to graphical elements

- minor fix to disclaimer preference saving

- many other minor tweaks

The new save/protect and restore root features should help folks when an OTA comes-out (make sure to save root sometime before accepting an OTA).

Enjoy!

 

[GrenW]

New version just uploaded.

- support save/protect root and restore root feature for devices with a ext2/3/4 system filesystem

Will this work with the Nexus? Not sure about its file system. Assume it's ext based but am still getting used to this non-SD card stuff.

 

[scary alien]

Will this work with the Nexus? Not sure about its file system. Assume it's ext based but am still getting used to this non-SD card stuff.

Yes sir!

I tested it many times on my GNex (and on my Moto Droid X and Moto Xoom as well).

The app should prevent you from even being presented with the option if your /system filesystem does not support this feature.

The only thing I've noticed is that after restoring root, you might get a notification saying that your su binary is out of date. This makes sense since most folks that root use an older su binary from when and wherever the su.zip file was created. I'm guessing the transition of the su binary trigger the Superuser.apk app to notice and to suggest updating the binary. Its okay to update, by the way .

Cheers!

-SA

 

[scary alien]

Version 1.3 just uploaded to the Market:

[version 1.3 - 22-April-2012]:

- support freezing (disabling) or thawing (enabling) applications

..(take care before deciding to freeze a system app)


These updates weren't as easy or straight-forward as I had imagined it would be--no wonder there's so few apps out there that have the freeze/thaw feature .

Cheers and enjoy!

 

[Miguipigui]

Hey Scary Alien, I've been using your app on my GNex and so far it's great, just one question. Is there a way to flash ROMs directly from the app?
If not well there's a suggestion for more features for your consideration.

Keep up the good work!

 

[scary alien]

Hey Scary Alien, I've been using your app on my GNex and so far it's great, just one question. Is there a way to flash ROMs directly from the app?
If not well there's a suggestion for more features for your consideration.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the kind words!

I'm sure there's a way to flash ROMs (it actually doesn't / can't happen in real-time in an Android app--there's actually a mechanism for passing a request to custom recovery to have it do it on your behalf (at least, that's my understanding)). Since there are typically wipes and such needed before flashing, I myself am not convinced that flashing a ROM (or kernel, etc.) via any other than a direct interaction with custom recovery is a good way to go.

So, I'll probably (at this time at least) not get into the ROM flashing business and will happily cede that to other apps that currently do this .

I'll keep thinking about it though...never say never, eh?

 

[GrenW]

Couldnt agree more. Reboot to recovery and then flash from with CWM. It's not difficult and it really takes no longer than doing it from within rom manager etc. I do the same with kernels depite Franco's app having a flash option to choose (he also offers a downl;oad then manual flash option)

 

[scary alien]

New version published last night with some new features I thought you guys might want to know about.

Here's the change log:

[version 1.5 - 27-June-2012]:

- support options for saving a newer su binary (currently v3.0.3.2) instead of the currently installed su binary; helps ensure root is retained when restoring root (especially after an OTA update)

- support ability to remove saved root

- added some device information to Current Root & Mount Status screen

- Galaxy Nexus only: 1) support stock 4.0.4 recoveries for GSM & LTE versions, 2) include ability to flash new Team Win Recovery Project touch recoveries

Cheers!