Bootloader?

[NeXtras]

So i have already introduced myself etc etc..

I have searched for this answer with no luck and i figured this would be the most appropriate place to post it...

I see a lot about bootloaders, and them being locked....

what exactly is a bootloader? what are people looking to do with them? and why is it bad if there locked?

 

[gmorgan056]

If a bootloader is locked, then it makes it very difficult to root a phone. With root, you can overclock, meaning to increase your processing speed, and create custom roms, or themes. The original Droid had an unlocked bootloader, which pretty much started the big thing of rooting phones. Since then, the big debate is whether or not manufacturers will lock them down.

And welcome to the forums! dancedroid

Also, rooting your phone does void your warranty.

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/rescue-squad-guides/70875-what-you-need-know-about-rooting.html

This link explains more in depth.

 

[mwhartman]

Lets move your post to the general discussion section

 

[NeXtras]

If a bootloader is locked, then it makes it very difficult to root a phone. With root, you can overclock, meaning to increase your processing speed, and create custom roms, or themes. The original Droid had an unlocked bootloader, which pretty much started the big thing of rooting phones. Since then, the big debate is whether or not manufacturers will lock them down.

And welcome to the forums! dancedroid

Ahhh ok.. cause the bootloader is essentially BIOS correct?

I feel dumb asking some of these questions cause I'm a computer science major LOL, but I just took a class on OS's, so I learned a little bit about access to the superuser etc etc, using ubuntu..

But, its unfortuneate that phone companies are locking these phones down.. kinda like selling you a house and saying you cant paint it (couldnt think of a better example).. not to mention, isnt Android open source?

And sorry mwhartman.. didnt want to post in the wrong spot, use to run some forums, know its frustrating, figured im new, so a newb question fits well in this area haha

 

[gmorgan056]

If a bootloader is locked, then it makes it very difficult to root a phone. With root, you can overclock, meaning to increase your processing speed, and create custom roms, or themes. The original Droid had an unlocked bootloader, which pretty much started the big thing of rooting phones. Since then, the big debate is whether or not manufacturers will lock them down.

And welcome to the forums! dancedroid

Ahhh ok.. cause the bootloader is essentially BIOS correct?

I feel dumb asking some of these questions cause I'm a computer science major LOL, but I just took a class on OS's, so I learned a little bit about access to the superuser etc etc, using ubuntu..

But, its unfortuneate that phone companies are locking these phones down.. kinda like selling you a house and saying you cant paint it (couldnt think of a better example).. not to mention, isnt Android open source?

And sorry mwhartman.. didnt want to post in the wrong spot, use to run some forums, know its frustrating, figured im new, so a newb question fits well in this area haha

You're exactly right. Fortunately a lot of the manufacturers are seeing that customers want unlocked phones. I believe Motorola and HTC are going to start leaving their phones unlocked soon.

 

[skruid]

Just cause your rooted doesn't mean you can overclock, or even install custom roms, and the iphone and the nexus 1 really are the phones that started the rooting and hacking on the smart phones

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[skruid]

Locked bootloader really does not stop rooting, really it stops custom kernels and a couple other hacks that allow free tethering

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[NeXtras]

If a bootloader is locked, then it makes it very difficult to root a phone. With root, you can overclock, meaning to increase your processing speed, and create custom roms, or themes. The original Droid had an unlocked bootloader, which pretty much started the big thing of rooting phones. Since then, the big debate is whether or not manufacturers will lock them down.

And welcome to the forums! dancedroid

Ahhh ok.. cause the bootloader is essentially BIOS correct?

I feel dumb asking some of these questions cause I'm a computer science major LOL, but I just took a class on OS's, so I learned a little bit about access to the superuser etc etc, using ubuntu..

But, its unfortuneate that phone companies are locking these phones down.. kinda like selling you a house and saying you cant paint it (couldnt think of a better example).. not to mention, isnt Android open source?

And sorry mwhartman.. didnt want to post in the wrong spot, use to run some forums, know its frustrating, figured im new, so a newb question fits well in this area haha

You're exactly right. Fortunately a lot of the manufacturers are seeing that customers want unlocked phones. I believe Motorola and HTC are going to start leaving their phones unlocked soon.

That would be nice lol.. it would be better if VZW wouldnt void a warranty if the phone was rooted.. you paid for the device, you should be able to do what you wish with it... reminds me of the days of unlocking Boost Mobile phones for Nextel SIM's lol...

so that brings me to another question.. can you access terminal on these? or does that also require root access?

 

[cupfulloflol]

so that brings me to another question.. can you access terminal on these? or does that also require root access?

You sure can. What you can do with that terminal though depends on if you are rooted or not (also busybox in some situations). https://market.android.com/details?id=jackpal.androidterm&feature=search_result <-- is one of the more popular ones.

Alternatively you can use adb on a PC as well.

 

[skruid]

You're exactly right. Fortunately a lot of the manufacturers are seeing that customers want unlocked phones. I believe Motorola and HTC are going to start leaving their phones unlocked soon.[/QUOTE]


Most htc phones are unlocked already



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[NeXtras]

I just downloaded the android sdk and such mainly so I could do screenshots (wish you could do those on the fly with out an app that needs root)


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