Got a problem here! Can't root my phone after this update from Verizon!!

[barnac1e]

Hi, are any of you aware of this 220 mb update Verizon is passing to its customers? Well, I accidentally found out and installed it on a perfectly good rooted phone with ICS CM9 and now I am holding a phone with the biggest piece of bloatware and privacy invasive crap I've ever seen. Worse yet, Motorola (or Verizon) seems to like to be sneaky in phasing out "rooting" phones.

Anyway, I'm so ticked its not funny. This is my last hope before I raise caine with someone at one of those companies.

I've tried several of the one-click-wonders for rooting my phone but with no ado. Can anyone suggest anything to help me out?

Also, I use Linux because I hate Microsoft, but also love Linux more than any other technology invented. Now is it a problem using these one-clicks on Linux? Must I use a Windows PC to do this?

""Please God! Why!!!"" :icon_ devil:

 

[tcrews]

What update are you talking about....the system update from .890 to .906?

You can root it manually, just follow the motofail root method and doing each step manually (following what the .bat file would do automatically).

Eh...looks like a linux version of the script is listed on his site as well.

Security Research by Dan Rosenberg

 

[barnac1e]

Hi Tom. Thanks for replying.

Yes, it's the .890 to .906 update as you said.

I cannot recall the motofail root method if I have tried that but I will Google it right fast. I tried one though from Androidcentral.com I came across with a Linux script last night, and that .bat file sounds real familiar. It took me to a terminal and ran the exploit, first step seemed okay, rebooted the phone but on the second and and third steps I got some type of permission errors referring that it could not access the /system../data ... something another and so i waited a minute, then it rebooted my phone again, and the same errors happened the third time. After a minute or so, the terminal disappeared and there I was hanging... and wondering if I had a rooted phone... as I never got a confirmation. It was after that moment that things really looked hopeless for me.

What is Motorola's problem with that update? or maybe Verizon? They too are playing switcharoo a lot these days with their data plans for some reason. I'm not basing my issue with them just on this update, but I know from reading the developer who took on the ICS CM9 AOKP for the Droid 3 did very well all the way up to fixing the camera to record HD videos. After almost a year, he posted an update regarding Motorola's creating lots of problems going into the open source and wrapping the kernel to make obtaining open source HD codecs hard to develop, practically impossible at this point, the developer said. He concluded to Droid3 users it would be best to use CyanMod7 for the Droid3 for full functionality. He's got other projects with the Bionic and Amazon Kindle keeping him busy.

After i read that, and then this update? Something is seriously fishy. Oh, and this seems to coincide very timely with how China finally approved the Google buyout of Motorola. This tells me that Google knows how valuable keeping Android source code is so much it took on the buy of Motorola to prevent such types of things happening like this has to me.

 

[tcrews]

Primarily the latest OTA update uses the new root method developed for the Droid 4 (works on Droid 3, Droid Razr, Droid Bionic and of course....Droid 4) called Motofail. Manufacturers always look to block root access (otherwise your phone would come with it) so their latest update blocked the original Droid 3 root process.

As for Hashcode talking about the Droid 3 and ICS...it's because ICS uses a new kernel with new calls/drivers that the stock Gingerbread kernel does not have/support. This makes creating a fully functional ICS rom (CM9/ICS) impossible. Hashcode recommends CM7/GB since Gingerbread ROMs work better on Gingerbread kernels.

Motorola isn't updating the Droid 3 to an ICS kernel/ROM because they don't want too. They could....but they would prefer you to buy a newer phone....and Verizon I'm sure is encouraging them to NOT update it as well as Verizon would prefer you to move to a 4G device.

EDIT...you don't have to search it, just click the link I provided in my first post/response.....
Motorola has coded all their ICS kernel drivers around a 1 Gig ram hard limit (or TI who makes the OMAP CPU most likely) so Motorola would have to convince TI to build a driver for a 512 Mb kernel. Too much effort/money to spend on an older 3G only device...unfortunately for Droid 3 owners (I know...I was one until I bought a Droid 4).

The .906 update was not bad at all...I ran my Droid 3 on the stock ROM with all the bloatware frozen (via Titanium Backup) and used an alternate homescreen launcher and had zero issues with the phone. It was quick, handled everything I was doing....I never felt the need to install anything else (I did play with Hashcode's CM9/ICS rom, Davro's Eclipse 2.2 rom) as stock but debloated worked fine.

 

[barnac1e]

I don't see a Linux script here: Motofail: Universal Motorola Android Root Tool (Portable) - xda-developers but I am going to try the .exe using a Linux program that runs Windows files. Does this work like the rest. Just hook up the USB, turn on debugging and execute the.exe? Also, do I want to use PC Mode or Charging mode or USB Mass Storage mode? Some forum said to use "Charge only" mode but that didn't do anything but it started working last night on the "Pc mode"

 

[tcrews]

I don't see a Linux script here: Motofail: Universal Motorola Android Root Tool (Portable) - xda-developers but I am going to try the .exe using a Linux program that runs Windows files. Does this work like the rest. Just hook up the USB, turn on debugging and execute the.exe? Also, do I want to use PC Mode or Charging mode or USB Mass Storage mode? Some forum said to use "Charge only" mode but that didn't do anything but it started working last night on the "Pc mode"

Go to the person who created the root method ...

Security Research by Dan Rosenberg

 

[barnac1e]

Wow, you definitely are on top of ROM development, which I like to see Thanks for clarifying that about what Hash Code was saying. I had forgot he mentioned the TI issue and size limits. That's interesting you mentioned Titanium Backup, and I've used it before. But wouldn't freezing the bloatware require root? Or maybe that's what you meant. I purchased the Pro RomToolbox from JRummy a few months ago so I used that mostly, and so only Titanium Backup and whatever capabilities it has for free. But, yeah, I would agree that the .906 is probably good with the bloat frozen though. By the way, have you heard of the Gummy ROM? I got to take a test drive on it yesterday before I messed up the bootstrap and deleted Safestrap, but that Gummy was so smoooooth! Better than ICS CM9 I thought. Well, I will try this .exe using Wine in Linux. If that doesn't work, I will find the script and try it. I will get back to you on here if all this works. I may have to sleep even before I get around to all that actually. Thanks though for all the info. Glad you are monitoring this forum right now!

 

[tcrews]

Here's the linux script from the site I linked...

http://vulnfactory.org/public/motofail_linux_osx.zip