This is something seemingly understandable but I never get a clear idea how they relate to each other:

1. A locked bootloader, like the one in D3, prevents the deployment of customized kernel;
2. Safestrap provides a way to backup/restore, in addition, deploy update.zip;

With the help of Safestrap, can we deploy customized kernel in the form of update.zip? If yes, does it mean the locked bootloader not longer an issue in AOSP development?

Can someone walk me through the connections between these concepts? Thanks a lot.

if im not mistaken, any phone with an encrypted bootloader is unable to change kernels.

That's what we are told. Then what's the limitation of "install update.zip" option in Safestrap or its kind? I'd like to know what can be done / what can't be done.

Thanks.

Safestrap is for roms i believe, not kernels. If you try to install a kernel .zip in safestrap (even though im pretty sure there are no installable custom kernels for the D3) you will bootloop and most likely need to sbf. But im not even really sure what your asking??

Sorry for not being clear on the question. What I try to figure out is what "install update.zip" can do in light of the encrypted bootloader.

If the encrypted bootloader can effectively block the deployment of customized ROM, what is the limitation of "install update.zip" from Safestrap? In other word,
if "install update.zip" can deploy a ROM, did that make the encrypted bootloader issue go away?

Install update.zip is exactly what it sounds like. The recovery looks for a file called "update.zip" on the sd and installs it, nothing more. There use to be different ways of installing .zips and that is the original way. Some addons are in update.zip format and you would have to rename the file from lets say d3recoveryupdate.zip to update.zip in order for it to install. There is no full-proof way around the locked bootloader at this point in time. We use 2nd init/fastboot to install roms but no kernels. The locked bootloader prevents the kernel from being touched which in turn means no 100% custom anything. Install update.zip has nothing to do with the bootloader restrictions. update.zip can be placed on the root of your sd card and automatically installed via choosing "install update.zip", if it wasnt in the update.zip format you have to choose "Install zip from sd card" and then locate the file manually on either the internal or external sd. Hope that clears things up. If that doesn't answer your question I guess I don't know what you mean by limitations.


No one uses update.zip format anymore BTW.

If I understand "locked bootloader" correctly, it means access to /boot and /system are blocked. However, we can always place something inside of "update.zip" from where files are supposed to be placed to /system, if what happened to D1 holds true. The limitation I have in mind refers to what "update.zip" can't do given what's defined by the locked bootloader.

Locked bootloader means locked boot partition. We can already access /system with root. Update.zip is just the format of the zip file, it doesn't always pertain to something being flashed in the boot partition or the system. So its limitation would be flashing anything to the boot partition, because the bootloader is locked.. You can flash to the system already with either update.zip or any other .zip that contains files that go to the system or anywhere else on the phone besides the boot partition.

What you are thinking of is when you flashed the update.zip on the d1, what you flashed unlocked the bootloader. This is not possible with the D3 until someone figures out how to get around the encryption, and its not been done and I really doubt anyone is working on it. There is limited sources for D3 development because of the locked bootloader, devs dont buy phone that are locked and encrypted. The d2 d2g dx dx2 d3 etc and every other moto phone since the D1 are locked down tight, none of them have been unlocked.

Back in the days of D1, I combined chevy's kernel with metiOne's ROM in a update.zip, and it works fine. Now I have a D3 and come to know safestrap, I wonder if a kernel or customized ROM can be deployed this way. However, the locked bootloader sounds like it is not possible...

No kernels can be flashed, its located on the boot partition. That what your looking for? =P Our only hope for anything with the kernel would be modules to allow overclocking and changing vsel. OR when an official ICS update is pushed because ICS has a different kernel. Every dev for the D3 right now is more concerned about porting ICS, which IMO is more important because of the benefits of GPU hardware acceleration and system optimization but they are also limited because of the bootloader.

Locked bootloader = no true asop roms/kernels etc. The kernel plays a big part in aosp..

Thank you!

I was comparing to D1 where the kernel appears to go to /system as far as I can remember. It seems we probably can't do anything significant until verizon turns the green light to unlock the bootloader, which I have strong doubt they would do that.
Anyway, thanks a lot for all the inputs. They are really helpful.