Kind of a Noob and need some help

[PbSandman7]

Thanks man for the more than informative response. I appreciate the apology but no need, it is more than understandable that people have to work. I have been incredibly busy with work as well. A lot of what you said is a little over my head but that's alright and expected here. I mostly wanted to root my phone to simply debloat crap and have titanium to backup my apps if for some reason I ever had to/wanted to reset. How do you factory reset the bionic? I searched and only found how to on other phones..

I thought I might get into installing a new rom eventually for a different setup and the ability to tweak more things as I learn but would that cause any hangups with the OTAs? Is it a good idea to create a backup before installing a rom? It appears as if people are starting to have issues with the updates that are out. Any idea if I would run into those by just being rooted or is that part of having a new rom? Not sure on which rom, but liberty seems to be liked by a lot of people.

I feel a little dumb but I still have no idea what busybox is, a bootloader is or safestrap that a lot of members are constantly talking about. Any info on the three and if I should download them would be great. I'd like to create a backup of my phone currently but I honestly have no idea how to do so unfortunately. A detailed description or Any thread walk throughs that you can point me to would be great.

As for the forever root process, I assume I should be ok by adding those lines of code after the last fi in my text editor? Of course by making sure it is all typed accordingly.
I looked in the system bin and donlt believe I saw anything with a toolbox label. There are a couple files with _tool, and a file titled toolbox but that is it. Not sure if that's the problem or not.
Any more help here would be great. Still trying to take it all in...

 

[guidot]

Pb,

Happy to give you some info on safestrap.

I think its the best bootstrap available. Basically it is a hack built into the startup so that you can press menu key to load a hacked version of CWR.

Also, it has a switch between non-safe and safe modes. This way you flash happily away in safe mode, where non-safe stores your stock setup. Its as close to being "unbrickable" as possible on a device with a locked bootloader.

I have written a few threads on this in the Droid 3 section.

Sent from my rooted, ROM'd, and Safestrapped XT862

 

[Bear in NM]

PB,

factory reset is in settings, privacy. I cannot stress this enough: You need to have a backup before doing anything to the phone. Either the clockwork mod bootstrap or as Guidot posted, safestrap. Safestrap is newer, and I will be going that route once the OTA dust has settled. CWM is the more tradtional, and original, and used by more folks. Your call on that one.

This is my personal opinion, but right now I would not get too far from stock and rooted with only OTA's you get on your phone from VZW. The newest 901 update still has a degree of risk asscoiated with it, and unless you are a more advanced user it could become a headache. It certainly is not what you want if you want to try any roms. Right now the situation with roms is kinda tenuous, as I assume the makers are also waiting for the OTA situation to settle. Right now we have folks on 2 different "official" ota's, and a handful more of the cheesecake'd systems. Hence the rom makers have reason to be holding back some. The roms have to work with the various partitions on the phone, the radio etc. so right now is just a transitional period that should shake out soon with the next "last" OTA that is pushed, until ICS. A really good time for new folks to get comfortable with one of the rooted recoveries, and making backups.

Busybox is a linux type set of shell commands. Just like dos commands for the command prompt. The commands do things manually to the phone. The phone comes native with a set, and busybox adds additional commands. To manullay execute these commands, you need a terminal emulator program. This will be just like dos. You can do something as simple as list the files in your current path location, to tweak things on the phone that can wreck it. Powerful, just like dos. If you search for a website that lists bash commands, you will get a taste. Bash is just one version, not exactly sure what we use, but you will get the gist. /system/bin contains these commands. You should see commands that have no file size, but say "busybox". This is the sym link to the busybox program in /system/xbin. busybox is just more commands.

I would suggest doing the one step to do the forever root. Then you can use root explorer to start seeing these files or general safe messing around. I would say that your root process should have given you busybox properly installed. If you run Titanium backup to back up your aps, if busybox is not installed correctly TB will give you an error message, and you can use the program to download and correct any busybox installation issues. And note that TB only backs up your file structure for restore, it takes a nandroid type backup from recovery to back up the entire OS. There is a difference. Bootstrap or safestrap is the first step.

As to your last question, if you put the lines of code in correctly you should be fine. And when you rooted you should have gotten busybox installed correctly. But being new to this, you might want to run the forever root, just to be sure. You also need to spend some time understanding file permissions, as when you start using Root explorer you will have to make the directories read/write and sometimes depending upon if you are pushing a file you will need to change its permissions. Afew things to learn and keep you busy until the OTA situation shakes out, then we will hopefully have more roms and tweaks.

Craig

 

[PbSandman7]

Great info there, thanks Craig. This is a lot more help than I assumed I would get.
Where can I find safestrap to download and get myself started in the process. Will I run into any issues with the safestrap and OTAs if I go that route now or would it be safer to go the CWM route for now until the dust settles. What is currently dusty if you don't mind explaining?

It appears as if busybox was installed correctly because I am not having any error messages what so ever with the superuser or TB. I backed up my downloaded apps as a starting point... I assume I just need to backup the files that were downloaded, not every file as those will restore with safestrap or CWM, correct?

When you say to run forever root, do you mean enter in the lines of code or is there a 1 click download somewhere? All I've been able to find is the video walk through that has you enter in the 3 lines of code. Only problem is my text editor, as explained above doesn't match to the description. Mine just ends in "fi" but if I recall correctly I should be ok due to that being the old style "back when" to forever root.


I did some reading too in the mean time and a bunch of people recommended getting safestrap, download the theory rom and if issues arise with OTAs that I can just restore to stock and I'll be fine with the updated OTA? Does loading my current "stock rooted" bring back the factory rom too? or is that another step as well?
Thanks again for all of your help.

I definitely want to get the forever root process finished. Should I do the backup first or just go ahead with forever root and then backup with either option.
When you say

 

[Bear in NM]

PB,

If you go to the D3 hack forum here, Guidot's stuff should help you some. There is also a new thread talking about the locked bootloader. Good stuff there. The threads explain the major advantage to safestrap, namely recovery before boot in the case of a bootloop where clockwork is lacking.

What I am going to do is make a nandroid backup with CWM recovery of my stock system. I will then move that backup from my sd card to a safe place om my pc where I will have a stock with root and forever root for safe keeping. Then I will unistall bootstrap, and install safestrap. Then do a back-up stock. This will give me two original backups on both of the available recovery programs. Just to be safe. And yes, go ahead and do the forever first. I think the one step is available under droidtheory roms here, or over on Rootzwiki:

R3L3As3Droot And 43V3R Root For The Bionic V2.1 - RootzWiki

The current dust is one official OTA, one almost official OTA and a lot of cheesecake unofficial updates. At issue with the roms is that the rom has to be written to a specific operating system, kernel version, radio, webtop etc. If not, the rom may not work properly. So with all of the various operating systems we have floating around now, a rom maker would be crazy to spend time releasing anything as it would be an install cluster you know what. Except for DHacker is grooving ICS. BUt that is alpha, so the folks know they are getting a partial bork. So we are at a very transitional period right now. Probably the worst timing for playing with custom roms, by and large, unless you keep in mind that we are in this period, and better functioning roms are right around the corner.

The current crop of roms are mainly setup for the original system, and I am not sure how they will work on 5.5.893. The thread for the rom should tell you. If you go to 901 then you are taking a big risk (imho) and you will be less likley to have any functioning custom rom. Some have reported completely messed up phones. Unless you are having serious connectivity issues, please be careful with pondering 901.

And yes, once you have your current system backed up, you can return to it for an OTA. BUT, and it is a big one, you need to be careful with some hacks out there that might upgrade your radio, or webtop, etc. This is what hosed folks with the cheesecake, and I am not sure if safestrap (your original recovery) will/would restore all partitions. I need to research that, or at least open my first backup to see what partitions are saved. A custom rom will/should not update important other partitions when installing, this is more the posts by folks who zip update specific phone partitions (like webtop).

Speaking of which, if you are on a windows PC, you need a program like 7-zip installed. Get used to looking/exploring downloaded zip files to see exactly what they are doing. You will not be able to see the contents of actual app programs, but you will be able to see what is being installed, and what is not being installed. You can even look at png files to see what the icons etc. will look like.

And right now safestrap seems to be right at an upgrade point (the last doy or so) so make sure you get the correct one, and make sure the Bionic is supported properly. I am gonna hold off until the next OTA come through more official channels, then I am going safestrap. I have bootstrap working well right now, and I am comfortable with getting back if need be.

Craig

 

[guidot]

Pb and Craig,

I'd like to reiterate that Safestrap is a modified version of CWM. However, the hack to get it to come up on reboot is different.

Safestrap creates backups using a modified CWM, its just how you get into the recovery that make Safestrap different.

The nice thing about Safestrap, which is in my guides, in the Droid 3 section on this forum, is you can do stock+root, install Safestrap apk, install recovery, and then make a backup of your stock+root system in non-safe mode.

If you want to play with ROMs, just reboot into Safestrap, activate safe mode, and it will move your system and userdata so that you can flash a ROM and retain the stock setup. So if you decide you want to go get that ICS OTA update for the Bionic (when it comes), you just go back into recovery, and deactivate the safe system. It will load your stock+root, you can either stay rooted and have the OTA break it, or unroot and take the OTA.

That's what I like about it.

 

[Bear in NM]

Guidot,

Thanks, I am pretty clear on that. It's the entry location point (prior to system boot) that is the main selling point. I have been hacking my phones for quite a while now, and have never had to sbf or fxz. But one of these days I might get bit.....

Do you know which partitions get backed up. Just curious about the radio and webtop? I am assuming not, as the problems all the other folks have had with mismatched partitions. I guess I am a bit vague on whether in safe mode if you mess with the webtop or radio if these upgrades would not be restored going back to non-safe?


And thanks for reminding me to visit the D3 forums more. I did that early on, and as our phones are so similar, it is a better place to visit than the GN places.

Craig

 

[guidot]

I know that he backs up /data and /system but that's all I knew.

Sent from my rooted, ROM'd, and Safestrapped XT862

 

[PbSandman7]

Sheesh I have some learning to do. This all makes sense though.
To clarify some things so I understand the steps and even the lingo... half the battle on learning new things is understanding the lingo.
I am currently downloading the forever root link, which does have a one click step.. hopefully it works with my current root setup. Seems pretty self explanatory.
At this point I think I only have a couple questions on what to do from here. I think I'll download safestrap next, just so I can create a backup for the sake of having a backup if ever needed in the future (stock rooted & 4ever). When you call it a "nandroid" backup... is that slang for essentially a clone of the stock system that is moved to another location for safe keeping? I might try the bootstrap method as well but I can image safestrap is more than efficient.

Once I go about that, I should be ok to install a rom if I wish..as long as its compatible with my current 893 update... correct? At a later point when an OTA arises but isn't compatible with the current rom I am using, I simply switch back to my stock system that is loaded into the non safe mod of safestrap? Which would then allow me to accept the OTA.. correct? If I wanted a different rom I would then have to make sure its compatible with that new ota I assume.

I might have some questions later on safestrap but I'll wait until I do some reading before hand. I can probably find the answers without being repetitive.

Quidot:
"The nice thing about Safestrap, which is in my guides, in the Droid 3 section on this forum, is you can do stock+root, install Safestrap apk, install recovery, and then make a backup of your stock+root system in non-safe mode." I might have questions on how to do this in the next couple days. I don't plan on doing it today but will most likely need some assistance to make sure I do it correctly. Thanks again for all of the help, both of you. :hail:

 

[2THEXTRM]

Good stuff here! will help with my replacement phone in a few days depending on what update is already installed by Verizon

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[Bear in NM]

Guidot,

Thanks. That is what I suspected, otherwis we would not have so many folks in system limbo. I remember when I saw the original cheesecake stuff, I did have one of those "I am not sure this going to end well" moments. It looks like there is a solution that some are finding helpful, but most certainly without all of the development community pitching in, these day are tougher.

PB,

Yes, nandroid is the term for the backup file that is created when you back up your system from recovery. Titanium only backs up programs, apps and data, not the actual operating system needed to boot and run. As I confirmed above, you need to stay clear of modding any partitions besides /system, which is the only place a rom will/should touch. The nandroid contains all of the system operating files needed to restore the system, as well as aps. My suggestion would be to create the backup, and before jumping off to another rom, go into recovery and restore it. This will confirm it works, and give you a little navigating experience. The nandroid should make your phone exactly as you left it when making the backup.

Be advised that once you make this backup, it will be your system at that point in time. If you add apps in a new rom, they will not be there until revisiting the market once you are back on the original rom. The market will always keep your paid apps, non-paid can be a crapshoot at times. I use a program called applist to keep a current list of apps I have installed, so if I go back to an earlier Rom I can keep it all straight.

And yes, as of the history to date, going back to either your nandroid or your non-safe in Safestrap should make you OTA ready. But we will not know for sure until the next OTA drops. To date all of the OTA (official and cheesecake) have generally allowed root to be maintained, as the update file is only a patch, and has not affected the system file containing root. The thought is that the next OTA will also be a patch, as if it is some variation of the 901 it will be. Makes no sense for VZW to push a complete anything. So right now you want to be on stock rooted, or with a way to get back to stock rooted. And yes, in the main thread of the rom you want to try you should find info on what version it supports. If you do not see it ask. And as much as it is a pain in the arse to read though 20 or 30 or 50 pages of stuff, I always do so when making a switch.

And repetitive is peachy keen fine here. Nandroid Nandroid Nandroid. Wipe before you flash a rom wipe before you flash a rom wipe before you flash a rom. Read and understand the OP when flashing a rom read and understand the op when flashing a rom read and understand the op when flashing a rom ;^)

Merry Christmas,

Craig

 

[PbSandman7]

Time to do a little reading and some more research. The only question left over at this point is.. When creating a nandroid which will be stock, but root/4ever rooted, Do I defrost all of my apps that I currently have frozen before I make the backup?
Thanks for all of the help and

MERRY CHRISTMAS ladies and gents!

 

[Bear in NM]

In theory no, that should not be needed, as the nandroid will contain TB in the configuration needed to frost and unfrost at that point in time. I have not tested this out, take it for what it is worth. It would seem to me that the logical thing to do when the OTA time comes is restore the stock system, do so, unfreeze apps, update the market then take the OTA. Basically make the entire system as stock and updated as a phone should be that would have been running stock. Just to be safe.


Craig

edit: I just checked and the nandroid process in bootstrap does not back up the internal sd card (nor external) so you may want to make a copy of your titanium backup set and move a copy to your external sd and pc, just in case you think you might need it. I have not checked with safestrap to see if it makes a copy of this location but you can do so with a 7-zip type program on your pc once you have your safestrap backup files. You should not need this backup set to get back to stock, but it would not hurt to have a copy.

 

[PbSandman7]

When you say stock, I assume you just mean without roms or anything else added. I probably change anything at this point, until the ota comes at least.

I also made a pretty big F-up and accidently deleted my yahoo and yahoo authenticator.... which I think is tied to my contacts folder and causing it to force close any time I attempt to view a contact. I can open the folder and view my contacts but once clicked, its force closes.
I meant to freeze them because i "thought" I had downloaded those files but no longer use yahoo... aahh. I'm an idiot. I openned a thread over in the tech support, any help on what to do now would be appreciated. total rookie mistake.

I am currently 5.5.893 and I think I just need the yahoo stuff...?

 

[Bear in NM]

PB,

Let me guess, in root explorer you deleted them? If you have the nandroid or safestrap backup file you should be able to restore the backup. If you deleted them before doing the backup, well.....bad boy;^).

A couple of things to try:

1) restore backup
2) find the bionic system dump file and try pulling and copying over. BUT I am not aware of a dump of 5.5.93 so if you pull them from 5.5.86 and they were patched in 93, well BAD
3) Someone can send them to you pulled from their phone if you list the exact files.

I just installed Safestrap, and I do like what I see. Only a couple little things that I find potentially problematic (or perhaps require more attention) but it looks like good stuff.

And I know I mentioned this before, but really no need to delete anything. Just tag the files you want to not have running with a .bak extension. This kills them without deleting.

Craig