Got me a Galaxy Nexus (FINALLY!!) the day it comes out (Dec 15th). Naturally the first thing I do is to unlock the bootloader, since all Nexus devices have similar unlocking procedure. Now I want root to use Titanium Backup to transfer all my apps without using data, although I grandfatered in my unlimited data, and where I live just got 4G coverage.
With a little look around, unsurprisingly my idols, Koush and Pete Alfonso are ahead of the curve and gave out instructions and nicely packaged files to use.
I figure I can go into more details so a wider audience can root their phone and enjoy the fight against evil :)
I also only have a Mac, so that's the instruction I am going to give. My Mac is 10.5 (Leopard), so I am expecting you to have a better one :)
A little concept and step summary (optional)
1. Unlock bootloader
A bootloader is a piece of software that loads other essential software for a phone to successfully start up. It loads all kinds of firmwares, recovery, and of course the OS (Android). A locked bootloader only loads things with a verified "signature", i.e. preinstalled ones made by Google/Samsung/Verizon. We need to unlock it to boot whatever we want, such as things below.
2. Flash a custom recovery
With a unlocked bootloader, we can now flash/install a custom recovery software, such as SPRecovery and Clockwork. Recovery enables you to install software directly on your phone without loading the OS. These software can include, but not limited to, super user application (give you root privilege on your OS), and custom ROMs/Android builds. With this custom recovery, we can start install whatever we want, more to follow.
3. Install super user or custom ROM
Now we can install everything, so if you want to use stock ROM but elevate your privilege to root, install super user application. If you want to use a custom ROM (with different themes and features etc), you just need to install that ROM, but make sure it gives you root privileges, although I can hardly imagine anybody made a non-root custom ROM.
Now the how (all commends are in bold):
1. Unlock bootloader (WARNING: this will wipe all your settings and data, so back up)
1. Can't mount sdcard
When I tried to install zip file from sdcard using the recovery, it gives . I restarted the phone, it stayed on the booting animation screen for a few mins, and I am not sure whether it restarted itself, or due to the fact that I was holding the power button for a while, but the second boot was successful, and I could use my phone. Then I restarted the phone and entered fastboot mode, chose recovery mode, and then chose to install .zip again in the hope that it could somehow work the second time. And low and behold, it did work. So somehow the recovery mode didn't recognize my phone's /sdcard/ partition at first, but eventually did the second time around.
With a little look around, unsurprisingly my idols, Koush and Pete Alfonso are ahead of the curve and gave out instructions and nicely packaged files to use.
I figure I can go into more details so a wider audience can root their phone and enjoy the fight against evil :)
I also only have a Mac, so that's the instruction I am going to give. My Mac is 10.5 (Leopard), so I am expecting you to have a better one :)
A little concept and step summary (optional)
1. Unlock bootloader
A bootloader is a piece of software that loads other essential software for a phone to successfully start up. It loads all kinds of firmwares, recovery, and of course the OS (Android). A locked bootloader only loads things with a verified "signature", i.e. preinstalled ones made by Google/Samsung/Verizon. We need to unlock it to boot whatever we want, such as things below.
2. Flash a custom recovery
With a unlocked bootloader, we can now flash/install a custom recovery software, such as SPRecovery and Clockwork. Recovery enables you to install software directly on your phone without loading the OS. These software can include, but not limited to, super user application (give you root privilege on your OS), and custom ROMs/Android builds. With this custom recovery, we can start install whatever we want, more to follow.
3. Install super user or custom ROM
Now we can install everything, so if you want to use stock ROM but elevate your privilege to root, install super user application. If you want to use a custom ROM (with different themes and features etc), you just need to install that ROM, but make sure it gives you root privileges, although I can hardly imagine anybody made a non-root custom ROM.
Now the how (all commends are in bold):
1. Unlock bootloader (WARNING: this will wipe all your settings and data, so back up)
- Download Android SDK from here (this provides utility tools to unlock your bootloader)
- Unzip the SDK to a desired location. For the purpose of an easy instruction, name the unzipped folder "android-sdk" and put it in your home directory (i.e. /User/YOUR_USER_NAME/)
- Download fastboot for mac from here (this is a utility tool not included in SDK, but uses utility tools provided by SDK. We will use this to perform many necessary operations.)
- Move fastboot-mac file to android-sdk/platform-tools folder
- Open "Terminal" app under Applications -> Utilities
- Type vi ~/.bash_profile (this edit your hidden bash_profile file. I use vi, and you can surely use other text editor, such as nano)
- Press i to start editing, and add following two lines to the end of the file (add these two path to your PATH variable will make all utilities in these two directory, including fastboot-mac, accessible everywhere
- export PATH=${PATH}:~/android-sdk/tools
- export PATH=${PATH}:~/android-sdk/platform-tools
- Press esc to finish editing, and type :wq to save and quit
- Command + Q to quit your Terminal and restart it again (to load the new PATH variable we just added)
- Shut down your phone
- Press volumn up and volumn down at the same time, and while holding those two keys, press the power button until an Android with its front panel open cartoon shows up (now you entered the fastboot mode, as indicated in the red text at the lower left corner. You can see in that text block that it says your phone is currently locked)
- Connect your phone to your Mac using the USB cable
- Type fastboot-mac oem unlock
- Select "Yes" on the following screen, and it will start unlocking. Should be fairly quick. Then you are back to the Android cartoon, and now it should say unlocked in the text. You are done.
- Download Clockwork recovery here (the only one I can find, and thank Koush for the quick post)
- For the sake of this tutorial, put this .img file to your home directory
- In Terminal, type fastboot-mac flash recovery ~/recovery-clockwork-5.5.0.4-toro.img (install this recovery mode onto your phone)
- Now you have the custom recovery, and choose 3 OR 4 to root your phone
- Download super user here (this will give you root privilege)
- For the sake of this tutorial, put this zip file to your home directory
- In Terminal, type adb push ~/su.zip /sdcard/ (copy su.zip to your phone)
- Once the process is done, disconnect the cable, and at the fastboot mode, press volumn down key until the "Start" at the top of the screen becomes "Recovery Mode". Press power button to enter recovery mode
- Use volumn up and down buttons to highlight install .zip file and use power button to select. Find the su.zip file on your phone, and select it to install
- Once this is done, restart your phone, and now you have root. To verify, see if you have Superuser app installed. If you do, success.
- Peter Alfonso quickly packed a rooted stock ROM for us to download here (ICL53F is the latest)
- Rename the file to update.zip and put it to your home directory (again, for the sake of this tutorial)
- In Terminal, type adb push ~/update.zip /sdcard/
- Turn off the phone and then go into fastboot mode (vol up and down and power)
- Press volumn down key until the "Start" at the top of the screen becomes "Recovery Mode". Press power button to enter recovery mode
- Use volumn up and down button to choose install update.zip from sdcard, and once it's done, reboot your phone use the option provided by the recovery.
- Now you have root. To verify, see if you have Superuser app installed. If you do, success.
1. Can't mount sdcard
When I tried to install zip file from sdcard using the recovery, it gives . I restarted the phone, it stayed on the booting animation screen for a few mins, and I am not sure whether it restarted itself, or due to the fact that I was holding the power button for a while, but the second boot was successful, and I could use my phone. Then I restarted the phone and entered fastboot mode, chose recovery mode, and then chose to install .zip again in the hope that it could somehow work the second time. And low and behold, it did work. So somehow the recovery mode didn't recognize my phone's /sdcard/ partition at first, but eventually did the second time around.
