Android: General Chat

[The_Rev]

You can unroot a phone though, so your warranty is usually safe.

[CVByrne]

Thanks Dirk, that sounds simple. How would I use Kies then to get the Froyo update when it comes out later this month? I may just be best waiting for Froyo then rooting.

You want to see the trouble it was to root an X10. I think they might have a better method for it now.

Incidently, how can you unlock an X10? I want to unlock it and sell it to my mate who's on a different network.

[TheDon]

Thanks Dirk, that sounds simple. How would I use Kies then to get the Froyo update when it comes out later this month? I may just be best waiting for Froyo then rooting.

Probably the same you would unrooted.

Worst case you wait an hour until someone on xda puts up a rooted update.zip.

[darrenm]

Thanks Dirk, that sounds simple. How would I use Kies then to get the Froyo update when it comes out later this month? I may just be best waiting for Froyo then rooting.

Probably the same you would unrooted.

Worst case you wait an hour until someone on xda puts up a rooted update.zip.

Yep. Plug your phone into Kies and let it do a firmware update Rooting doesn't touch the firmware version or anything. It simply gives you busybox and the su program.

Look at what the update.zip actually contains:

darrenm@darrenm-desktop:~/Downloads$ unzip update\ \(2\).zip

Archive:  update (2).zip

  inflating: META-INF/MANIFEST.MF    

  inflating: META-INF/CERT.SF        

  inflating: META-INF/CERT.RSA       

  inflating: META-INF/com/google/android/update-script       

  inflating: META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script  

  inflating: META-INF/com/google/android/update-binary  

  inflating: system/xbin/busybox

  inflating: system/app/Superuser.apk  

  inflating: system/xbin/su 

OK so far all the zip contains is the signing stuff (manifest and certs), the actual update scripts and 3 programs: busybox (a more powerful shell), Superuser.apk (a program for Android programs to call to gain root access), and su (the shell switch user program). The update scripts contain:

show_progress 0.100000 0


show_progress 0.500000 0


delete SYSTEM:bin/su

delete SYSTEM:xbin/su


copy_dir PACKAGE:system SYSTEM:

symlink ../xbin/su SYSTEM:bin/su

set_perm 0 0 06755 SYSTEM:xbin/su


set_perm 0 2000 0755 SYSTEM:xbin/busybox


show_progress 0.100000 10

and

assert(getprop("ro.product.device") == "GT-I5800" ||

       getprop("ro.build.product") == "GT-I5800" ||

       getprop("ro.product.device") == "GT-I9000" ||

       getprop("ro.build.product") == "GT-I9000"

       );

show_progress(0.100000, 0);

show_progress(0.500000, 0);

mount("MTD", "system", "/system");

package_extract_dir("system", "/system");

symlink("../xbin/su", "/system/bin/su");

set_perm(0, 0, 06755, "/system/xbin/su");

set_perm(0, 0, 0777, "/system/xbin/busybox");

unmount("/system");

I don't know the exact format of Android update scripts but that seems to me all it's doing is installing those 3 things and setting permissions. Nothing else on the system is being changed so there's no reason for anything to stop you getting a standard firmware update.

[CVByrne]

That's it that's all the files contain? A wee bit of code?

[Tegis]

I think I have found my next phone, the Motorola Milestone 2. Yes, I crave qwerty hard keys.

Any of you ITK folks see any downside to it spec wise?

Clicky

[darrenm]

I think I have found my next phone, the Motorola Milestone 2. Yes, I crave qwerty hard keys.

Any of you ITK folks see any downside to it spec wise?

Clicky

Yes. I positively refuse to buy anything Motorola now because they think they're Apple:

Motorola on Engadget"]If a device attempts to boot with unapproved software, it will go into recovery mode, and can re-boot once approved software is re-installed.

They think they know better than you what you want to do with the phone.

Motorola Statement"]“We understand there is a community of developers interested in going beyond Android application development and experimenting with Android system development and re-flashing phones. For these developers, we highly recommend obtaining either a Google ADP1 developer phone or a Nexus One, both of which are intended for these purposes. At this time, Motorola Android-based handsets are intended for use by consumers and Android application developers, and we have currently chosen not to go into the business of providing fully unlocked developer phones.

Securing the software on our handsets, thereby preventing a non-Motorola ROM image from being loaded, has been our common practice for many years. This practice is driven by a number of different business factors. When we do deviate from our normal practice, such as we did with the DROID, there is a specific business reason for doing so. We understand this can result in some confusion, and apologize for any frustration.”

Great. I'm not an Android system developer, but I do want control over MY phone and I want to be able to use all the available software on there. When are these companies going to realise we own the devices, we don't rent them.

If you want a QWERTY, get a G2

HTC phones are the best out there.

[Tegis]

Oh G2, I like. Thanks for the heads up!

[darrenm]

Apparently it's the HTC Vanguard., not sure if it will see the light of day over here though.

[leviramsey]

It was looking like the Milestone 2 would lack a QWERTY keyboard for a while there... I'm glad to see that it has one.

My biggest issue is that as AT&T has a more extensive GSM 3G network than T-Mobile in the States, I'm not switching to T-Mobile anytime soon (T-Mobile and AT&T run their 3G on completely different bands). Verizon does have better 3G coverage than AT&T (though with some pretty major caveats, e.g. their network doesn't allow simultaneous voice and data service) and they're generally Nazis about what you can do with the phone. Which, given that AT&T for some reason refuses to make decent Android phones available, pretty much limits me to what Android phones are available for Telus use (unless I want to only use EDGE). The original Milestone was available for Telus, so that may still be the best available Android phone for me.

[darrenm]

yep even the original milestone is still a great phone and unlocked too so you can run CM on it

[leviramsey]

Good, then the Milestone 2 should drive down the price of unlocked Milestones :D

EDIT: the Telus Milestone (which is the only GSM Milestone usable on any of the US 3G frequencies) also has a locked bootloader

[CVByrne]

That samsung sprint phone has a qwerty keyboard. Though will not see the light of day over hee either

[limpid]

$35 7" tablet

[limpid]

There's a new Swype beta, get upgrading...

[MMFy]

There's a new Swype beta, get upgrading...

Got a barcode?

[limpid]

You have to sign up for the beta I think, it's tied to the device.

[CVByrne]

Yeah I got the email too. But Swype came preinstalled on my galaxy s, it's not as good as the one from earlier this year.

[Gringo]

How come when I try to swype the word really bad person it keeps coming back with 'northerner'? Bleeding southerners.

[MMFy]

My phone (HTC Hero) was free of charge and came with a 12 month contract and a monthly bill of £27.50 (ish) which includes 1100 texts a month, Unlimited* internet, 2000 minutes to landlines and 600 minutes to mobiles. You dont need to pay through the nose for a smartphone, I think Google have realised that with Android, they have to undercut the iPhone to be able to compete and while there are "boutique" phones out there which are better than an iPhone for a lower price, the entry level stuff is also very good and everybody who has an Android phone gets the same basic experience.

Similarly I have the Sony Xperia X10 on Orange for £27.50/month with unlimited internet, 1200 mins calls, unlimited landline calls, unlimited texts and 50mms/month. The insurance through Orange is only £6/month to get a new phone within 24 hours if there is a problem. iPhones require iPhone insurance, at £12/month.

Had it nearly three months now and I'm massively impressed with it.