Linux on phones and rooting?

[purplebeach1984]

I've been seeing a lot of articles on the internet about "rooting" your Android.   Isn't that unsafe?  If I wanted to put PCLinuxOS on my Android, why can't I?  Is there an Android version of PCLinuxOS or any other OS for that matter? I've never seen one.  I know if you sign in as root on a Linux OS, that's not good relative to security, right?  Just wondering why so many articles are popping up about rooting your phone.   Thanks!

[T6]

you are mixing concepts and ideas

the current cellphones does not use x86 architecture, all of them without exception are using ARM architecture

diferent ways to write and run the apps

pclinux does not exist in any other platform than x86 and soon x86-64

when you root your android, all you do is change kernel and version of android you have from another kernel and version of android(android is a desktop environment written in java, kde and others are written in other languages)

from the one that is offered, modified to work with the cellphone you have to another modified by another person(s) to add or remove apps and/or features

in most cases you don't gain anything, sometimes the accelerometer doesn't work or screen resolution looks weird, touch screen stops working in some sections or the camera stops working

the warranty can be voided because sometimes when you root the cellphone and you need a special app to write into the memory of the cellphone and the app fails, the memory on the cellhopne can end damaged and the company will not cover that kind of damage because they never told you to do that with your phone

it is supposed to use only the versions of android they offer

this is not that bad, some of the cellphones will remain in android 2.2 or 2.2.1 forever, motorola does that because the motoblur modification they use is complex and updates are a pita for them

in sonyericsson the android version used is extremely modified so they don't update the version often, sometimes with some models the original version is untouched, remains intact without patches until the end of life of the model, often this is two years, sometimes is 18 months

lg and samsung does release updates for most models while the hardware allows it, as you know, the new versions of android does need more ram and rom, also needs more cpu and gpu and if a certain cellhone only has a 500 mhz cpu and 256 mbs of ram, the new android won't fit well if it needs 512 of ram to work well

for example, a friend has a lg gt540, it came with android 1.6 but with a web update the system changed to android 2.1 or 2.2, can't remember

as you see, each company has a different approach to os updates

unless you are ready to loose the warranty on the cellphone and you have a valid reason to root your phone, different to say "i can do it and i will"  there is no real need on most cases

[purplebeach1984]

OK thank you so much!  I'm not surprised I mixed up the ideas/concepts.  I'm still a novice at all this! Thanks.

[ruel24]

Seriously, T6? We're Linux people... I mean, if it can be done, we're just itching to try it! How many of us have borked our distro installation doing something we know we shouldn't have? I have to say, if I wasn't using an iPhone, and had a Droid, it would probably be rooted by now and running Cyanogenmod 9.

[kernowyon]

My Android phone is rooted - it was the first thing I did with it. Originally it came with Android 2.1, which was modified by my phone company to have loads of pointless (read: charged for using) apps and their ghastly background.
Easy to root the phone and, if I need to send it back for some reason, I have the originally installed version ready here on my PC to plonk back.

Unusually, I have to disagree with T6. Like ruel24, I love to tinker and if I can modify, I will.
After rooting my phone, I have not lost any functionality - in fact, if anything I have gained freedom from the very restrictive options which the phone company placed on it. For example, the app included as standard for email actually charged extra for each mail sent - and that is on a contract phone with data bundled in. My rooted phone comes with a free email app....
I can also use tools such as backup apps to ensure I don't lose valuable settings and downloads, VNC, ssh, terminal emulator and plenty of other apps such as firewalls and tools to move apps from the phone to the sd card etc. None of those work on unrooted phones.

Yes, like any alteration to the standard, you could I suppose damage your phone or make your phone company refuse to honour any warranty. However, I am very pleased that I rooted my phone and if that had not been possible, I would not have bought the thing.

Have a look on Youtube at the basic concepts around rooting a phone. It is actually easy and there are step by step instructions for many phones on websites and on Youtube.

[T6]

"Unusually, I have to disagree with T6. Like ruel24, I love to tinker and if I can modify, I will."

you got me wrong

if i had a android i would root it too

the problem is the warranty and the reasons i explained

if the phone is mine and i don't buy it under a 1 year contract, forget it, i will do it, that is my reason

this is not the case of everyone so i don't recommend it, today we put out of warranty a iphone just because the user installed a different boot theme

now you can understand how problematic warranties can be

a tip, if you have a iphone and you have sydia installed(a app to modify stuff) and you need to send it for warranty, remove sydia immediately

this is the way things are