UPDATE: The HTC G2 – Permanently Rooted!!
UPDATE 11/09/2010
A few weeks ago we updated this article letting you all know the source code was quietly released for the HTC G2, which meant that eventually someone would be successful in permanently rooting the device. Well, it's been done! Scott Walker and a few helpers at XDA are the ones to thank for making this successful with what little materials they had. Now our PPCGeeks G2 users can start getting the job done themselves.
Source: XDA
END OF UPDATE
UPDATE 10/14/2010
According to tipsters & Androidpolice, someone at HTC has recently released the source code for the G2. We aren't sure if this was what HTC planned to do but it seems they managed to figure it out while digging through HTC's site and have quietly shared it with a few people. This doesn't surprise us much as most of you predicted there would be a day like this in the future. Looks like that day has arrived and developers can start having fun more now with the G2.
END OF UPDATE
UPDATE: BoyGeniusReport has just confirmed, after speaking with TMobile, that the auto-reversing is absolutely true. What TMobile explained is that the G2's software implementation stores some of the components in read-only memory. This creates a security measure to prevent key operating system software from becoming corrupted and/or rendering the device inoperable. TMobile also explains that there a group of highly technical users who may want to modify their devices, known as “rooting,” but a side effect of HTC’s security measure will be that the modifications are only temporary and cannot be saved to permanent memory, restoring the original code.
Source: BGR (link here)
End of Update
Yes you read that right. According to sources at TheRegister, The new HTC G2, which just began shipping out to customers yesterday, has a new process of auto-reversing "Rooting" (aka loading a custom ROM) as soon as anyone tries to load a ROM onto the device. What you will find when you try to load your own software is an instant reboot of the original software. Shocking? We know it is.
We haven't yet heard the reason HTC has decided to do this and it only makes us question the future of other devices they plan to distribute. We wonder what those that love to build/use Custom ROMS will have to say about this turn around from HTC. Will this only push those developers out there to figure out how it's done or will the answer be impossible to find? Only the future will tell. We would like to hear your thoughts and opinions.
Source: TheRegister
© 2010, GirlGoneGeek. All rights reserved.
I think I see a few die-hards canceling their pre-orders….
Its a cat an mouse game between the developers an the so called “hackers” out here that do great work with these smartphones. In some, an most case they do a better job of making the phone better, run how it should or lets the phone reach its full potential. It will be interesting to see how they break this auto unroot stuff. I’m not a developer but if i were one i almost would be excited to start working on how to break it.
This just means more returns at the store level…. cuz more people will brick it trying to get around the reverse-root. wow….. .
This is one phone to avoid.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I give it 1 week til’ someone out there finds a way to have this thing fully rooted with no issues. Usually when it comes to stuff like this it makes people try that much harder to find a way around it.
I waited almost 4 months with the Imagio for the HSPL……and when it was finally released, was I happy. Then ROMS and overclocking and many other things. The Imagio reached its full potential which otherwise would have driven me nuts.
I think everyone’s trying to emulate Apple by doing such Auto un-rooting things…….
I agree with themuffinman, it is just a minor set back and no doubt our developers will find a work around. I mean how many of us have become unrooted and thought we’d never get root again just to have someone come up with a crazy idea that works and here we are rooted again. Where theres a will theres always a way
Wouldnt this violate the GPL that Android is covered under?
@BooDaddy – this doesn’t violate the GPL in any way as long as they release the source code.
is this really true, or just suspected???
remember, everyone thought the DROID X had a “pill” in it, that would brick it if one tried to ROOT.. which obviously turned out to be false..
Im not a GSM guy so the G2 isnt even on my radar, but I do feel bad for the ones who Did want one if this is true..
While it does not violate the GPL in any way, there is recent litigation that provides legal protection to those that wish to root, unlock, jailbreak, etc their devices. (Don’t confuse this protection with requirements for the manufacturer to honor warranties of said devices) While the new laws don’t address the issues of manufacturer’s applying safeguards against it in the form of “auto unrooting” or any similar action, I can certainly see changes to the litigation in the future that do. Essentially, HTC has found a loophole in the new laws which we now need to lobby against. The most unfortunate part of it is the speed at which things like this get addressed, let alone passed into law. Look how long it has been that these manufacturers have been allowed to be in direct violation of the GPL licensing. Per their agreement, the moment an executable software with GPL licensing is released, the source code is required to be made available. Yet it takes months (in some cases) for them to do so. Why are these companies not being penalized or having their GPL licensing temporarily suspended? It’s a shame how slowly our government acts upon situations like these. Anyways, I’m starting to ramble…just some food for thought.
Its not really a loophole in the law, the law just prevented people from being punished for rooting/jailbreaking by the law. It requires nothing on the manufacturers end. But even if source code is released, they don’t have to release the source code for everything, only the items required by the GPL. Though I see HTC is going more and more toward a locked platform unfortunately
@Scenemaker –
Upon further research, it appears that the only parties able to bring legal action to GPL complience violations are the copyright holders if the GPL license. In the case of Android software, it appears that the copyright holder is Android Open Source Project. (Ihave not confirmed this yet) I am still trying to find official documentation naming Google as the copyright holder for any parts of the GPL licensing. Throughout the agreement listed in the licensing of my HTC Desire, I see a handfull of other parties that hold copyrights for parts of the source code. When I finish my research, I plan to submit an article with my findings. My goal is to make the community aware of who is responsible for enforcing these license agreements so we can potentially apply pressure to these companies (or individuals in some cases) to take action. My fear is that in some of these cases, it would not be fiscaly benifitial to some of the copyright holders of the source code GPL licenses to pursue manufacturers in a legal manner. In fact it may be financialy detrimental for the copyright holders to pursue actions.
so far nobody has been able to prove it false. the source is very reliable
@gTen –
I disagree that it is not a loophole. HTC does not want their devices rooted. Previously they could pursue legal action to individuals who rooted their device (or, more likely, the people responsible for publishing information on how to root a device as well as individuals providing software to perform rooting on their devices). So the loophole in this case is that instead of pursing legal action for these activities (which they can no longer do), they have found a way to simply end the ability to permanantly root the device. This, in my opinion, is a loophole to the new litigation.
@Scenemaker – Its not a loophole because other companies have been trying to lock their phones to prevent rooting and jailbreaking even when it was illegal. Not to mention its not like HTC ever went after anybody legally for rooting. All it means is HTC is tightening their grip like the others. I wouldn’t exactly call that a loophole…just being jerks lol..to use another example Apple could legally go after jailbreakers before but still locked the platform to prevent jailbreaking…it is not related to the law, its just being a jerk lol
So I take it there is no task29 option like on the Windows Mobile phones? This kinda sucks I was thinking about getting this phone but I really like the HTC Sense a lot and it would be nice to put it on this phone. I have the Driod X for work and I don’t really like the MOTOBLUR styled UI. Stuck with my love hate relationship with HD2.
The thing I honestly don’t understand is why they even care. Once I buy a phone of HTC, they don’t stand to make any more money from me. They don’t offer aftermarket services or software that would necessitate making sure I run their packaged software. They make phones. Once I’ve bought it, they are unaffected by what I choose to do with it. Why go through the trouble of making an auto-unrooter when rooting doesn’t affect them?
@spectheintro – Its either them or the carriers that request it…aka carriers want to keep their bloatware and hijack the browsers so they receive adwords revenue and market revenue >.>
i think its gonna challange the more then willing “hackers ” to work hard at it !! Thats what i love about this forum , ive learned that it was broken (hacked ) b4 it was put 2gether !! i give it 2 weeks max !! dnt stop your preorders if your looking foward to this device !! Ive never really dug the g1 out the gate but , have lots of friends that sware by them !!
I will be the 1st to admit that I don’t know what is involved in rooting the phone, but if there is a factory released ROM update at any point in the phones future, “hackers” should be able to figure out how the re-root feature gets disabled during the factory ROM update.
If they can make it, someone can break it.
well folks, BLAME THE INTERNET!!! everyone seems to think we can just blast everything we do ALL over the web without recorse..
Im a Hacker, like a real deal Hacker.. while Ill admit it openly, youll never find me giving reference to anything that came from legit hacking outlets… we’re a very tight knit, and super selective group.. we dont put what we do where any tom,dick,and harry can come across the info..
PPC/Android/BB/iOS/phones in general Hackers/Modders make it all publicly available knowledge.. i beleive in a free exchange of information and all, but we cant hide the fact that we pretty much so no regard for anyone other than DEVS(by not using warez) and ourselves…
we brag about ROOTING before devices are released.. the Masses ripped off Google and sold 1000s of EVOs(2 weeks before launch) and Nexus Ones from the I/O Conference.. wouldnt you be a little peaved if YOU were Google over that?
its not like we can change anything at this point.. theres just too much info available online..
but we cant really get upset when a Manufacturer, Carrier, or whoever comes up with a way to block something we do that we brag about all over the web
and for the people arguing the legality of it – there is something to be said for making it legal to jailbreak, then a company making it impossible to actually “jailbreak” a device…… Theyve now just “Blocked” Consumers from doing something which They/WE have the Legal Right to be able to do if we so wish…. its all interpretive though..
the article says “rooting (aka loading a custom ROM)” but on current devices you can have a rooted stock rom. does this block the phone from being rooted, or from being able to load a custom ROM, or both?
Thanks!
@davidetkin511 – By the sound of it both…every time the phone resets it auto restores to stock.
looks like android isnt as open as originally thought. this is one big well deserved slap in the face for a the fandroids out there.
I agree eric12341! I just hope they keep this on this device only and not future ones too!!! ugh
PLEASE….cotulla will have that hacked in no time….and the G2 isn’t even a good phone
@Scenemaker –
You missed the point on the ruling. All it said was it was legal for you to root it. It did not state that the manufacturer had to allow you to or make it easy for you to root the device! Only that they couldn’t prosecute you or punish you in anyway for doing so.
As for the new protection, my guess is it uses some sort of checksum to see if the rom thats booting is the same as the one in the ROM and if not restores the original rom.
The question to investigate is it a REAL ROM (unchangeable) or is it just some other flash memory that can be changed.
My guess is it is changeable so that when an OFFICIAL Android upgrade comes out it can be changed without problem.
So by the first upgrade released we should be able to figure out just how to get around the issue. I’m betting it doesn’t even take that long!
In regards to the GPL ramifications, The GPL only covers the software in android, not the hardware it runs on. HTC has every right to determine how the software is installed and protected on the hardware. They are required to post the source code for any GPL programs used (and by letter of the law all software used must be GPL to be used with other GPL code) but they do not have to make that code available via the hardware itself.
In fact in a legal sense they could argue that they need to lock the phone from user installed software to honor thier obligations of the GPL. By locking it no user can install a non GPL program that would violate the GPL license that Android is supposed to be adhereing to.
This has very little to do with the GPL this is a hardware issue and hardware is not covered by the GPL. Only the software. Where GPL might be relevant is that the program that checks to see if the phone is rooted might also be GPL or need to be to interact with a GPL operating system. In that case you find the code source and you find the workaround!
My guess is it is a hardware check cause hardware does not have to be GPL to run GPL code.
@Courtney1985 –
nope sounds like future devices too
This doesn’t make sense to me (not HTC sense, regular sense)…. The article states the ROM is located on a special “READ ONLY” section of memory…. if it is literally read only, this phone will not be able to receive OFFICIAL ROM updates, either. As others have said, its probably gonna be an easy fix for the modding community…
and it’s on it’s way to victory
As soon as the first update is released for this someone will be able to track what it does and duplicate it.
I will never get one though since I’m a VZW customer.
Like I said earlier, a week tops and someone will find away to pull this off.
they said DVD decryption could never happen
they said the Iphone could not be hacked
they said the Xbox 360 could not be modded.
In time a loop hole will be found to mod this phone as well and have it stick!