To Root or Not to Root?
- Thread starter curttp
- Start date
RaVenJ
Senior Member
- Jan 24, 2011
- 493
- 31
Ashley, do you know the true difference between major surgery and minor surgery? Major surgery happens to me, and minor surgery happens to everyone else! Same goes for questions. If you need to know, it's important and never too basic to ask. Keep us posted on your progress.
rico2001
Senior Member
- Dec 8, 2010
- 1,599
- 266
Trankster
Member
- Jan 28, 2011
- 17
- 2
After reading through 13 pages, I did not find answers to the original question, for me at least:
What disadvantages or problems are there with being rooted?
Can you download and purchase from BN just as with an unrooted NC?
Any other features lost after rooting? What about reading in a BN store? I have not tried this, but read on another forum than this feature does not work on a rooted NC.
What about updates or the rumored one to Android 2.2? Does a rooted NC update automatically or have problems due to an update?
If you need to unroot, is this difficult and what data is lost in the process? Does this wipe the NC?
Thanks.
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RaVenJ
Senior Member
- Jan 24, 2011
- 493
- 31
What disadvantages or problems are there with being rooted?
Still looking for some disadvantages.. Problems include not enough space to install all the stuff I want!
Can you download and purchase from BN just as with an unrooted NC?
Yeap.. Watch this.. (1 minute passes) BAM, just subscribed to a magazine..
Any other features lost after rooting? What about reading in a BN store? I have not tried this, but read on another forum than this feature does not work on a rooted NC.
Everything I did before, I can still do. Going to BN to read, well, I got better things to do than hang out in a bookstore.. If I want to preview the book, I'll grab the hardcopy and decide if I want to buy it..
What about updates or the rumored one to Android 2.2? Does a rooted NC update automatically or have problems due to an update?
If you do the renaming otacerts.zip trick, updates don't happen. Or at least, it hasn't happened so far. If it does, I'll re-root and do it all again.
If you need to unroot, is this difficult and what data is lost in the process? Does this wipe the NC?
There is a video on YT that shows how to do it. Interupt a boot-up 8 times, it restores itself. Keeps your files, just resets the OS..
Still looking for some disadvantages.. Problems include not enough space to install all the stuff I want!
Can you download and purchase from BN just as with an unrooted NC?
Yeap.. Watch this.. (1 minute passes) BAM, just subscribed to a magazine..
Any other features lost after rooting? What about reading in a BN store? I have not tried this, but read on another forum than this feature does not work on a rooted NC.
Everything I did before, I can still do. Going to BN to read, well, I got better things to do than hang out in a bookstore.. If I want to preview the book, I'll grab the hardcopy and decide if I want to buy it..
What about updates or the rumored one to Android 2.2? Does a rooted NC update automatically or have problems due to an update?
If you do the renaming otacerts.zip trick, updates don't happen. Or at least, it hasn't happened so far. If it does, I'll re-root and do it all again.
If you need to unroot, is this difficult and what data is lost in the process? Does this wipe the NC?
There is a video on YT that shows how to do it. Interupt a boot-up 8 times, it restores itself. Keeps your files, just resets the OS..
Trankster
Member
- Jan 28, 2011
- 17
- 2
RaVenJ, Thanks a bunch for the quick reply. Rooting sounds almost too good to be true. Just want to be sure I am not missing or losing something important. I probably would never preview books via the NC in a BN store either, but just grasping for any differences once rooted.
On the update question, I normally update my equipment (smartphones, cameras, NC, etc.) to the latest OS. Assuming I want updates to happen, do these conflict with the rooted NC? Do you have to first unroot, update, then root again?
On the update question, I normally update my equipment (smartphones, cameras, NC, etc.) to the latest OS. Assuming I want updates to happen, do these conflict with the rooted NC? Do you have to first unroot, update, then root again?
RaVenJ
Senior Member
- Jan 24, 2011
- 493
- 31
While I do understand wanting to update, the risk of losing everything outweighs the rewards of some small change that BN decides to hand out. No matter how cool their update is, it's still not going to be as cool as the device I hold in my hands. I can't say they do or do not conflict with the rooted NC. What I can say is that I'll choose to opt out of them if I can. I like my device and my setup on that device enough to leave it right where it is.
EDIT: That's not to say that I won't get an update once a stable rooting method comes out for that update. Updates are fine, but I don't want to be on the bleeding edge of this hobby. I want to lag behind and let other people take the risks for me. =)
EDIT: That's not to say that I won't get an update once a stable rooting method comes out for that update. Updates are fine, but I don't want to be on the bleeding edge of this hobby. I want to lag behind and let other people take the risks for me. =)
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mwhartman
Member
- Jan 28, 2011
- 20
- 0
I'm very new to this forum. I registered earlier today. I need to replace an iPad and had planned to purchase a Xoom. However, after seeing the prerelease price I decided to look for options. Leaning that the Nook runs Android is a real plus, for me. I have a rooted Droid and it allowed me to change the phone in so many ways. I was very apprehensive and did quite a lot of reading before I rooted my Droid. I plan on purchasing a NC and rooting.
Mike
Mike
- Sep 22, 2010
- 1,256
- 81
Hi Mike! If you're comfortable with you're rooted Droid, rooting the Nook will be ridiculously easy. Let us know when you take the plunge. 
BTW, I love your signature (there was recently an "interesting" NYTimes essay on forgiveness: On Forgiveness - NYTimes.com).
-Matt
BTW, I love your signature (there was recently an "interesting" NYTimes essay on forgiveness: On Forgiveness - NYTimes.com).
-Matt
mwhartman
Member
- Jan 28, 2011
- 20
- 0
Hi Mike! If you're comfortable with you're rooted Droid, rooting the Nook will be ridiculously easy. Let us know when you take the plunge.
BTW, I love your signature (there was recently an "interesting" NYTimes essay on forgiveness: On Forgiveness - NYTimes.com).
-Matt
Thanks for the welcome and the link, Matt! We all need to give each other a second change.
I rooted my Droid before any of the current one-click methods were available.
I use SPRecovery and enjoy changing roms. Knowing that I can use my paid apps and free apps on a rooted NC makes the decision easy.
Mike
- Sep 22, 2010
- 1,256
- 81
Ah...paid apps...there's the rub. I think others should chime in here, but this is my experience: using Astro, I backed up several paid apps on my Droid, including Beautiful Widgets, Root Explorer, and Set CPU. While the apks all work on the Nook, I'm not able to update them from the Nook. Does that make sense? In other words, since they were bought on the Droid, I think they have the device ID embedded (or stored online), so that when I try to update them on the Nook I get the buy button, not the download button.
Of course, the workaround (I assume) is to update on the Droid, backup, and then duplicate on the Nook. Bit of hassle, no?
Otherwise, I'm one very happy owner. And I'm an old-fashioned SPRecovery guy too. Except I've been playing with ROM Manager on the Nook!
-Matt
Of course, the workaround (I assume) is to update on the Droid, backup, and then duplicate on the Nook. Bit of hassle, no?
Otherwise, I'm one very happy owner.
And I'm an old-fashioned SPRecovery guy too. Except I've been playing with ROM Manager on the Nook!-Matt
mwhartman
Member
- Jan 28, 2011
- 20
- 0
I use Titanium and or MyBackUp Pro to backup my apps and settings because they have root access, unlike Astor. I've always thought that one's apps were associated to their Google account. I know that many who have replaced their device have been able to reinstall all of their paid apps. As of this writing, I've not worked with anyone who has attempted to install a paid app on multiple devices.
Since I'm so new my question may seem very basic. You register your NC with B&N so you must register with Google as well. Once rooted what does the Market "my apps" display?
Mike
Since I'm so new my question may seem very basic. You register your NC with B&N so you must register with Google as well. Once rooted what does the Market "my apps" display?
Mike
- Sep 22, 2010
- 1,256
- 81
I am 100% sure Rico can explain this better than me, but I'll give it a shot:
(1) When you boot the Nook for the first time, you have to register it with B&N (credit card not needed). Otherwise, you cannot bypass the welcome screen. Once it's registered, you need not ever communicate with B&N's servers.
(2) If you use the autonooter to root, it's important that you use a gmail account when you do step 1 (i.e., register the device with B&N). More specifically, you need to go on your PC first, and create an account at B&N that uses a gmail address (you may already have this in place). When you do step 1, you use the same login/password as the account you created with your PC.
(3) Once rooted, you'll set up your first "google" account on the Nook. It looks more or less like what happens on your Droid when you add a new google/gmail account. Here, it's important to use the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS that you used in step 1. Got it?
To be honest, I haven't dug far enough into the process to know what happens under the hood in step 3. I can tell you for sure that (a) the Market works, and (b) it treats the device as a unique entity. It won't treat it and your Droid as the same device. (BTW, have you tried AppBrain and Fast Web Installer? I'm a huge fan, and it works seamlessly on the Nook.)
So once rooted, I think the Market will show Maps and a few other google apps, but nothing else. You're starting from scratch.
Hope that helps!
-Matt
(1) When you boot the Nook for the first time, you have to register it with B&N (credit card not needed). Otherwise, you cannot bypass the welcome screen. Once it's registered, you need not ever communicate with B&N's servers.
(2) If you use the autonooter to root, it's important that you use a gmail account when you do step 1 (i.e., register the device with B&N). More specifically, you need to go on your PC first, and create an account at B&N that uses a gmail address (you may already have this in place). When you do step 1, you use the same login/password as the account you created with your PC.
(3) Once rooted, you'll set up your first "google" account on the Nook. It looks more or less like what happens on your Droid when you add a new google/gmail account. Here, it's important to use the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS that you used in step 1. Got it?
To be honest, I haven't dug far enough into the process to know what happens under the hood in step 3. I can tell you for sure that (a) the Market works, and (b) it treats the device as a unique entity. It won't treat it and your Droid as the same device. (BTW, have you tried AppBrain and Fast Web Installer? I'm a huge fan, and it works seamlessly on the Nook.)
So once rooted, I think the Market will show Maps and a few other google apps, but nothing else. You're starting from scratch.
Hope that helps!
-Matt
