HTC Desire : /system partition write access in progress?

[Guest mathojojo54]

Hello all,

First thank you for the great work of Paul. You released by your efforts many restricted devices, and it is just incredible :).

When I rooted first my HTC Desire, I read on the tutorial, what the process will do, and what it won't do... And to be honest, I didn't really understood the real meaning of "it won't give you write acces on /system partition in normal use....

The root process will…

flash your device with a new, generic 1.15.405.4 based ROM that has Superuser access

show you how to enter the recovery image in future, allowing you to flash update zips

The root process will NOT…

enable you to flash your device with a custom recovery image that can be launched easily by just holding down the volume down button when powering on

enable you to have write access to the /system partition in normal use of the device

Both of these limitations are being worked on of course.

Yesterday, I just heard about Metamorph, and I wanted to test it to theme my Desire... but installation failed. This way, I endly understood the limits of the actual hack of paul.

So, why did I open this Topic ?

Just because Paul wrote : "Both of these limitations are being worked on of course." but despite of many google searchs, i really found nothing about it (even in this forum).

So, if Paul or anyone else has news about it, thank you very much to put it here.

Do we have a chance of getting a real fully rooted HTC Desire, or is it probably more and more utopian with the time ?

Thank you all

[Guest Lukewarm Earthcrawler]

it won't give you write acces on /system partition in normal use....

Yesterday, I just heard about Metamorph, and I wanted to test it to theme my Desire... but installation failed.

I don't know what is Metamorph and what what reason exactly do you need write access to /system, but if you just need to put some files there, you can do it.

1. Look what partition is mounted as /system in normal use.
   
2. Boot into recovery image. /system will be a directory in your tmpfs root.
   
3. Mount the partition you found in step 1 on top of existing /system (or elsewhere).
   
4. Put/edit files there.
   
5. Unmount it.
   
6. Reboot.
   

[Guest anoura]

I would say the Desire is already fully rooted, the fact that you don't have /system rw is a limitation with the HTC rom / kernel. You will probably have to wait until HTC releases kernel source.

[Guest xTc is loVe]

I would say the Desire is already fully rooted, the fact that you don't have /system rw is a limitation with the HTC rom / kernel. You will probably have to wait until HTC releases kernel source.

Completly wrong!

We dont have full Root. Full Root would be a Full NAND unlock. (R/W To System/Recovery partition) I dont need full root but it would be nice ^^ there are some German users working on this.

It isnt Kernel related but they try it with the Kernel. But its NEVER Kernel related ^^

[Guest mathojojo54]

I would say the Desire is already fully rooted, the fact that you don't have /system rw is a limitation with the HTC rom / kernel. You will probably have to wait until HTC releases kernel source.

As XTC said, no, the HTC Desire is not fully rooted ! The actual rooting process just allow to enter easily in recovery mode, and change the ROM. (In recovery mode, we have write access on /system).

I don't know what is Metamorph and what what reason exactly do you need write access to /system, but if you just need to put some files there, you can do it.

Look what partition is mounted as /system in normal use.

Boot into recovery image. /system will be a directory in your tmpfs root.

Mount the partition you found in step 1 on top of existing /system (or elsewhere).

Put/edit files there.

Unmount it.

Reboot.

Metamorph is a program (available on android market) which is used to change apps apparences. It is used to theme your android desktop or apps

(to have an idea of what can be done with metamorph : http://themes.piratemedia.tv/2010-07-20-ze...-cm6-rc1-beta/

I know that we can boot into recovery mode to have full rw access. But, when metamorph is starting, it need to make a first requirements check. This one fail, because of /system read only access.

Its because of thous kind of applications which need Write acces to the /system partition in normal use mode, that we need a real and full rooted device.

Edited August 3, 2010 by mathojojo54

[Guest mathojojo54]

Just found this on XDA Forum :

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=694034

It is for EVO, but the NAND lock is the same on HTC Desire, Legend or tattoo.

[Guest LeszekSwirski]

Some people on xda have been working on this, but there hasn't been much progress recently.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=690744

[Guest mathojojo54]

Thank you all.

All of thous links are interesting. I really hope they will finally unlock NAND partitions an radio very soon...

[Guest woti17]

...

Metamorph is a program (available on android market) which is used to change apps apparences. It is used to theme your android desktop or apps

...

I know that we can boot into recovery mode to have full rw access. But, when metamorph is starting, it need to make a first requirements check. This one fail, because of /system read only access.

...

Its because of thous kind of applications which need Write acces to the /system partition in normal use mode, that we need a real and full rooted device.

well, this seems a bit courious to me, the need for full root access to change appearence of applications

think this is bad on desktop pc, and even more on mobiles

i wonder when the first security impacts come along with apps remotely modify system partition

but maybe i'm paranoid

w

[Guest mathojojo54]

All morph applications work this way (it's the same for Ninjamorph). Thous applications are well knowed, so I don't think we need to fear too much about security.

By the way, it's not the issue here.

:)