[GUIDE] Root for Verizon Galaxy S4 VRUAME7 Build Only!

dhc1214 · Jul 29, 2013

As someone who blindly took the OTA on day 2 of owning my phone, I would like to thank everyone involved in this exploit for their hard efforts. Lesson learned: NEVER take OTA without checking here first.

On a side note, I do have a question regarding Cerberus(mods if this is not the place I do apologize, however I could not find a proper location that regards the current root without recovery situation). Cerberus can be installed as a system app to prevent removal during a wipe process. Their website mentions two ways to accomplish this:

1. Boot into recovery and install. <-not sure if this can be done with the current root situation.

2. Put the APK on an SD card and use a terminal emulator for the following commands:

su
mount -o remount,rw /system
cp /sdcard/Cerberus.apk /system/app/
chmod 644 /system/app/Cerberus.apk

Basically I'm not knowledgeable enough to determine if this will work or brick. Any advise would be appreciated.

Derrick

ddschmidt · Jul 29, 2013

Would like to thank those who were able to give us root! You are all awesome

My question is, is there any way to use an alternate Superuser app? I have tried a couple different methods to use the clockwordmod Superuser, but it basically just removes root access. SuperSU is very capable, but I have had a better experience with other Superuser apps.

Thank You

notstevek · Jul 29, 2013

ddschmidt said:
Would like to thank those who were able to give us root! You are all awesome

My question is, is there any way to use an alternate Superuser app? I have tried a couple different methods to use the clockwordmod Superuser, but it basically just removes root access. SuperSU is very capable, but I have had a better experience with other Superuser apps.

Thank You

Just did this finally myself. Install new superuser app, open it, update binaries, using a file explorer delete supersu.apk from /system/app

Restart phone. I'm using superuser from clockwordmod with no problems on cleanrom1.6.5 (I didn't do the ota update) but shouldn't make a difference.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

SportingChap · Jul 29, 2013

dhc1214 said:
On a side note, I do have a question regarding Cerberus(mods if this is not the place I do apologize, however I could not find a proper location that regards the current root without recovery situation). Cerberus can be installed as a system app to prevent removal during a wipe process. Their website mentions two ways to accomplish this:

1. Boot into recovery and install. <-not sure if this can be done with the current root situation.

Correct - no custom recovery at this time.

dhc1214 said:
2. Put the APK on an SD card and use a terminal emulator for the following commands:

su
mount -o remount,rw /system
cp /sdcard/Cerberus.apk /system/app/
chmod 644 /system/app/Cerberus.apk

Basically I'm not knowledgeable enough to determine if this will work or brick. Any advise would be appreciated.

Derrick

If I'm not mistaken, step 2 is basically the long way around of installing the Cerberus apk normally, then converting it to system app using Titanium Backup. I've done this before on other devices and it worked fine. I don't see why it would cause any trouble here.

Redflea · Jul 30, 2013

dhc1214 said:
As someone who blindly took the OTA on day 2 of owning my phone, I would like to thank everyone involved in this exploit for their hard efforts. Lesson learned: NEVER take OTA without checking here first.

On a side note, I do have a question regarding Cerberus(mods if this is not the place I do apologize, however I could not find a proper location that regards the current root without recovery situation). Cerberus can be installed as a system app to prevent removal...

2. Put the APK on an SD card and use a terminal emulator for the following commands:

su
mount -o remount,rw /system
cp /sdcard/Cerberus.apk /system/app/
chmod 644 /system/app/Cerberus.apk

Basically I'm not knowledgeable enough to determine if this will work or brick. Any advise would be appreciated.

Derrick

It'll work fine. If you have Root Explorer or Titanium Backup you can do this more easily, and both of those apps are (for me and many others) must-have apps on a rooted phone.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

daventodd123 · Jul 30, 2013

Thank God a root method was found! Thanks to all developers that had a part in finding/making this exploit.

One question though. My dad purchased my S4 through Bestbuy and I do not want the employees to update my phone. Is there something I should say? I'd just rather not have the ME7 update and keep the ability to ROM my phone. I'm just unsure on what I should do to prevent one of their possibly knowledgeable employees from installing the OTA

thedeveloper1 · Jul 30, 2013

Yeah just be honest with them. They will understand your problem

Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium

spatton · Jul 30, 2013

It's a long story and it makes me kind of sad - but benefits my life....

How can I *UN-ROOT* after doing this?

Scott

ps. It worked GREAT!

seanatsb · Jul 30, 2013

Should I upgrade to VRUAME7

I have a question. I've read through many of the posts dealing with the VRUAME7 ugrade, and I may have missed an answer to my question. Here's my situation, I'm on VRUAMDK rooted with TWRP recovery, but I'm running Stock ROM and Kernel. I have used TiBackup to freeze bloatware. I don't want to flash any ROMS or Kernels because everytime I've done this on my fascinate or GS3, I find that something doesn't work as well (usually GPS) as it did with STOCK ROM. I use the custom recovery to make backups and to flash mods like adding Wifi toggle switch and removing random notifications. From what I've read, my options are 1) stay on MDK, 2)upgrade to ME7 via OTA using save root method or root via this method (losing ability to go back to MDK), or 3)Flash a ME7 stock ROM (or modified ROM), maintaining root and recovery, but not getting the ME7 kernel, potentially causing some minor incompatibilities between the ME7 ROM on MDK kernel.

My two main questions are,
1)are these my only options, or is there a stock rooted ME7 ROM/Kernel/Modem all in once package available via Odin or recovery?

and 2) besides moving apps to SD card, which I don't need, is there any significant advantage to ugrading to ME7, or should I just stay on MDK.

GuestK00350 · Jul 30, 2013

seanatsb said:
I have a question. I've read through many of the posts dealing with the VRUAME7 ugrade, and I may have missed an answer to my question. Here's my situation, I'm on VRUAMDK rooted with TWRP recovery, but I'm running Stock ROM and Kernel. I have used TiBackup to freeze bloatware. I don't want to flash any ROMS or Kernels because everytime I've done this on my fascinate or GS3, I find that something doesn't work as well (usually GPS) as it did with STOCK ROM. I use the custom recovery to make backups and to flash mods like adding Wifi toggle switch and removing random notifications. From what I've read, my options are 1) stay on MDK, 2)upgrade to ME7 via OTA using save root method or root via this method (losing ability to go back to MDK), or 3)Flash a ME7 stock ROM (or modified ROM), maintaining root and recovery, but not getting the ME7 kernel, potentially causing some minor incompatibilities between the ME7 ROM on MDK kernel.

My two main questions are,
1)are these my only options, or is there a stock rooted ME7 ROM/Kernel/Modem all in once package available via Odin or recovery?

and 2) besides moving apps to SD card, which I don't need, is there any significant advantage to ugrading to ME7, or should I just stay on MDK.

STAY OF MDK. This is what you're looking for http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2376140

HowardZ · Jul 30, 2013

Is there any interest in an APP that will provide the ROOT as a one click operation?

I started working on creating this, but I don't know if there is any interest.

Erisnoob · Jul 30, 2013

spatton said:
It's a long story and it makes me kind of sad - but benefits my life....

How can I *UN-ROOT* after doing this?

Scott

ps. It worked GREAT!

Plug your phone into a Mac or PC, install the VZW utility, select repair device. It will download and flash the official firmware and change your status to official and your splash screen back to the normal samsung logo, not the open lock with custom. It will be ME7 and bone stock. Have done it and rerooted myself. Hope it helps.

open1your1eyes0 · Jul 30, 2013

spatton said:
It's a long story and it makes me kind of sad - but benefits my life....

How can I *UN-ROOT* after doing this?

Scott

ps. It worked GREAT!

Another option: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2301259

Erisnoob · Jul 30, 2013

open1your1eyes0 said:
Another option: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2301259

That works well too, in case you are wondering the method I listed does a backup and restore of your phones apps, messages, calls, settings, etc...very similiar to the way iTunes does. Pick one and have fun!

Tada10 · Jul 30, 2013

open1your1eyes0 said:
How to Root your Verizon Galaxy S4

***VRUAME7 Build Only! - Look for this***

Description: This is a simple guide that will allow you to easily root your Verizon Galaxy S4 device without having to wipe your device or flash a full prerooted factory image. This method works using a root exploit (originally created by user hiikezoe, then ported for ease of use by DooMLoRD) and modifications of this exploit to work on the Verizon Galaxy S4 device (provided by user PWM978). Only change is I have modified the root method to use the latest SuperSU binaries and repackaged with simpler instructions.

Video Demo of the Full Process (Courtesy of DroidModd3rX)

Step 1 - Preparation

Step 2 - MicroSD Card Preparation

Step 3 - Rooting Your Device

Credits

Credit goes to hiikezoe for creating the original "perf_event" Exploit (Original Source)
Credit goes to DooMLoRD for porting the original "perf_event" Exploit for ease of use (Original Post)
Credit goes to PWM978 for modifying the exploit to work on the Verizon Galaxy S4 (Original Post)
Credit goes to Chainfire for creating SuperSU (Original Post)
Credit goes to all the members in the Bounty thread for being testers of this root method before its release (Original Thread)

Please note: Credit for this method goes entirely to the users who have created these tools and provided the files. I am only bringing together all these files and creating a simple guide for everyone to follow.

Will this work for s3 as well wanted to root someone's phone here at work with this without a laptop. Its a Galaxy S3...

Sent from my Galaxy S4

madAdam6LOVE · Jul 30, 2013

Thanks for root!

In case there are any other Mac users who'd like to do this, here's what I did on my MacBook Air:

1. Formatted SDCard as exFat using Disk Utility on my Mac
2. Downloaded RootForVZWS4.zip and doubleclicked in Finder to unzip on my Mac
3. Copied contents of RootForVZWS4 to the SDCard on my Mac
4. Ejected the SDCard with the rooting files from my Mac and inserted into my S4
5. Ran the rooting commands using Android Terminal Emulator on my S4
5. Rooted!

elliwigy · Jul 30, 2013

madAdam6LOVE said:
Thanks for root!

In case there are any other Mac users who'd like to do this, here's what I did on my MacBook Air:

1. Formatted SDCard as exFat using Disk Utility on my Mac
2. Downloaded RootForVZWS4.zip and doubleclicked in Finder to unzip on my Mac
3. Copied contents of RootForVZWS4 to the SDCard on my Mac
4. Ejected the SDCard with the rooting files from my Mac and inserted into my S4
5. Ran the rooting commands using Android Terminal Emulator on my S4
5. Rooted!

lol pretty much same directions.. good job tho!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app

DooMLoRD · Jul 31, 2013

just to clear up few things...

hiikezoe first ported the exploit to android device but it was restricted only to a few devices...

later me, hiikezoe & fi01 collaborated to improve it further and moved all development (open sourced ofcouse) to:
https://github.com/android-rooting-tools/
initially there was a long procedure to get the address out... then we worked on a simpler scipt and made it much easier... now u just have to clone repo run the script on the zImage and you get all relevant addresses dumped

i am glad that you guys got root because of our work... i had got all addresses quite some time back and had started initial testing but unfortunately i didnt have device and was just testing from /data/local/tmp and for some reason the root shell was not returned... i am really happy to know that you guys found a way around it!

cheers to all who made this happen!

regards,

DooMLoRD

Febby · Jul 31, 2013

DooMLoRD said:
just to clear up few things...

hiikezoe first ported the exploit to android device but it was restricted only to a few devices...

later me, hiikezoe & fi01 collaborated to improve it further and moved all development (open sourced ofcouse) to:
https://github.com/android-rooting-tools/
initially there was a long procedure to get the address out... then we worked on a simpler scipt and made it much easier... now u just have to clone repo run the script on the zImage and you get all relevant addresses dumped

i am glad that you guys got root because of our work... i had got all addresses quite some time back and had started initial testing but unfortunately i didnt have device and was just testing from /data/local/tmp and for some reason the root shell was not returned... i am really happy to know that you guys found a way around it!

cheers to all who made this happen!

regards,

DooMLoRD

@DooMLoRD thanks for the amazing support. Could you take a look at the ATT version MF3 thread? We can execute as well only that we believe the address is different for our device/kernel.

Thanks a ton!

(I'm posting this on behalf of our att users stuck on mf3).

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2361870

Sent from my GT-I9505G using Tapatalk 2

hexxamillion · Jul 31, 2013

Well that was painless. Worked like a charm only I found that I did not have root until after I rebooted when completing the steps outlined.

[GUIDE] Root for Verizon Galaxy S4 ***VRUAME7 Build Only!***

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[GUIDE] Root for Verizon Galaxy S4 VRUAME7 Build Only!