[HOW TO] Unlock Bootloader & Root GSM Nexus (4.0.x devices only)

Evostance · Nov 25, 2011

I know there a few tutorials already on here, however it seems quite a lot of people are eitiher asking questions about the ADB method, or cannot understand other methods. So i'll try and put it all in one easy to follow tutorial. This is for the latest version on Android 4.0.x.

For this method we are going to use Paul O'Briens Superboot.

Superboot is a boot.img that when booted, will root your device the first time you boot (installing su and the superuser APK). No need to flash any partitions, no need to mess around with ADB, no messing with the contents of your data partition, no overwriting the shipped ROM on your device, just boot the boot image using the instructions below and you're done!

APPLY THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Download the latest version of Superboot: DOWNLOAD

You might need the drivers, however its worth getting them anyway as you'll probably need them in the future: DOWNLOAD DRIVERS

If you get you might need the USB drivers: DOWNLOAD

Windows

1) Extract the contents of the above file into C:\root

2) Power your device off

3) Connect your phone to your computer

4) Put device into the bootloader by holding down Vol Up + Vol Down + Power

5) Open up cmd and navigate to by typing to following (Hit enter after each line):
cd C:/
cd root

6) Unlock your bootloader by typing - this will wipe your device!:
fastboot-windows oem unlock

7) You should get a warning on your phone. Use the volume keys to select an option, and press the power button to confirm it

8) Your bootloader should now say that it is unlocked at the bottom

9) To root your device, double click:
install-superboot-windows.bat

10) You should now be able to reboot your phone and it will have root

11) Optional: Install CWM from here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1357642
Make a Nandroid Backup!

Linux

1) Extract the contents of the above file into a folder

2) Power your device off

3) Connect your phone to your computer

4) Put device into the bootloader by holding down Vol Up + Vol Down + Power

5) Open up terminal and navigate to the folder used in step 1

6) Unlock your bootloader by typing - this will wipe your device!:
./fastboot-linux oem unlock

7) You should get a warning on your phone. Use the volume keys to select an option, and press the power button to confirm it

8) Your bootloader should now say that it is unlocked at the bottom

9) To root your device, type the following (Hit enter after each line):
chmod +x install-superboot-linux.sh
./install-superboot-linux.sh

10) You should now be able to reboot your phone and it will have root

11) Optional: Install CWM from here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1357642
Make a Nandroid Backup!

OS X

1) Extract the contents of the above file into a folder

2) Power your device off

3) Connect your phone to your computer

4) Put device into the bootloader by holding down Vol Up + Vol Down + Power

5) Open up terminal and navigate to the folder used in step 1

6) Unlock your bootloader by typing - this will wipe your device!:
./fastboot-mac oem unlock

7) You should get a warning on your phone. Use the volume keys to select an option, and press the power button to confirm it

8) Your bootloader should now say that it is unlocked at the bottom

9) To root your device, type the following (Hit enter after each line):
chmod +x install-superboot-mac.sh
./install-superboot-mac.sh

10) You should now be able to reboot your phone and it will have root

11) Optional: Install CWM from here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1357642
Make a Nandroid Backup!

If i've missed any steps out such as downloading drivers etc, let me know what to add in etc. I did mine on OS X and it didn't require me to install anything extra

Update: it would appear some people are having issues with 4.1 rooting. I'll see what I can find an then update it. For the time being, just reflash the vanilla install and you should be fine. I'd imagine there's an incompatibility between this root and 4.1

Stea1thmode · Nov 26, 2011

Very nice indeed, might be worth doing a tutorial on how to return to stock if there isn't already one out there somewhere. Not many people know that it's possible to Fastboot OEM lock, I've tried it

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

Yeah I'm going to wait until there's a proper system.img about.

I got mine back to stock, however it was a complete bodge and highly advised against.

Locking the boot loader is the easy bit. It's going back to the default rom

Sent from my iPad 2 using Tapatalk

beekay201 · Nov 26, 2011

...but this should be moved to general i think. This subforum will br crowded next months.

sent from a kanged gt-i9000 using Tapatalk

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

It's based on development so I don't see why. General is anything to do with the phone. Unlocking and rooting is the first step of development

Sent from my iPad 2 using Tapatalk

Oppressa · Nov 26, 2011

Thank you for your work.

Just a small correction for your original post.

Instead of
fastboot-windows oem unlock

it's actually:
.\fastboot-windows oem unlock

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

Cheers. I'll edit that. Didn't work for me like that when I did it on a windows PC, however I'll add it in

Sent from my iPad 2 using Tapatalk

Aylarth · Nov 26, 2011

Maybe it worth to mention in the first post that many ppl (including me) had issues with this process, because we had no proper drivers installed first, and for that the solution was installing the newest PDAnet software. After that everything went pretty well.

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

Aylarth said:
Maybe it worth to mention in the first post that many ppl (including me) had issues with this process, because we had no proper drivers installed first, and for that the solution was installing the newest PDAnet software. After that everything went pretty well.

Ah yes. Added

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

helen_xxxx · Nov 26, 2011

I'm very new to this so prepare for a stupid question!

I'm trying to run this on a Mac, and when I'm trying to run fastboot oem unlock I get the following:

/Users/extra_ham/r2-galaxynexus-superboot./fastboot-mac: No such file or directory

What could cause this?

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

helen_xxxx said:
I'm very new to this so prepare for a stupid question!

I'm trying to run this on a Mac, and when I'm trying to run fastboot oem unlock I get the following:

/Users/extra_ham/r2-galaxynexus-superboot./fastboot-mac: No such file or directory

What could cause this?

Have you navigated to the folder where the files are located? Stupid question but not sure what you've done

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

chandlerweb · Nov 26, 2011

Evostance said:
Yeah I'm going to wait until there's a proper system.img about.

Are the files from Peter Alfonso not suitable? They include boot.img, recovery.img, system.img and userdata.img

I want to uninstall clockwork mod and get back to stock recovery. I used Peter Alfonso's recovery.img file and did a "fastboot boot recovery.img" but I just got a picture of a droid with a red triangle. I was hoping that would work before I issued the "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img" command. As it didnt, I guess I'll have to wait to find out what the proper method is.

helen_xxxx · Nov 26, 2011

Evostance said:
Have you navigated to the folder where the files are located? Stupid question but not sure what you've done

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I extracted the .zip to /Users/extra_ham.

Then put the following in terminal: /Users/extra_ham/r2-galaxynexus-superboot./fastboot-mac oem unlock

I wasn't sure whether I had to run 'cd' before doing that but terminal already appeared to be looking at extra_ham$.

I'm pretty sure it's something simple I'm missing.

StuMcBill · Nov 26, 2011

Oppressa said:
Thank you for your work.

Just a small correction for your original post.

Instead of
fastboot-windows oem unlock

it's actually:
.\fastboot-windows oem unlock

I am pretty sure you don't need the .\ on Windows? Only Mac & Linux.

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

StuMcBill said:
I am pretty sure you don't need the .\ on Windows? Only Mac & Linux.

Thats what I thought. Worked without the .\ for me at work as its just an exe

Evostance · Nov 26, 2011

helen_xxxx said:
I extracted the .zip to /Users/extra_ham.

Then put the following in terminal: /Users/extra_ham/r2-galaxynexus-superboot./fastboot-mac oem unlock

I wasn't sure whether I had to run 'cd' before doing that but terminal already appeared to be looking at extra_ham$.

I'm pretty sure it's something simple I'm missing.

OK, If you files are in the folder r2-galaxynexus-superboot, open terminal and just type (after each line hit enter):

cd /Users/
cd extra_ham/
cd r2-galaxynexus-superboot
./fastboot-mac oem unlock

chandlerweb said:
Are the files from Peter Alfonso not suitable? They include boot.img, recovery.img, system.img and userdata.img

I want to uninstall clockwork mod and get back to stock recovery. I used Peter Alfonso's recovery.img file and did a "fastboot boot recovery.img" but I just got a picture of a droid with a red triangle. I was hoping that would work before I issued the "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img" command. As it didnt, I guess I'll have to wait to find out what the proper method is.

I tried that system.img and it bricked my phone. Couldn't get it to launch, it just hung on the animation. I did a boot to CWM, messed with some stuff and then the phone randomly launched. Its not a stock image, missing all the Google apps etc and the Gallery doesn't work. I think for now though, its the closest thing to a stock image we have

helen_xxxx · Nov 27, 2011

Brilliant thank you, will give it a try.

Think I need to tune up on Unix....

URPREY · Nov 27, 2011

helen_xxxx said:
I extracted the .zip to /Users/extra_ham.

Then put the following in terminal: /Users/extra_ham/r2-galaxynexus-superboot./fastboot-mac oem unlock

I wasn't sure whether I had to run 'cd' before doing that but terminal already appeared to be looking at extra_ham$.

I'm pretty sure it's something simple I'm missing.

On OSX you can just drag the fastboot-mac file from finder into the terminal window and it will automatically fill in the path for you, then type the rest of the unlock command and hit enter

matt2053 · Nov 27, 2011

chandlerweb said:
Are the files from Peter Alfonso not suitable? They include boot.img, recovery.img, system.img and userdata.img

I want to uninstall clockwork mod and get back to stock recovery. I used Peter Alfonso's recovery.img file and did a "fastboot boot recovery.img" but I just got a picture of a droid with a red triangle. I was hoping that would work before I issued the "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img" command. As it didnt, I guess I'll have to wait to find out what the proper method is.

The Droid with triangle actually is stock recovery. When you see it just press power + volume down.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

christophermx4 · Nov 27, 2011

I hope the LTE version is as easy to root/unlock as this.

Knowing Verizon though...probably not.

[HOW TO] Unlock Bootloader & Root GSM Nexus (4.0.x devices only)

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