[INFO][GUIDE]Rooting on linux (and mac)

There appear to be two main options for rooting Samsung devices on linux and mac.

Option 1: (un-tested) root.zip (recovery)
This method roots your stock 2.3 rom from in recovery (stock or CWM)
1. Copy Root.zip to your sdcard.
2. Turn your phone off
3. Boot your phone into recovery mode. (Hold HOME+POWER buttons. When the screen turns on let go of POWER but keep holding HOME. After you enter recovery mode, let go of HOME.)
4. Select “apply update from sdcard”
5. Find and select Root.zip
6. When it’s done installing, select “reboot system now”
7. Go to apps and look for 'superuser'. If you see it, your phone is rooted.

Option 2: (un-tested) flash CWM from stock recovery:
This gives you the freedom of a custom recovery, flashed on the device from stock recovery
1. Download recovery-clockwork-5.0.2.6-galaxyace-fix.zip
2. Put recovery-clockwork-5.0.2.6-galaxyace-fix.zip on your sdcard
3. Boot into current stock (default) recovery (zip also compatible with CWM recovery)(Hold HOME+POWER buttons. When the screen turns on let go of POWER but keep holding HOME. After you enter recovery mode, let go of HOME.)
4. Go to "apply update from sdcard"
5. Select "recovery-clockwork-5.0.2.6-galaxyace-fix.zip"
6. When it finishes, power off and boot back into recovery mode to check it has installed (it should say "ClockworkMod Recovery v5.0.2.6" somewhere)


Option 3 (un-confirmed): use Heimdall.
An open source, cross-platform, alternative to Odin.

Heimdall is officially supported on the Galaxy S (and S variants including Galaxy Tab)
It allows you to do pretty much anything Odin can do (interact with download mode), and so you can flash a root kernel to gain root and CWM recovery.

Although supposedly untested on the Galaxy Ace, heimdall should be able to flash the usual root precedure (rooting kernel with CWM).
It would be great if someone could verify heimdall works for the Galaxy Ace


Option 4: (un-tested) root your ROM using the zergRush exploit (from the Revolutionary team).
zergRush rooting scripts: Linux, Mac, Windows

For the zergRush exploit scripts, you only root your firmware, so CWM will need to be installed manually afterwards if you want it.

Now that you have root, you should be able to (optionally) flash CWM from an app or over adb using flash_image) (DO YOU NEED ROOT IF THIS IS DONE IN RECOVERY(STOCK)?)

Apps that can flash CWM include:
* CWM Manager
* Flash image GUI
_DO NOT USE_ ROM Manager (reported unstable)

To flash using ADB and flash_image, download flash_image and an CWM recovery img then run:

Or from the phone's terminal (if BusyBox is installed):
first put recovery.img & flash_image onto /sdcard/

DISCLAIMER: I do not personally own a Samsung phone, and have not yet tested these methods (although I am interested to hear how well they work,and will do my best to update the post). I am however planning to root a friends Galaxy Ace and possibly also an Galaxy S2, so will be testing some of these soon (I'm not sure I should try the untested heimdall on a friends Ace though)

ace_viknesh said:

Why take a longer way when the shorter way is faster, efficient and trustworthy...

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Sorry, which way is this shorter more trustworthy way?

The point of this is listing the methods I believe to be compatible with linux (and by extension mac)

I am new to Samsung phones and do not possess one myself, but understand that using Odin is restricted to Windows.

I will be flashing CWM Recovery to a Galxacy Ace soon and will try methods that have been tested (friend's phone)

If you know of other methods or if one of the listed methods does not work, I will update the post
Also if anyone can confirm heimdall to work with the Ace this would be the first time on xda (searching I've found only people saying it may work) the Ace is not on its supported list, however as it uses the same protocol (right?) it should work?

If however the mods believe this post to be useless or irrelevant, they are welcome to move it to the appropriate location

dragonnn said:

But instaling CWM isn't rooting, you can have CWM without root.

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Thanks, I wasn't sure of this as on my Desire I had to unlock the bootloader (s-off it) due to security features (and this was closely related to the rooting process). I use the term rooting as it seems the most generic, if anyone suggests a better word I will gladly consider changing the title

Prashanthme said:

Also u told about ROM Manager (reported unstable),... Dude leave unstable it bricks our phone... mAking it unusable...

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I've updated the post advising against using ROM Manager, thanks

Prashanthme said:

Best way to root is to put the upd.zip in rooting section and flashing in recovery... Can thr be any other way better than that?

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Thank you for this, I will get some details and update the post shortly to include this
Edit: I added the root.zip method

btw, I may rework the post to reflect whether current ROM will be rooted, recovery installed, or both and then list methods for each outcome.