"Friendly" root method for lg k8 and k10 [MTK]

This guide is supposed to help you root your lg k8 (2016) or k10 (2016) device (i guess any models with and unlockable bootloader and working TWRP).

Not for the 2017 models!

Why "friendly" root? Go see my old guide how unfriendly the method used to be:
https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/how-to/twrp-root-lg-k8-k350n-t3475807

Guys with latest (2017 febr. 1) security patch read this before you proceed:
https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=71469157&postcount=183
https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=72414225&postcount=250

Short version:
1. unlock bootloader (read step 2.1 if there is no device corrupt message during every boot up after unlocking bootloader!!!)
2. boot into TWRP (i tested with 3.0.0 twrp and above, never tested below)
3.1 install rce_univ.zip (download from this thread: https://xdaforums.com/apps/supersu/ramdisk-compression-exchanger-t3533327, but follow instructions here!)
3.2 install supersu
3.3 install rce_univ.zip again
reboot


Long version:

The links written with italic fonts are video guides (please excuse me for the quality they were made by my mobile phone)

1. unlock bootloader
- in settings/about phone/software info tap on build number about 10 times so you unlcok developer options
- in settings/developer options tick on "oem unlock" and "usb debugging" and untick "verify apps over usb"
- in settings/security tick on "unknown sources" and untick "verify apps"
video guide for above steps: Link Removed by Moderator
- make sure you installed all the drivers for your mobile from lg's site (LGMobileDriver_WHQL_Ver_4.1.1.exe and also lg bridge) - Link Removed by Moderator
- set up adb/fasboot using 15 seconds adb installer: https://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2588979 - Link Removed by Moderator
- go to the folder it's installed (in my case it's C:/adb - adb.exe and fastboot.exe supposed to be there) hold shift and right click "open cmd here" - Link Removed by Moderator
- in the command window type "adb devices"
it will start adb services and will print a line like "...lgk350... or ...lgk420... lgk430, etc"
if you can't find your device there check device manager or google how to work things out
normally in device manager you should find "LGE Mobile USB Serial Port" under Ports - Link Removed by Moderator

- now reboot to fastboot mode typing the command: "adb reboot bootloader"
your phone should go blank and only print fastboot mode on the bottom of the screen
- check your fastboot connection: type: "fastboot devices"
same as before (in my case it was writing some unrecognizable letters - probably wrong coding) if you see nothing then check device manager -Link Removed by Moderator
you may try to install android SDK (command line tool is enough - https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html - bottom of the page Link Removed by Moderator) if the connection is not working - however there must be a way to make it work (i had a hard time in device manager - i changed each driver a million times until it worked)
in device manager you should find "android bootloader interface" in my case its under "samsung android phone" i don't know why but it works
- In case you have a working adb and fastboot connection type (if you lost connection you have to get to fastboot again: "adb reboot bootloader"):
"fastboot oem unlock" - the phone will ask you if you really mean it, using the volume and the on/off buttons (twice) you can accept
you will lose all your data!!! and most likely lose warranty as well!!! Link Removed by Moderator
however your phone shell restart just fine (you have to manually restart it by taking out the battery or boot into twrp and reboot from there. There should be some message during boot up that your system is vulnerable from now on.
- after reboot you may want to check if your bootloader is really unlocked: get back to fastboot and type "fastboot getvar all" and find the line which sais if your bootloader is unlocked (if it's not you may repeat the process)Link Removed by Moderator

set up developer settings again:
- in settings/about phone/software info tap on build number about 10 times so you unlcok developer options
- in settings/developer options tick on "oem unlock" and "usb debugging" and untick "verify apps over usb"
- in settings/security tick on "unknown sources" and untick "verify apps"
Link Removed by Moderator


- !!!if there is no device corrupt message during every boot up then you need an additional step i'll describe at step 2.1!!! - Link Removed by Moderator

2. find a working TWRP for your device (i collect them in the first comment below - https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=70375626&postcount=2):
- put the recovery image (e.g "k8twrp.img") into your ADB folder (like c:\adb - where you opened command promt earlier)
- Get back to fastboot again and boot to TWRP - type in cmd: "fastboot boot k8twrp.img" (or whatever your TWRP image's filename is)
- if its not booting into TWRP normally try another TWRP (comment #2)
- on the first screen of the TWRP it's asking for password to decrypt data - just hit cancel
- if you have the device corrupt message during every boot up you can skip the next step (go straight to step 3.)

2.1. in case you have no device corrupt message during every boot up follow the next steps
- on the keep system read only? screen of the TWRP let it allow modifications (swipe!)
- reboot to System
- Link Removed by Moderator
you must see the device corrupt message during boot up -> you are ready to go for a root
- try to reboot the device if the device corrupt message is still there during boot up (Link Removed by Moderator). If it's not there you may repeat the process or check my old guide for troubleshooting.

3. the rooting part -Link Removed by Moderator[/I]
(you can read my old guide why we need to tweak the boot image before installing SuperSU - if you are interested)
- download the ramdisk compression exchanger: https://xdaforums.com/apps/supersu/ramdisk-compression-exchanger-t3533327 (we need this because SuperSU can only work with gzip compressed ramdisks while we have lz4 compressed ones)
- download latest SuperSU TWRP flashable version: https://xdaforums.com/apps/supersu/stable-2016-09-01supersu-v2-78-release-t3452703
- put this (rce_univ.zip) and latest SuperSU (i used v2.79) on your sd card (you need external sd because the internal sd is encrypted in TWRP)
- reboot your device into TWRP (through adb and fastboot as before)
- cancel decrypt data
- don't swipe on system modifying screen just click on "keep read only"
- go to backup, backup your boot image (tick only boot partition /untick the rest/ and select storage as micro sd card) in case anything goes wrong during the rest of the process you can always restore it
- go to install
- select storage and chose micro sd card
- install rce_univ.zip (it will recompress your ramdisk to gzip - so SuperSU can tweak it)
- when it's finished don't wipe or don't reboot! Go back (hit back button button) and install SuperSUxxx.zip
- go back again (without restart or wipe) and install rce.zip again (this will recompress your ramdisk to lz4)
- now you can reboot to system (without any wipe) - it will bootloop a few times, be patient!

If something goes wrong check my old guide for deeper understanding and troubleshooting!

If you have any problem with installing rce_univ.zip please post comments to it's thread:
https://xdaforums.com/apps/supersu/ramdisk-compression-exchanger-t3533327

Comments in this thread shell be only TWRP related or deeply device specific.

No promises... and no responsibility i take... !!!

Supported TWRPs:

in case you want to go for sure or you can't find a working TWRP port it yourself easily using my guide: https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/development/mtk-portable-twrp-porter-t3536123

or use the ones already ported:

Lg k10 k430: https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/development/teamwinrecoveryproject-3-0-0-0-lg-k10-t3404434

Lg k10 k430dsy (firmware: 10k - 2017 feb security date): Link Removed by Moderator

(Lg k10 k420n/ds: https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/development/unofficial-twrp-3-1-0-k420-ds-n-t3571943 - different root method required)

Lg K8: https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/development/recovery-twrp-3-0-2-lg-k8-k350-mtk-t3517894

others take a look around here: https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/development

or use this guide: http://www.chinaphonearena.com/foru...752-MT6753-MT6795-MT6797-TWRP-MT67xx-tutorial

Root after 2017 february security patch

So, LG upgraded their security precoutions in february so we were unable to root the latest firmwares. Until now...

As you know after the february upgrades the MTK versions got softbricked after any attempt on tweaking the boot image leaving us no option to system root our device. It works as when you turn on your phone the preloader starts the little kernel which starts the boot process if it finds your boot image untouched (there is some signature and some other crc kind of check if your boot image is corrupted). Then the boot process is checking the system partition and if it finds any modifications your device will not boot up.
So we need to tweak the boot image to achieve root privileges which was impossible after the february 2017 firmwares. It means we have to tweak the little kernel to allow modified boot images to work. However any modifications on the little kernel leads to 99% hardbrick (i myself also hard bricked my phone - so i'm an expert motherboard changer on the K series now).

But, it got me thinking... what if we flash an "older" firmware whith little kernel which is still not root proof then we take the system of the new firmware... after a few softbrickes here is the real deal:

1. flash the latest firmware you want to use.

2. get into TWRP and allow system modifications - then reboot (you will get the device corrupt message but it will boot up)

3. get into TWRP make a backup of your "boot", "system" and "system image"

- optionally before doing so you can delete some system apps you never use in TWRPs (3.1.0, 3.1.1) file browser ("advanced" menu) so you can save up some space (https://xdaforums.com/lg-k10/themes/stock-google-apps-delete-root-t3518613) then in TWRP's "reboot" menu chose "power off" and make a hard reset (http://www.hardreset.info/devices/lg/lg-k8-4g-k350n/). Now make those backups! You will have a lot more freespace.

4. flash the last firmware which was rootable (any firmwares before february 2017).

5. get into TWRP, swipe to allow system modifications, reboot

6. get into TWRP restore those partitions listed above then in TWRP's "reboot" menu chose "power off" and make a hard reset (http://www.hardreset.info/devices/lg/lg-k8-4g-k350n/).

Now if your system boots up, you are good to go for a root just follow the rest of the guide in the OP.

For now the firmwares from febr. 01 security patch are not rootable by this method. Only a temproral solution is possible. You will have approx. 15 seconds booted up rooted then phone turns off and you can boot up normally. Those 15 seconds are enough to get rid of some unwanted bloatware and apps so free up some space (if you are well prepared). You can boot into the rooted firmware any time you want from fastboot but always only for 15 seconds then you have to boot up normally becouse phone shuts down saying "corrupt battery" or something.
So you can follow the root process normally until you get to the part where you have to install rce_univ first time. Before you do that make a backup of your boot image in twrp! Then follow the rooting steps until the final install of rce_univ (so install rce_univ then supersu then rce_univ again). Finally before you reboot to system make a new backup of your boot image and restore the old backup (the one that you made before install rce_univ the first time). Now you can reboot.
Install supersu from playstore - its not gonna work naturally.
Copy the rooted boot backup from your twrp backups folder (it will be the "boot.emmc.win" file) and put it in your adb folder and rename it to something short like "br.img". Now you can boot into this via "fastboot boot br.img".
The first time it will loop once and you will boot up into the normal system. Then you have to boot into it again and that will be a rooted system. You have to go fast to supersu and in the options allow every root without promt so you wont waist time with that. After this probably you will have no time to do anything else.
Then download some root explorer and make shortcuts onto the home screen to the folders in which you want to delete stuff so you can reach them fast. Then reboot into the rooted boot go to your root explorer allow it root privilages everywhere. Now you probably run out of time again but next time you can just go straight to the folder you made shortcuts to and delete whatever you want. Make it one-by-one becouse if it shuts down during the delete process you may brick your device and you can start again. It's time consuming but you only have to do it once and you will have a clean firmware without root which is fun...

raul2903 said:

No bro,...

Thanks bro, for your help!!!

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

You can start by unlocking your bootloader as written in the OP. Once you are done with that write me a PM so we dont mass up this thread. I`ll help you in private from there finding you a TWRP.