How to root stock 3.2

[timmyDean]

Ok, after messing around with 3.2 I decided to fix the rooting issues without downgrading. The problem with downgrading is it requires a SDCard and requires you to install a couple of programs and then to install an update.zip from the sdcard. I could not get half my ACER's to read and mount a sdcard, and some ACER's I have located in a remote office and trying to walk someone through the process was too painful. I tweaked the the downgrade tool's images to install 3.2 with root instead of downgrading it and jumping through hoops. All I did to the stock image is to copy the ash shell over to /system/xbin/su and set the sticky bit. Everything else is stock.


Update posted here, read thead http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20654298&postcount=129

New version V4

-- The instructions are in a PDF document inside the download --
== Version V4 ==
-- Added /system/subin/su which is a backup (backdoor) root in case an OTA deletes the /system/xbin/su
-- Set permissons on the su root(#) tool so OTA's shouldn't be able to break it.
-- Added drivers for XP

Summary:
Version V4 is the same as V3 with the only difference being that there is a NEW backdoor script which has some additional features to protect root(#) from getting broken when you do an OTA. I also applied these to this flash image so you wouldn't have to add the additional protection yourself. V4 also has the drivers for XP included. However, when taking an OTA you should also install the backdoor for additional protection. However, you cannot leave the backdoor installed as it turns off sound. So having a little more protection just might save your root in case you take an OTA and forget to install the backdoor.

Download it here: http://www.multiupload.com/NS0X5TK4D1

Alternative download location:
http://depositfiles.com/files/c6pr69ri6
http://www.fileserve.com/file/s2wCQpN/root-3.2.1-V4.7z
http://www.filesonic.com/file/jTA7AMN
http://www.filejungle.com/f/vRnfK5/root-3.2.1-V4.7z

 

[bobby38]

Which 3.2 update is it ? Fully working, no issues ? Good job. Is it power + volume down or volume up to go into recovery ? And is it possible to flash a custom kernel like Honeyvillain on this stock ROM ?
Thx

 

[qben88]

Has anybody ( including OP) tried this method?

 

[timmyDean]

It is the 3.2 OTA for WiFi that my Tablet picked up. It is total stock other than making a SU from the ash shell and putting it into /system/xbin.

Fully works, no issues, have used it on 8 ACER 500's with no issues.

To enter recover it is the left side of the volume button which is volume (-) oopps NOT (+) as I indicated.

 

[fermunky]

Hah, saying Vol +/- is not intuitive on this device since when in landscape, Vol + is the "right" side, but in portrait mode Vol + is the "top" side.

 

[JUGOMAN]

no go

Hi, i can see my iconia uid from adb ( already installed in my pc) but
not from test.cmd, in the extracted package. Any ideas?

REPEATED STEPS 1-4 ( PER INSTRUCTIONS) ON 2 PC'S RUNNING W XP. SO FAR "NO GO" TEST.CMD CANNOT FIND PATH.... AND DOTNETDETECTER, THEREFORE, DOES NOT WORK.

 

[jimmkd84]

will this wipe all the data on the tablet?

---------- Post added at 04:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:40 PM ----------

Hi, i can see my iconia uid from adb ( already installed in my pc) but
not from test.cmd, in the extracted package. Any ideas?

same here i run the setup file and it installs but after i run test.cmd and it cant find it

 

[timmyDean]

Sorry about the test.cmd not working. The script just calls adb.exe to make sure it is working and I have it installed in another directory that I did not include. I posted, to the original message an attachment, it is called fix-Test.7z that fixes the test.cmd. You should be able to just unzip it into the directory you created and run the test. The archive includes the adb.exe and dll's so the test.cmd should work. If you have adb.exe working you really don't the test.cmd, but I found out when talking someone through it (over the phone) this made sure that adb.exe was installed and they had the tablet USB Debugging turned on.

And it is a quick and easy way to get the serial number which you need to flash it.

Thanks,
Let me know if you have any more issues.

 

[jimmkd84]

does anyone know if flashing it this way will delete all your data on the tablet?

 

[JUGOMAN]

NO GO2

The attchment does fix the test.cmd "problem" but the next step, Dotnetdetecter, does not work. It re-installs the driver (?) then error "adb is old" or something like that. All packages in my computer's ADB are up to date. I think that the "target" directory in the DONETDETECTER IS NOT CORRECT. ANY IDEAS? btw GOOD WORK!!!!!

 

[KILLER_K]

Many thanks for this. It is really easy like this. Keep up the great work.

 

[JUGOMAN]

UPDATE

Installed, booted, but no root. Previous rom( acer update) was3.2 Gen 2, now 3.2 Gen 1. was worth a try.. Thank you... tablet is working just fine, just no root

 

[a_rocklobster]

does anyone know if flashing it this way will delete all your data on the tablet?

Yea. I've never done this before so I'm wondering the same thing.

Also
Idk about this test thing but if u type 'adb devices' it'll show you which devices (if any) are connected. I always use that as a test when i use the adb to install apks.

 

[timmyDean]

bad adb

NO GO2 WROTE

The attchment does fix the test.cmd "problem" but the next step, Dotnetdetecter, does not work. It re-installs the driver (?) then error "adb is old" or something like that. All packages in my computer's ADB are up to date. I think that the "target" directory in the DONETDETECTER IS NOT CORRECT. ANY IDEAS? btw GOOD WORK!!!!!

Not sure what that would be. I just use the adb.exe and dlls that are in the fix.zip. Maybe you have a different version loaded?

 

[timmyDean]

ROOT IS NOT in the apps. It is in the adb shell.

What this does is allows you to connect to the device using adb.exe shell and you will get the $ prompt.

at the $ prompt type su and press enter. You will get # and be in su mode.
Now you can do whatever you would like. What would that be, you might ask? Well you could do the following:
1. mount system as rw
2. Push your favorite su tools to the device so they are listed in the apps (busybox etc).

Again this gets you to 3.2 with the ability to have a SU when connected via the adb shell. I left the building of the tools and custom CW to you guys to do as you wish. Here's something else you could do.
1. Shell to it, and issue the SU
2. Mount system as rw
3. Push your favorite tools to where you want (busybox etc)
4. Take the recovery.img (in the zip) and dd dump it to the recovery partition. This will put clockwork on the device (1.5).
a. You should probably run itsmagic too.
5. Get everything the way you want it.
6. Reboot to recovery and CW will load.
7. Now with CW 1.5 loaded, you can build and make copies of your ACER and make them available to anyone you like. CW 1.5 does NOT require an external SDCARD.

Sorry, if I did not make it clear that this is just a SU that you have to use from the command line. If someone wants to give me the links to a SU apk, busybox, etc they'd like included I'd do it. It would only take a few minutes as I got hundreds of these ACER's to flash for our company. I just wanted to get SU, but what the heck, I could build it out if someone would like it that way. ACER really pee'd me off with this, and guess what? They left the ability to gain root in the 3.2 100. Why the 'Sam Heck' did they change the 500 3.2 so you cannot get root?

So, anything I can do to help let me know. Also, If you never want ACER to send you another update I can tell you how to fix that too. All you have to do is the following:
1. Get to the adb shell $
2. type su to get the # prompt
3. Now mount system as rw by doing the following:
a. mount -t rfs -o remount,rw system /system
4. Now rename the update tool by doing the following:
a. mv /system/app/FDUpdater.apk /system/app/FDUpdater.apk.old
mv /system/app/FWupdateService.apk /system/app/FWupdateService.apk.old
5. To get OTA then just reverse the process if you ever want ACER and their OTA to break your fleet of ACER Tablets by pushing silly updates that they think you want then you can undo it. The last I knew, I owned these ACER Tablets and I don't take kindly to them changing something that I do NOT WANT CHANGED. They should be sued, matter of fact, I think they are violating federal laws by destroying data on MY tablets. Anyway, off my soapbox.

 

[jimmkd84]

i have re run the new test.cmd and is working now, and have successfully run dotnetdetector but i dont want to proceed until someone can confirm if doing this will wipe all data on the tablet

appreciate it, great work btw dev!

---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

did this wipe the data on it?

 

[maxx1973]

Hello, may i use this procedure on my A501?

Thanks

 

[timmyDean]

I did NOT test on the 501 so I do not know. If it was me, I would take the 501 stock images and put them in the kitchen and root them and then replace the ones in my zip with those or better yet, use CW to flash it in.

I think the ACER 501 has cell phone data connection doesn't it? I don't think the stock for WiFi only would be a good idea.

What ACER did on the 3.2 update (my opinion) was removed the Gingerbreak exploit and they removed the adb root exploit (they left the adb root exploit in on the 100). This is what many OEM's did, however many allow you to flash your own easier than ACER seems to want to let us. So if you got 3.2 NON-ROOTED loaded then there is no way to 'hack' out a root (just yet).

So how do you root it? You have to make a custom ROM and flash it. Now ASUS/Motorola/Samsung/Toshiba all allow you to flash your own ROM if you know what you are doing.

ACER seems to hide how to put the tablet into flash mode (if someone knows please let me know). Even if you did flash it they do want those ROMS running so they take each partition and calculate the MD5Sum and write it to, I think, partition #7. Therefore, if you do figure out how to flash in a new boot image or system image the tablet will not boot because the MD5Sums will not match (if you brick your tablet this way you are fubar). Fortunately, someone wrote a tool called itsmagic which you can run to tell the tablet to rebuild these. But if you fubar brick it before you get itsmagic run, I don't know how you get into flash mode using the keys so you'd be up a creek.

So, the 411 skinny on rooting an ACER with 3.2 is to get 3.2 off the device. Fortunately, they made an earlier flashing tool to flash in 3.0. I would guess this leaked out as a way for people to reflash to stock when they have issues.

Once you are on 3.0, you now can use Gingerbreak or the adb root exploit to root it. Once rooted, you can get CW loaded. CW allows you to install your own ROM's. Without CW you can only install ROM's signed by ACER and without ROOT you cannot install CW.

So, if you flash to the 3.0 now you are 'back to the future' in 3.0, you can root and install CW so you can now install a custom ROM from your SDCard.

What I would do is go get the STOCK ROM from ACER for your 501 device.

Once you have the stock ROM, you can use the kitchen tools to unzip the ACER ROM and root it to your liking. Now, re-zip it, but you cannot sign it with an ACER certificate so it will only install using CW. No, big deal because you got 3.0 loaded with CW. You boot to recovery CW and then run the update from your SDCard that you built in your kitchen.

This isn't really that hard to do if you're willing to read some documentation.

 

[timmyDean]

I have no idea if it wipes it clean totally. It does walk you through the setup again (like it was new out of the box) so I would assume most things would be wiped. I would back it up and not take the chance because it is best to be backed up.

 

[Euclid's Brother]

Just a note here. It says fully stock execpt root? i don't think that's entirely accurate. I believe that it's still downgrading the bootloader, otherwise you'd never be able to get CWM to run, as itsmagic doesn't work with the new bootloader. So your left with stock 3.2 ROM with adb/su abilities and pre 3.2 bootloader.

On another note, I believe step 17 is not needed. CWM run's itsmagic automatically on every boot. So just booting CWM and then rebooting to android should suffice.