[Q] New to HTC

[hecksagon]

Looking to buy a used M8. Is there anything to watch out for as far as software versions that s-off doesn't work or that to not have root yet?

 

[dragontology]

You're new to HTC and you know what S-OFF means? You're farther along than I was when I got this phone.

The latest firmware version is 1.55.605.2 and that may or may not work with Firewater, the free S-OFF exploit. If it doesn't (and there's no telling until you try), you'll have to use SunShine, and that costs $25 (and there's no way around that price). Without S-OFF, best you can do is temp root that goes away when you reboot and may or may not come back (if it doesn't, you do it again). Naturally some stuff doesn't work with that. When you have S-OFF you can flash a custom recovery and then flash SuperSU for permanent root, or better yet you just flash a ROM.

There's about to be an update that will almost certainly break S-OFF, at least until SunShine catches up. I'm guessing Firewater won't be updated.

 

[hecksagon]

I saw there was custom kernels in the development boards, are these for retail or developer edition only? I understand that the bootloader is locked, so if these are for the retail edition, is flashing unsigned kernels a feature of having s-off?

 

[adavit]

By doing either the firewater or sunshine method will unlock your bootloader along with making your phone s-off so you will be good to go. The kernels in the Verizon m8 section will work only on the Verizon variant. You can check the main m8 section and look at their customers kernels. Normally they will list whether or not it works on a certain carrier. Just be careful in that forum considering its for all m8 variants so it is possible to download something that could brick your phone.

 

[curly9]

I tried firewater last night and it didn't work. I would try it first because it said it would work with what my phone had as in software. I ended up having to use sunshine and paying 25$

 

[hecksagon]

I have no issue paying. Right now I have a Note 3 that has nothing but Touchwiz roms. Great device but horrible Samsung software.

 

[S1L3nTShaDoWz]

You're new to HTC and you know what S-OFF means? You're farther along than I was when I got this phone.

The latest firmware version is 1.55.605.2 and that may or may not work with Firewater, the free S-OFF exploit. If it doesn't (and there's no telling until you try), you'll have to use SunShine, and that costs $25 (and there's no way around that price). Without S-OFF, best you can do is temp root that goes away when you reboot and may or may not come back (if it doesn't, you do it again). Naturally some stuff doesn't work with that. When you have S-OFF you can flash a custom recovery and then flash SuperSU for permanent root, or better yet you just flash a ROM.

There's about to be an update that will almost certainly break S-OFF, at least until SunShine catches up. I'm guessing Firewater won't be updated.

If you don't mind me asking, which update is "almost certainly to break S-OFF" and how? Haven't heard anything about this and just wondering.

 

[dragontology]

I'm not exactly sure. I'm running 1.55.605.2 and that's what came on my M8. Bought it on... June 14, I think. Or 16. Somewhere in there. No OTA's. Firewater worked fine for me. But some are saying that a future update (or this one, if you OTA'd from a previous) patches Firewater's exploit, and thus you have to use SunShine. That's about all I know about it.