Presentation on May 9, 2012 for MobileDevNJ.com.

1. MobileDevNJ.com, Wednesday 9 May 2012
Taking Control of Your Mobile
Device: Rooting’n’Roms

2. Before Desktop Computers
 Before IDE’s how was code written for
microcontrollers?
 Modern Programming: Write/compile directly
on target platform.
 Embedded Programming: Cross compile and
transfer image/binaries.
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3. Lil’ Bit o’ History
 Gary Kildall.
 CP/M.
 New era introduced by having a consistent
environment loaded from disk.
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4. App Stores and Mobile API’s
 Mobile platforms facilitate a high level “boot-
strapping” to get compiled code onto device.
 Abstracts developer from hardware.
 No concerns of booting or loading app.
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5. Embedded Development
 No BIOS.
 No boot options.
 Developer mode.
 Grants access to system filesystem/boot loaders.
 Ability to transfer system images/files.
 Bootstrapping.
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6. Boot Loaders
 Developer Mode Access.
 Low-level device reset/wiping.
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7. Disclaimer
 FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.
 Very bad things can happen 
 Have backup of data.
 Acknowledge risks.
 Only flash while connected to
charger.
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8. Boot Loaders
 OEM Boot ROM.
 Basic facilities to reset/wipe device.
 On Android, file named “recovery.img.”
 Accessed from Developer Mode.
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9. Boot Loaders
 Android – BootROM.
 Filename: recovery.img.
 iOS – SecureROM.
 Alternate Recovery Mode BootLoader:
 ClockWorkMod.
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10. Imaging Your Device
 nandroid backups.
 Ext3 filesystems.
 boot.img
 /system
 /data
 /cache
 .androd_secure
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11. Rooting
 What’s gained?
 Make read-only filesystems read-write.
 /system partition.
 Removes hardware access restrictions.
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12. Demo: MIUI
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13. Why?
 Customizations.
 CPU Governors.
 UI Changes.
 Direct access to hardware.
 Feature freedom (ie: WiFi hotspot).
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14. Demo: CyanogenMod 9 (ICS)
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15. Data Persistence
 Titanium Backup.
 ROM Toolbox.
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16. Questions
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17. Resources
 http://goo.im
 http://www.clockworkmod.com
 http://MIUI.us
 http://www.cyanogenmod.com
 http://MotorolaTriumphHacks.com
 http://www.xda-developers.com/
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