MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

jefftheworld · 11-07-2011, 02:36 AM

On almost all Android devices (and almost all mobile devices of any sort, for that matter) you don't have full control over your system.

On a Windows computer, for example, you've got administrator accounts. One or more user who has full rights to do anything. On a Linux or Mac OS X computer, this administrative account is called the "root" account. Whatever it's called, most people have come face to face with a prompt saying "You don't have permission to do this." or a prompt to enter credentials for an administrative account before continuing.

Android is actually based on Linux. You have a front-end - all that stuff you see when using your tablet or phone - sitting atop a version of Linux. However, since your access to the device all comes through the android front-end, you don't have that same full access you have on a desktop computer. You're basically sitting completely within a program that doesn't have administrative powers.

Rooting your device is a process that allows you to have full access. The process is different on different devices (I've got a tutorial here on doing it on the Vox) but it involves installing a program called Superuser. Superuser acts as a gatekeeper of sorts. Any other app that wants to perform an administrative function (ie, that needs root access) can ask Superuser for that permission. Superuser then prompts you to accept or deny that request.

This opens up a lot of options in terms of what an application can do. For example, backup utilities can only back up all of your data if they have root access. Another example is taking screenshots. Android has no built-in screenshot tool and if you want to use a screenshot app, you need root. There are all sorts of other applications for rooted devices and the uses are varied as with regular apps.

11-07-2011, 02:36 AM	#2
jefftheworld Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 157090 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo, Kobo Vox	On almost all Android devices (and almost all mobile devices of any sort, for that matter) you don't have full control over your system. On a Windows computer, for example, you've got administrator accounts. One or more user who has full rights to do anything. On a Linux or Mac OS X computer, this administrative account is called the "root" account. Whatever it's called, most people have come face to face with a prompt saying "You don't have permission to do this." or a prompt to enter credentials for an administrative account before continuing. Android is actually based on Linux. You have a front-end - all that stuff you see when using your tablet or phone - sitting atop a version of Linux. However, since your access to the device all comes through the android front-end, you don't have that same full access you have on a desktop computer. You're basically sitting completely within a program that doesn't have administrative powers. Rooting your device is a process that allows you to have full access. The process is different on different devices (I've got a tutorial here on doing it on the Vox) but it involves installing a program called Superuser. Superuser acts as a gatekeeper of sorts. Any other app that wants to perform an administrative function (ie, that needs root access) can ask Superuser for that permission. Superuser then prompts you to accept or deny that request. This opens up a lot of options in terms of what an application can do. For example, backup utilities can only back up all of your data if they have root access. Another example is taking screenshots. Android has no built-in screenshot tool and if you want to use a screenshot app, you need root. There are all sorts of other applications for rooted devices and the uses are varied as with regular apps.