Noob Questions

[bparkerson04]

I have been scouring these forums in hopes of picking up some things, to become a more advanced G1 user. I personally run a linux box (ubuntu 8.04, will most likely mount a 9.04 iso on a dvd this weekend, and upgrade ;) ), and I am familair with the terminal application, and command line in linux. My first question is, what is root? Is it a terminal emulator? I haven't found a satisfactory answer on these forums. My second question is, what is XDA? My third question is, can anyone point me to some sites, or online manuals to pick up some of these acronyms being thrown around like spl, and hard spl in regards to boot loaders? What is a bootloader for a phone. I have so many questions, but I have no clue where to find the answers. Help! This may just take time and experience. I learned linux through necessity, problems, and scouring message boards for directions and answers to solve my problems. I have always been a basic phone user until I got my blackberry 8820, and I really started having fun with it, until I bricked it. I want that rush again! That's why I want to pick up on all of this stuff. How did most of you advanced users out there, learn what you know? Thanks in advance guys. Sorry for all of the questions.

[kitsunisan]

Hmm, must have been looking in the wrong spots if you couldn't find "root". Click the link in my sig, you'll get a lot of information about some of what you're looking for. XDA is an HTC developer site, just google xda, first link.

[DaYuMu6ft7]

If you can't find the link in Kitsunisan's Sig...

:D

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=513061

[kitsunisan]

If you can't find the link in Kitsunisan's Sig...

:D

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=513061

MUCH better link, I was sending him to Lazy's faq, but this more focused on the terms themselves.

[Odinist]

Sorry, posted in wrong thread...

[bparkerson04]

kitsunisan, thank you so much for that link. That is very helpful. If I have my phone rooted, I basically am "logged into an administrator account", versus running my phone not rooted, I am really just in a guest account, or basic user account? I hope that makes sense. Can you unroot your phone if you don't like it, or if I get an OTA update, will it unroot my phone? Can you run terminal if your phone is rooted?

[crazythunder]

ADB\FASTBOOT FOR ROOKIES
http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f...rookies-18124/ (http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f10/adb-fastboot-for-rookies-18124/)
everything you need to root
http://www.filedropper.com/rootfiles_1 (http://www.filedropper.com/rootfiles_1)
android glossary
http://code.google.com/p/android-roms/wiki/Glossary (http://code.google.com/p/android-roms/wiki/Glossary)

[crazythunder]

kitsunisan, thank you so much for that link. That is very helpful. If I have my phone rooted, I basically am "logged into an administrator account", versus running my phone not rooted, I am really just in a guest account, or basic user account? I hope that makes sense. Can you unroot your phone if you don't like it, or if I get an OTA update, will it unroot my phone? Can you run terminal if your phone is rooted?
root=admin account\su. you can unroot, but you won't,ever. and you won't get ota's once rooted. you can run term if you're not rooted. just not as admin,no privelidges.