So,
you’re new to the Android community. First off, welcome to the
wonderful world of customizing your phone! Android’s all about the power
to make your phone truly yours and if you dig deep enough, you’ll find a
hundred ways to make your phone unlike anyone else’s on the planet. Or,
at least, nearly unlike anyone else’s. The more you customize, the
slimmer the chance people will have the exact same settings. If you’re a
stickler for individuality, you’ve made the right choice by getting an
Android. But, the moment you loaded up Android Authority, you already
feel overwhelmed by new words.
What’s a ROM? What does root mean?
What are all these funny words people keep throwing at each other and
what is the meaning of life? We’re kidding on the last one, sort of, but
just like any newbie, getting into the world of Android is
intimidating. You can still your racing heart and wipe those sweaty
palms on your pants because Android Authority’s got your back covered.
We’ve put together a list of some of the high-sounding words that
newbies frequently encounter and compile the words into some sort of
easy-to-digest layperson’s dictionary of rooting terms. Come across a
word that you don’t understand? Check out our list, it should be here.
ADB
The
acronym for Android Debug Mode. Whenever your Android device is
connected to your computer, ADB is the command line tool that helps your
computer communicate with your device. ADB is part of the Android
Software Developers Kit (SDK) and is often used in root tools, whether
or not you’re typing the commands in yourself. Unless the instructions
call for installing the SDK and running ADB commands, you won’t need to
mess with it.
AOSP
Short for
Android Open Source Project, you’re likely to see this in ROM
descriptions. AOSP usually indicates that the ROM is based on the
Android source code provided by Google itself, and not on some other ROM
project or a company’s firmware.
Bloatware
Like it says on the tin, bloatware is software or apps that you don’t need, but come pre-installed to a device’s
/system
partition. What this also means is that you can’t remove them unless
the device has been rooted. Usually, these are apps are sponsored by a
company and are included by a carrier for profit. For example, the
Photobucket app included on the G2 by T-Mobile is deemed by many to be
bloatware, although, arguably, some folks do find the app useful.
Bloatware is a subjective thing. Some person’s bloatware is another
person’s lifeline.
Bootloader
A
number of ROMs require your bootloader to be unlocked, but what in the
world is it? The bootloader is the lowest level of software on your
phone, running all the codes necessary to start up your operating
system. Most bootloaders come locked, which prevents users from rooting
their phones. This is because manufacturers want you to use the version
of Android they’ve provided. With a locked bootloader on Android phones,
you cannot flash custom ROMs. Unlocking your bootloader doesn’t mean
rooting your phone, but it does allow you to root and to flash custom
ROMs.
Boot loop
When your system
re-cycles over and over without entering the main OS, your system is
stuck in a boot loop and the phone is said to be boot looping. This may
happen if you do not follow instructions. At other times, boot loops
are caused by defects in the software code. Usually developers who are
aware of this problem include boot loop patches that must be flashed
after you flash the custom ROM.
Brick
You’ve
probably heard this one a few times. It’s usually the result of
tampering with the insides of your device and doing irreversible damage.
A brick can be the result of a faulty flash or firmware update, a mod
gone wrong, or being struck by lightning. Brick refers to a device that
no longer functions, generally caused by a failed firmware or SPL
update. Since the device no longer works as intended, it is often
referred to as a “brick” or “paper-weight”, since that is all it is good
for. Since any modification to the device’s software could potentially
brick it, following instructions is very important.
BusyBox
BusyBox
is an application that provides a standard set of UNIX tools. The
default toolbox provided by Android is limited, so BusyBox is required
to allow rooted ROMs or apps to use more advanced UNIX features.
Dalvik cache
Sometimes in flashing ROMs, wiping the Dalvik Cache through Recovery Mode is important, but just what is the Dalvik Cache? The
dalvik-cache
directory holds all of the pre-compiled *.dex files created from
installed apps. These files are static and do not change unless the app
is updated.
Deodex
This term is
most often seen on a custom ROM’s list of features. When a ROM has been
deodexed, it means that its apps have been prepared for modification.
Deodexed ROMs have apps that have been repackaged in a certain way.
Developers of custom ROMs choose to deodex their ROM packages, since it
lets them modify various APKs, and it also makes theming possible after
the ROMs have been installed.
Flash
Flashing
is the term used to install something on your device, whether it’s a
ROM, a kernel, or something else that comes in the form of a flashable
ZIP file. It is the process of applying a firmware image or a ROM, to
your device and usually entails a very specific order of steps. If you
don’t follow instructions, you may end up bricking your device.
Fastboot
Fastboot
is a boot menu that you can do stuff from before Android is launched.
From this menu, you can choose to boot into Recovery Mode, and more.
Fastboot is a protocol used to directly update the flash filesystem in
Android devices from a host over USB. It allows flashing of unsigned
partition images. It is disabled in almost all production devices since
USB support is disabled in the bootloader.
Firmware
A
phone’s firmware is basically its operating system. A “firmware update”
means that the operating system, the software that controls the phone,
is updated. “Stock firmware” means that the firmware is unmodified: it’s
the version of the operating system the phone’s manufacturer delivers.
HBoot
When
you switch your phone, HBoot is loaded immediately and is mainly
responsible for checking and initializing the hardware and starting the
phone’s software. HBoot can also be used for flashing official software
releases, as well as a few other things.
IMEI
The
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is a number
unique to every GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile device, as well as some
satellite devices. The IMEI number is used by the GSM network to
identify valid devices and therefore can be used to stop a stolen device
from accessing the network. For example, if a mobile device is stolen,
the owner can call her or his network provider and instruct the provider
to “ban” the device using its IMEI number. This renders the device
useless, whether or not the device’s SIM is changed. The IMEI can be
displayed by dialing
*#06#. When a procedure asks you to take note of your IMEI, make sure to store it in a safe place.
Kernel
The
kernel is the heart of any Linux-based operating system. A kernel acts
as the brain of the system and controls how the hardware and software
interact. It also decides which activity your Android device should
carry out at any particular instant.
NANDroid backup
Most
how-to guides include this and all developers demand you to take a few
seconds before flashing their ROM to make a NANDroid backup. NANDroid is
a set of tools and scripts that will enable users who have root on
access their Android device to make full system backups, in case
something goes wrong or you would like to out an experimental ROM or
theme. NANDroid will backup (and restore) the
/system,
/data,
/cache, and
/boot
partitions. This backup can be restored later, whenever you want.
NANDroid backups are created from the Recovery Mode, often with
ClockworkMod Recovery.
Opensource
This
term refers to software whose source code anyone is allowed to view,
modify, or redistribute. In the context of Android, opensource refers to
the approach of the design, development, and distribution of software.
This offers accessibility to a software’s source code for modification,
improvement, bug-fixing, and security-enhancement. The CyanogenMod
project is based on this principle.
Overclocking
This
term is used when users want to increase the speed of their device’s
CPU or GPU. Overclocking can be done by installing special kernels
designed for this purpose.
Radio
The
radio on your device handles communication and sending and receiving
voice and data. Flashing new radio firmware can improve your radio
hardware’s reception and bring other benefits. You can flash radio
firmware through Recovery Mode, just like how you would a custom ROM.
Recovery
Recovery
is the software on your phone that allows you to make backups, flash
ROMs, and perform other system-level tasks. The stock recoveries don’t
do much, but if you can install a custom recovery such as the extremely
popular ClockworkMod Recovery, you’ll have increased control over your
device. Other popular custom recoveries also include 4EXT Recovery and
TWRP Recovery.
ROM
In the context
of Android, a ROM (acronym for “read-only memory”) or, more
specifically, a “custom ROM” is a modified version of Android.
Developers may give it extra features, a different look, enhanced
performance, and others. It may even be a version of Android that hasn’t
even been officially released yet. Some of the popular custom ROMs you
may have heard of are CyanogenMod, Android Open Kang Project (AOKP), and
MIUI.
ROM Manager
ROM Manager is
an immensely popular app for root users, allowing users to flash
ClockworkMod Recovery, install ROMs from their SD card, perform backups,
and even download new ROMs over-the-air.
Root
Root
refers to “administrator” or “full” access to the device. That is,
your device earns enhanced privileges and can grant you more control in
customizing it. The term referring to the process of gaining such
administrative access is “rooting.”
With root access, you can
mount the device’s internal memory partition as read/write, allowing you
to do various things like USB or Wi-Fi tethering and uninstalling
annoying bloatware. You can also enjoy certain applications that require
root access, overclocking or underclocking the CPU, and more.
Some
phones are easier to root than others. Certain phones require a tedious
process to gain root access while other phones and firmware have easy
and painless one-click methods. You can get root access by either
installing the Superuser application or by flashing a custom ROM that
already has root access included. Check out our section dedicated
solely for guides on
how to root your Android device.
Rooting,
unfortunately, also voids your warranty, so you must be extra careful
with whatever you do to your phone after you’ve rooted it.
RUU and SBF
ROM
Upgrade Utilities (RUU) and System Boot Files (SBF, for Motorola
phones) are files direct from the manufacturer that change the software
on your phone. RUU and SBF are how the manufacturers deliver
over-the-air upgrades and modders often post leaked RUU and SBF files
for flashing when updates haven’t been released yet. They can also be
handy when you’re downgrading your phone, especially when a rooting
method is not yet available for the newest software version. You can
flash RUUs directly from your HTC device, but Motorola users will need a
Windows program called RSD Lite to flash SBF files.
S-OFF
HTC
phones use a security feature called Signature Verification in HBOOT,
the bootloader on HTC devices. S-ON (security on) will read-lock your
/system and
/recovery
partitions, blocking you from performing certain root-level actions
directly from Android. By default, your phone has S-ON, which blocks you
from flashing radio images. You can disable this security measure with
S-OFF (security off), although you risk bricking your phone in the
process but will allow you to flash new radios. Rooting doesn’t require
S-OFF but many rooting tools give you S-OFF in addition to root access.
Superuser
Since
Android is a Linux-based operating system, Linux has something called
root access. By rooting your Android phone, you gain superuser access.
The superuser, or root user, is a special user account for system
administration. Superuser is also the name of an app, which lets you
grant or deny superuser privileges to other apps.
Wipe
Usually
refers to wiping data and cache partitions of the device. Usually
before flashing a custom ROM, developers will instruct users to perform a
wipe. Not performing a wipe may result in problems with the ROM’s
performance.
Zipalign
You’re
likely to see this term on the list of a custom ROM’s features. Zipalign
is a tool that optimizes the way an Android app (APK) is packaged. The
Android device can interact with an application more efficiently, and in
doing so, has the potential to make the app and the entire Android
system perform much faster. Zipaligned applications are launched more
quickly, and they use less amounts of RAM.
Congratulations! You’re
now equipped with some basic rooting and Android knowledge. Now you can
dive into XDA Developers and feel less like a noob. Using your newly
acquired knowledge, you can make better informed decisions when looking
for a ROM to power your Android device with. Good luck and happy
hunting!
Got a rooting term that’s bugging you? Let us know in the comments and we’ll try adding it to our dictionary.
![HTC Desire HD RD MIUI ICS 2.5.18_v4 [4.0.4] [2012.5.20更新]](http://static.romzj.com/images/upload/2012/03/16/thumbnails/4f62eb67d7bfb.png)
