[Motorola Droid 3] prestonmcafee:
Read-only file system?

Solved: Motofail, http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1497690, did the trick.

I could use help with rooting my Droid 3, running 2.3.4, Baseband N_03.18.32P, Verizon, about three weeks old. My purpose for rooting is primarily to shut off all the junk Verizon runs by default.

I tried Pete's Motorola Root tools v1.07, using Win 7 x32. Droid connects fine to PC, set to Charge Only, and with USB debugging checked. It gets through the first two steps fine, but on the third step says "ERROR: adb could not be granted root access via local.prop method" and then to try again. Trying again after rebooting doesn't change the outcome. (I'm curious about the people who said it worked after some number of hours; I would expect the same outcome if I repeated, as indeed I've found.)

To get a better sense of what was transpiring I also ran DooMLoRD_v4_ROOT-zergRush-busybox-su. I will reprint below the output of this program.

My android knowledge level is low. I successfully rooted a G1 years ago. So the "Manual ADB method" leaves me with many questions and no confidence I can execute it properly from the existing descriptions I have found. This is the only method that seems to work in this circumstance.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Easy rooting toolkit (v4.0)

created by DooMLoRD

using exploit zergRush (Revolutionary Team)

Credits go to all those involved in making this possible!

---------------------------------------------------------------

[*] This script will:

(1) root ur device using latest zergRush exploit (21 Nov)

(2) install Busybox (1.18.4)

(3) install SU files (binary: 3.0.3 and apk: 3.0.6)

(4) some checks for free space, tmp directory

(will remove Google Maps if required)

[*] Before u begin:

(1) make sure u have installed adb drivers for ur device

(2) enable "USB DEBUGGING"

from (Menu\Settings\Applications\Development)

(3) enable "UNKNOWN SOURCES"

from (Menu\Settings\Applications)

(4) [OPTIONAL] increase screen timeout to 10 minutes

(5) connect USB cable to PHONE and then connect to PC

(6) skip "PC Companion Software" prompt on device

---------------------------------------------------------------

CONFIRM ALL THE ABOVE THEN

Press any key to continue . . .

--- STARTING ----

--- WAITING FOR DEVICE

--- creating temporary directory

mkdir failed for tmp, File exists

--- cleaning

rm failed for *, No such file or directory

--- pushing zergRush

1247 KB/s (23060 bytes in 0.018s)

--- correcting permissions

--- executing zergRush

[**] Zerg rush - Android 2.2/2.3 local root

[**] © 2011 Revolutionary. All rights reserved.

[**] Parts of code from Gingerbreak, © 2010-2011 The Android Exploid Crew.

[+] Found a GingerBread ! 0x00000118

[*] Scooting ...

[*] Sending 149 zerglings ...

[*] Sending 189 zerglings ...

[-] Hellions with BLUE flames !

--- WAITING FOR DEVICE TO RECONNECT

if it gets stuck over here for a long time then try:

disconnect usb cable and reconnect it

toggle "USB DEBUGGING" (first disable it then enable it)

--- DEVICE FOUND

--- pushing busybox

2149 KB/s (1075144 bytes in 0.488s)

--- correcting permissions

--- remounting /system

mount: permission denied (are you root?)

--- checking free space on /system

142 KB/s (439 bytes in 0.003s)

df: /mnt/secure/asec: Permission denied

df: /mnt/sdcard/.android_secure: Invalid cross-device link

--- Free space on /system : 104193 bytes

--- no cleanup required

--- copying busybox to /system/xbin/

/system/xbin/busybox: cannot open for write: Read-only file system

--- correcting ownership

Unable to chmod /system/xbin/busybox: No such file or directory

--- correcting permissions

Unable to chmod /system/xbin/busybox: No such file or directory

--- installing busybox

/system/xbin/busybox: not found

--- pushing SU binary

failed to copy 'files\su' to '/system/bin/su': Read-only file system

--- correcting ownership

Unable to chmod /system/bin/su: No such file or directory

--- correcting permissions

Unable to chmod /system/bin/su: No such file or directory

--- correcting symlinks

rm failed for /system/xbin/su, Read-only file system

link failed Read-only file system

--- pushing Superuser app

failed to copy 'files\Superuser.apk' to '/system/app/./Superuser.apk': Read-only

file system

--- cleaning

--- rebooting

ALL DONE!!!