[Android General] gbkelley:
Whoa, Nellie! Hold Your Horses...

Before you all go jumping on this WW-5-0-9 update to 4.3, read this (copied from the German Forum, see previous post):

---snip---

Attention please be cautious!

Asus made some changes to fastboot and the recovery of Android 4.3. These changes involved some softbricks with the OTA update on rooted devices. We didn't have much of this issue here, but you can read at (Update auf 5.0.9 (4.3) fehlgeschlagen - Brick?) link on their page

Because of this changes you can't flash update.zip with fastboot after the update to 5.0.9. If you want or need to flash an update.zip, then you have to downgrade fastboot to 4.7.3

Be aware of this!

1. A factory reset is obligatory before the update to 5.0.9, if your device is rooted

2. flash the update.zip for 5.0.9 from the ASUS Service Download Page

Don't use the OTA that you downloaded with a rooted device! In no case! This will end up with a softbricked device!

3. boot up the device at least once after the update

4. after that you can flash the rooted system image (with fastboot flash system ...)

If you want to go back to a clean, unrooted device, then you have to flash the old fastboot image like described in the linked brick thread. (and maybe also the old recovery image) Caution: Take care of this step, if something goes wrong it can end up with a hardbricked device.

Everything you do, you do it at your own risk!

---snip---

..and you might want to read this about rooting 4.3 in general

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/0...n-but-chainfires-supersu-works-and-heres-why/

My take is this: 4.2.2 is stable and rooted. You don't get much more with 4.3 except the possibility of bricking your device and a lot of complications. Better to leave well enough alone for now and see what develops with ASUS and rooting 4.3 easily. I had started making a root for 5-0-9 but the Germans already have one, so I have abandoned the effort for now, especially after reading about 4.3 rooting issues. I'm also a bit upset with ASUS for screwing around with fastboot and not allowing it to flash the update file directly. I already have issues with the Linux version of fastboot not recognizing the ME302C so I'm forced to use the Windoze version.

From what I've read about 4.3 and 4.4, I'm perfectly happy with my rooted 4.2.2 - heck I'm even happy with my rooted 4.0.2 on my Samsung Galaxy Centura. It's not like there are tons of apps showing up in Play Store that require 4.3 or greater (like stupid iOS apps always needing latest/greatest) so what's the rush to move up? I just don't understand the obsession to constantly go through minor (4.2 to 4.3) updates instead of waiting for a major (4.x to 5.x) update. Heck, I've been using Windoze XP for what, over 10 years now, although I've just switched permanently to Ububtu 12.04 (and won't upgrade to v13 any time soon) and only load Windoze for fastboot (till the Linux version works with the Pad) and TurboTax this April.

Now if you're a 'hobbyist' and enjoy messing around with your device then go for it. Just be aware (if your device is your daily personal data repository) that you could brick it being on the 'bleeding edge'. Better to mess around with a spare/backup device you wouldn't mind getting bricked should that happen in the process of trying new stuff.