[Motorola Droid Maxx] badkarma6085:
I reeeallly hate to beat a dead horse, and I'll probably get flamed, raped and tar and feathered for it but I have to ask after reading so many threads.

I just upgraded my Galaxy S3 (rooted) to the Droid Maxx from Verizon. Out of the box it's running 4.4 (kitkat, right?) 19.6.3. Seems to me, the threads I've been reading must have been before the 4.4 update, when rooting was done on 4.2 and such.

I've read a lot that 4.4, 19.6.3 CANNOT be rooted. Is this true? Do you have to downgrade to 19.5.3 as in post #314: Is this the preferred method now because I have seen so many apk's that I can't understand which one to use as I think they are all for pre 4.4 updates, like PwnMyMoto and TowelRoot etc. etc.

Is this now the current root method or am I really overlooking things?

Quote:

Originally Posted by basestamp View Post

Could you explain the process to sustain untethered root?

From what I understand the process is

Downgrade to 19.5.3

Use Jcase exploit

use MotoWpNoMo

use Safestrap by hashcode?

grab SuperSU pro a& upgrade to 19.6.3

Won't restarting remove root and r/w protection?

!!! The below has been edited I think to the most recent instructions and tips. It now longer than the original post. !!!

I am not posting direct links to files, nor am I claiming fame for the below instructions. I am simply gathering together what I used to obtain root and disable write protection. All credit goes to the people I mentioned and their threads.

#1 = Downgrade to version 19.5.3 following these instructions by [MENTION=4273261]TechSavvy2[/MENTION] using his link http://xdaforums.com/show....php?t=2580060

#1 1/2 = Downgrade to version 19.5.3 following [MENTION=4273261]TechSavvy2[/MENTION] instructions but use this file to prevent your data from being wiped. You do not have to edit this file or its components which is nice. Post from [MENTION=3333955]NWKENT[/MENTION] http://xdaforums.com/show...&postcount=297

#2 = Download exploit by [MENTION=2376614]jcase[/MENTION] and following his instructions for temporary "tether" root. http://xdaforums.com/moto...vices-t2771623

#3 = Follow instructions for and download the MotoWpNoMo utility. Original poster is [MENTION=711482]beaups[/MENTION] Link to that page is http://xdaforums.com/moto...pnomo-t2551113

#4 = Follow [MENTION=5693047]xDroid4Lifex[/MENTION] prompts to use both [MENTION=2376614]jcase[/MENTION] exploit and his findings to obtain permanent root on update 19.5.3. Link to xDroid4Lifex post on jcase thread. http://xdaforums.com/show...3&postcount=17 However, during the process of obtaining root, SuperSU will be installed to XBIN, not System. Follow step 5 or 5 1/2 to get SuperSU installed to the System. (<<<<EDITED)

#5 = EDITED!!! At this time, different parties have had success with using Safestrap to flash SuperSU in Safestrap Recovery. See [MENTION=5693047]xDroid4Lifex[/MENTION] post here >> Quote "You need to download a SuperSu.zip and flash that in safestrap to get Superuser installed to the system. Go here for the supersu.zip - http://download.chainfire.eu/supersu " End Quote. Here is the link on how to flash Safestrap Recovery http://xdaforums.com/show....php?t=2503897 (XPosed is not needed to make this root permanent.)

#5 1/2 = I never used Safestrap to get SuperSu installed to the System and out of XBIN. But in my haste to get root, I never wrote down what I did. I am instead going to loosely quote @basestamp "........... I have SuperSU on the system without using Safestrap. I followed all your instructions. I had to repeat the Motowpnomo several times because of the USB debugging, so I had SuperSU & Pro already installed on my phone. Initially, Supersu was running only in xbin? mode, so most of the settings were grayed out. When Motowpnomo finally ran successfully, its installer said it flashed supersu to system. I rebooted my phone and it had the newest SuperSU running. I just now uninstalled all SuperSu updates and the system apk version is 1.75. I have never used or installed Safestrap or unlocked the bootloader for this phone." Also in my quest to get SuperSU to System, I had uninstalled SuperSU that was installed by motowpnomo and [MENTION=2376614]jcase[/MENTION] other method "PIE". At that point, it was rolled back to an older version instead of completely uninstalling. After it was rolled back, I installed SuperSU Pro and updated SuperSU from the Play Store. I now have root installed to System.

#6 = Grab SuperSu and SuperSu Pro and enable Survival Mode. (Edit: By this time you will already have SuperSU. Just get SuperSU Pro and enable Survival Mode.) (Edit: Thanks @bagheadinc)

#7 = Allow and install Over-The-Air update to 19.6.3.

Results = You now have a rooted and write protection disabled Motorola Droid MAXX XT1080M consumer edition running Kitkat 4.4 with update 19.6.3. Browse around the forums or the "interwebs" for instructions on how to freeze further updates from Motorola.