[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] prescient:
Alright, so I tried rooting the phone as I suggested above and it worked. Haven't read about anyone else using this method so I'm posting the instructions here.

How to root LG l45c phone using Ubuntu 14.04

sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules

Copy and paste the following into that file and save it.

#Acer
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0502", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#ASUS
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0b05", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Dell
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="413c", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Foxconn
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0489", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Fujitsu & Fujitsu Toshiba
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04c5", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Garmin-Asus
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="091e", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Google
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="18d1", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Haier
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="201e", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Hisense
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="109b", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#HTC
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Huawei
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="12d1", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#K-Touch
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="24e3", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#KT Tech
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2116", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Kyocera
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0482", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Lenovo
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="17ef", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#LG
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1004", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Motorola
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="22b8", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#MTK
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#NEC
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0409", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Nook
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2080", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Nvidia
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0955", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#OTGV
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2257", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Pantech
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="10a9", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Pegatron
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1d4d", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Philips
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0471", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#PMC-Sierra
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04da", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Qualcomm
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05c6", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#SK Telesys
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1f53", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Samsung
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04e8", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Sharp
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04dd", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Sony
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="054c", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Sony Ericsson
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0fce", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Teleepoch
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2340", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#Toshiba
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0930", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"
#ZTE
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="19d2", MODE="0664", GROUP="plugdev"

reboot ubuntu system, turn on phone, enable usb debugging, enable unknown/non-market sources

plug phone into usb port and enter "adb devices" in a console window.

if you see question marks or no permissions or if it's missing entirely

then you done ****ed up. no idea what to tell you.

download zergrush from this link:

http://xdaforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=836511&d=1325681263

if the link stops working here's the original thread:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1312859

Extract zergRush, su, busybox and Superuser.apk to the same folder. Wherever. Doesn't matter.

Execute these commands (change Downloads to whatever folder you extracted the files to):

cd ~/Downloads
adb pull /etc/init.qcom.post_boot.sh
gedit init.qcom.post_boot.sh

copy and paste the text below to the very end of the file (on a new line) and save it.

#echo "---fixing ownership and permissions---"
chown root.shell /system/xbin/busybox
chmod 04755 /system/xbin/busybox

#echo "---correcting ownership and permissions for SU---"
chown root.shell /system/bin/su
chmod 06755 /system/bin/su

#echo "---correcting symlinks---"
rm /system/xbin/su
ln -s /system/bin/su /system/xbin/su

enter the following commands:

adb push zergRush /data/local/tmp
adb shell
cd /data/local/tmp
chmod 755 zergRush
./zergRush

when you get kicked back to the command prompt enter these commands:

adb remount
chmod 755 su
chmod 755 busybox
chmod 644 Superuser.apk
chmod 644 init.qcom.post_boot.sh
adb push su /system/bin
adb push busybox /system/xbin
adb push Superuser.apk /system/app
adb push init.qcom.post_boot.sh /etc/init.qcom.post_boot.sh
adb reboot

after the phone reboots open the init.qcom.post_boot.sh file in gedit and comment out

(add a # character to the beginning of the line) the lines you previously pasted. Then save it.

enter the following commands:

adb push init.qcom.post_boot.sh /data/local/tmp
adb shell
su -

if you now see a # symbol then you're running as root. enter these commands as root:

cd /data/local/tmp
chown root.root init.qcom.post_boot.sh
chmod 644 init.qcom.post_boot.sh
cp init.qcom.post_boot.sh /etc
rm /data/local/tmp/*
cd /system/xbin
busybox --install -s /system/xbin
exit
exit

Phone is now rooted. Enjoy!