Google patches up Android jailbreak with RC30 update

As you may have noticed, Google doesn't exactly seem to be hesitant about pushing out Android updates, and it looks like it's now at it again, letting the new RC30 update slip out just days after folks finally figured out what the mysterious RC29 update actually did. This particular update is decidedly less mysterious, however, with Google saying up front that it had been notified of the jailbreaking issue with Android and has developed a "fix," adding that it is "currently working with our partners to push the fix out and updating the open source code base to reflect these changes." No word on any other changes included in the update, but it's supposedly on an "accelerated release" and should be in everyone's hands within the next the three or four days.

[Via Talk Android]

[John @ Nov 7th 2008 1:35PM]

What's the point of jailbreaking android?

[LondonConsultant @ Nov 7th 2008 1:51PM]

None. This RC30 patch relates to unlocking (allowing non-approved SIM cards to be used) and not jailbreaking (opening a phone up for installation of third-party apps)...

[jeprox @ Nov 7th 2008 1:59PM]

With the jailbreak, you can install applications onto a local SD card....

[LondonConsultant @ Nov 7th 2008 2:06PM]

Ignore my previous comment as I was talking crap! I just assumed this patch closed an unlocking loophole, but it really is about jailbreaking the G1 via a root hole. Note to self: think before writing...

[fistpittingnork @ Nov 7th 2008 2:19PM]

"Note to self: think before writing..."

Toss that note out the window, buddy, you're on Engadget now.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Nov 7th 2008 2:21PM]

He's not your buddy, guy.

[Brendon S. @ Nov 7th 2008 2:25PM]

He's not your guy, friend

[Bobby @ Nov 7th 2008 2:29PM]

Iphone. How it compares to Iphone ?

[Robot Overlord @ Nov 7th 2008 7:41PM]

I'm getting a sense of deja vu.

[Jon Doe. @ Nov 7th 2008 5:28PM]

You guys rock....:-D

[skulldriveshaft @ Nov 7th 2008 7:44PM]

He's not your friend.

[Nick Ritch @ Nov 7th 2008 1:36PM]

Why worry about people jailbreaking a phone on an "open platform"?

[michas_pi @ Nov 7th 2008 1:37PM]

To make it even more open somehow?

[Nick Ritch @ Nov 7th 2008 1:38PM]

I guess someone actually bought a brown G1, or the flash photography is throwing off the color.

[narutogrey @ Nov 7th 2008 5:23PM]

Once again, Android itself is and open platform, but once it's implemented by the phone manufacturer, they add a layer of restrictions to prevent access that might mess with their product line structure. I.E., a low-end Android phone should not have more functionality than their high end windows mobile phone..etc...

After the first layer of restrictions, the cell phone carriers add their own layer. I.E., T-mobile won't allow you to download a music purchasing software that undermines the deals they already have in place.

There are other layers of restrictions too, but these 2 are probably one of the bigger ones.
That's why just because a platform is "open", doesn't mean the end user can have unrestricted access to do anything they want with the phone. When the affordable low-end Android phones come out, they will most likely be even more restricted than say the iPhone. Jailbreaking/loading a clean firmware would mitigate that, but you can be sure than both phone carriers and manufacturers are going to pressure Google to put a clamp on the "opening" of Android.

[Nicky-Larson @ Nov 7th 2008 1:37PM]

Here We Go Again. This looks Familiar.

[Crooked Style @ Nov 7th 2008 4:15PM]

Google is just like Sony and Apple.

[skulldriveshaft @ Nov 7th 2008 7:54PM]

This is a security patch to deny root level access, which would allow someone to create and distribute malware to uninformed users.

[macserv @ Nov 8th 2008 2:01AM]

@crooked: What I'm reading here is that Google is actively plugging the jailbreak hole with an Android update. Apple has yet to do this.

Apple has not released an iPhone OS update for the purpose of stopping anyone from jailbreaking the phone, nor have they released an iPhone OS update which made it particularly hard to jailbreak again. When an iPhone jailbreak stops working, it is due to other changes Apple has made to the system for performance / feature reasons.

[o rly @ Nov 7th 2008 1:37PM]

Donald, Android doesn't need to get "jailbroken" as it's pretty open already and not closed down like Steve's jesusPhone.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Nov 7th 2008 7:22PM]

The Android has an actual kill-switch for apps, unlike the supposed one for the iPhone.... so if you want like... emulators and crap for like SNES... you would need a jailbroken G1.

[skulldriveshaft @ Nov 7th 2008 7:55PM]

JudasPhone

[McPOW @ Nov 17th 2008 5:47PM]

no, you are wrong. there are already emulators available right now for the g1, no jailbreak needed.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Nov 8th 2008 7:28AM]

To quote that dumb chick:

"like, such as?"

[htd @ Nov 7th 2008 1:39PM]

very open but locked on t-mobile?

is it possible to start a new branch of code that doesnt lock on provider?

[7on @ Nov 7th 2008 2:01PM]

The Baseband is not a part of Android. View it like the BIOS on your computer. Using Ubuntu on your PC does not make your BIOS opensource.

[skyshock21 @ Nov 7th 2008 1:40PM]

Is this a "fix" for the G1 being rooted the other day? If so, will it affect my /system/bin/rooted-shell binary that I created?

[sideshowRaheem @ Nov 7th 2008 1:40PM]

WTF my phone is still on RC19!

[Blacksheep @ Nov 7th 2008 2:17PM]

Mine to, I have no idea what's going on?

[nerdtalker @ Nov 7th 2008 2:20PM]

That's what I was thinking. Given how many G1s are still sitting around at the first software version, it'll be decades before any of these updates are pushed out.

LOL T-Mobile.

[Neoprimal @ Nov 7th 2008 3:01PM]

Some of this is conjecture, but there's some proof to support my argument, so maybe I should say, more of a hypothesis. But hey this is Engadget so I'm allowed, right?

TMo isn't responsible in the least respect for updating the phones - it has absolutely no way of doing so. All the updates are pushed from dedicated Google servers. When we sign up/log in to/with our gmail accounts and activated, we're 'placed' on specific servers. I have compared my G1 to someone elses, and there's proof that the servers are indeed different and that the phones aren't all pooled on 1 server. For eg, I'm on 14, his is on 10. Apparently the servers push the updates to the phones and even though it's 'random' in most respects - if I get the update, then I hypothesize that the other phones on my server would have gotten it as well....and the very isolated proof of that is over on another forum where a user posted that he'd gotten the update and posted a screenshot, and he was on the same server that I am on, and I got it on that same day as well.

So when people say LOL Tmobile and bash Tmobile etc. They're pointing at the wrong culprit (that, I AM sure about).

[SuperQ @ Nov 7th 2008 8:12PM]

@Neoprimal

Where do you see what server you're on.. that's really interesting and fits with the way I've seen google do tests like that (normally via your google cookie, if you erase it things change)

[y3k.nik @ Nov 7th 2008 1:41PM]

Do you mean jailbreaking or unlocking?

[skulldriveshaft @ Nov 7th 2008 7:59PM]

I think he meant rootkitting uninformed users.

[Canoo @ Nov 7th 2008 1:44PM]

Yeah don't say jailbreaking..
Lets just leave that with that other phone shall we.

[sideshowRaheem @ Nov 7th 2008 1:46PM]

I don't think it's locked to T-Mobile there is an options in the settings that alow you to search for all the cell networks in the area and it does pick up AT&T. Because I'm using a T-Mobile sim it doesn't work when I try to connect but if I had and AT&T sim I assume it would.

[7on @ Nov 7th 2008 2:02PM]

T-Mobile Roams on AT&T that's why it shows up, it'll show all GSM towers in the location.

[Perspective @ Nov 7th 2008 1:46PM]

It's not selling like the jesusPhone either, but hey, being "open" and mildly profitable beats closed and extremely profitable right? Oh yeah, it doesn't, unless you live in your mom's basement an work at a VZW store like many of you do. Of the rest of you, a good chunk require a BB for "first-class biz e-mail" even though the e-mails are from your bosses and say things like "pick up my dry cleaning."

[o rly @ Nov 7th 2008 1:50PM]

You've used that "mom's basement" joke a few times before (it failed then too); what are you using to copy & paste it?

[Scott @ Nov 7th 2008 3:19PM]

My G1 has copy and paste. My G1 has copy and paste. My G1 has copy and paste. My G1 has copy and paste. My G1 has copy and paste. My G1 has copy and paste. My G1 has copy and paste.

[thatisandwas @ Nov 7th 2008 1:55PM]

My phone is still on rc19 too. And it seems the web browswer is messing up today. I absolutely LOVE this phone but i think its ridiculous that we can't download the updates ourselves. I mean seriously...Why should tmobile get to decide who gets updates and who doesnt? I paid 200 dollars for my handset, gimme my damned update!!!!

[Bryan @ Nov 7th 2008 1:59PM]

You can do the updates manually...

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/10/31/sick-of-waiting-for-your-g1-to-update-heres-how-to-update-it-manually/

[Jeff Stoelker @ Nov 7th 2008 1:59PM]

have you ever used an xbox 360 or even a ps3 and connect to the network without updating?

[Jeff @ Nov 7th 2008 2:00PM]

Why do calls on my jesusPhone keep going directly to voicemail? I would appreciate it if the jesusPhone would let me accept incoming calls instead of answering them for me.

Maybe its time for a conversion?

[haX0r @ Nov 7th 2008 2:20PM]

Because your JesusPhone knows to screen the calls for you.

[Jeff @ Nov 7th 2008 2:28PM]

the jesusPhone doesn't want my wife to call me (O_o)?

[Billy Idol @ Nov 7th 2008 4:01PM]

The jesusPhone knows you will say something that will eventually ruin your marriage, it is protecting your marriage by refusing to let you speak to your wife.

[skulldriveshaft @ Nov 7th 2008 8:04PM]

Probably because it's actually a Judas Phone and wants you to pay in gold bars for the privilege of letting your wife call you.

[thatisandwas @ Nov 7th 2008 2:03PM]

I know i can do them manually...im just afraid to. Is there any reports of phones being bricked or having problems after the manual updates?

[mos @ Nov 7th 2008 2:08PM]

What is the size and process for this update? I hope it will not be like an iPhone or Android would be a bag of hurt.