Motorola Milestone reaches milestone, gets rooted
By Chris Ziegler 
posted January 19th 2010 1:33AM
posted January 19th 2010 1:33AM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted January 19th 2010 1:33AM
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They can crack military databases,
but they still use paper...
@WeirdHero Sorry for that. I had to work with what I had lying around. "Written proof" seemed fitting at that moment. ;)
@WeirdHero contrary to a lot of opinions, it's still good that at least finally moto-droid unveiled their droid version 'milestone' to UK. And now, just like any other device, it gets rooted. Details: http://bit.ly/motorola-milestone-best
that's bad android I thought you were all about how 'open' you are suppose to be
@Nokia N900 You don't need root to download apps from other sources like the web, or to tether (USB/ Bluetooth). Root allows you to replace the default ROM with another one like HTC Sense and allows you to tether with other methods beside USB and Bluetooth.
@Nokia N900
Try again troll.
You don't give root access willy-nilly.
Could you imagine what kind of damage the average user could do wielding that much power?
@Nokia N900 The openness ended up being a lie.
@BigJayDogg3
you dont think just a warning message is enough ? like firefox.
so why C&D for Cyanogen ?
@Nokia N900
You misunderstand the danger. With root it is extremely easy to brick the phone. Android is still completely open and any app can be run without approval from Google or anyone else. Really root's advantages are for affecting deep down, system level things or replacing the ROM altogetherm which AFAIK, there is no phone/OS that let's you do that without some kind of hack.
@Nokia N900 You can download apps from other sources just like firefox, without root. That does not require root access. Cyanogen is still around and making ROMS. Google just asked him not to distribute Google's non open source apps by default in the ROM. Instead they're backed up and installed over the new ROM.
@BigJayDogg3
My N900 comes with root access as a free download from an official repository.
I refuse to buy a device that does not have an official method of giving me root access, and it was the main reason I bought an N900 over anything else.
@DJ
No phone with an OS that lets you do that? It's right there in the guy's name. N900 has "rootsh" right in the official repository...just download and run it.
@DJ
You misunderstood life.
We are not saying let's put root access in the main screen so that any moron can brick his phone trying to play, although to brick your phone unintentionnaly (not trying to hack it) you really have to be unlucky...
What we are saying is : Google should offer an application for users who want to have root access.
This application should be free and provided BY google.
It should come with a warnong, so that only people who know what they are doing would use it.
All my friends have a smartphone and NONE of them is ever gonna enter a command line into a shell.EVER.
And specially NOT on their phone.
Why ?
Because they are the average user and they don't know shit about it which is why they won't try their luck with their $600 phone especially if google has said : "you shall not try this if you suck".
And if they did I would laugh at them will they cry their eyes out.
Because it would be well deserved.
I, on the other hand, WANT root access and I know I won't brick my phone!
SO please Google do that for me. like right now.
@Flix C I think that might have been a decision made by motorola. As the Nexus one has exactly what you need. Google allow you to very easily root the phone, While letting you know the main drawback which is that it voids your warranty.
@Nokia N900 The Nexus one allows for its bootloader to be unlocked, provided that you don't want a warranty anymore.
@jgp
And the N900 isn't a phone made for consumers. Nokia's said that repeatedly. Android dev phones also have root. Right out of the box. You give root to people who need it/know what they're doing/don't mind being left with a hunk of non functioning metal, plastic, and glass.
Even once you pass that, you as a user have to gain root. It doesn't come out of the box that way.
@Flix C
You grossly overestimate the lowest common denominator. They WILL have users that would root the phone, brick it, and demand a replacement. And it isn't as simple as telling the consumer to take a hike post-bricking. That's when you end up with people running across the internet telling people a Google program messed up their phone, and they don't want to fix it. That's bad PR. And while you, me, and Engadget may sit back and laugh our collective asses off, the (key word here) AVERAGE consumer will get a hold of this information and spread it.
Don't believe me? Look at the reputation Windows has for being insecure. While I won't say Windows is 100% safe, I will say it is far better than many people give it credit for. As long as you as a user take simple precautions (computing as user and not admin, keeping system updates and virus definitions current, etc.) you will be truckin. We've always had computers in the house for as long as I can remember (which is before computers became "popular" to be honest), and by following those guidelines, we've never had software problems with our computers. Now hardware is a completely different story...
To clarify, the problem with giving root isn't for you and I. We know enough to know when to leave a situation alone. We also know how to find information if we don't know something. The problem comes in when you encounter that person that doesn't know what they don't know.
@Flix C
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to be rude if that's how I came off.
REALLY makes me wish i had the droid rather than my storm.
:(
I always use the stock software, no hacks for me. I don't want my phone catching any tech STD's.
@SteveJobsCEO
lmaooo classic that actually made me buss out laughing
@SteveJobsCEO
HAHA that just made me "LOL" as well,
Im new to rooting and don't understand it very much,
If i get this phone in canada will i be able to use it on Rogers network?
with all its features (Google Maps)?
@stevenrmarrocco Rogers, bell, and telus now run the same network standard etc. blah blah jargon, so ye it will work on rogers if you unlock it.
@Keni Bell and Telus' network is 3G UMTS only, this phone will NOT work as it only has 900/2100 UMTS. The three uses 850/1900 UMTS.
It will work on Rogers in 2G GSM
@SteveJobsCEO
When you're you (Steve Jobs), all your stuff is already hacked to teh max!
The Nexus One rooting was extremely easy. (It was even done weeks before the phone was officially announced.)
I wonder if all future phones will be as easy to root?...
@Johnny Rockets The phones employees got were already unlocked so it was faster than normal to hack it
@chosenone1
I take it you haven't actually looked at the instructions for rooting a Nexus One vs rooting a G1. ;)
Yes, been waiting for this :D
Time to root!
@newb Phone rooted - took literally two seconds :D
Does anyone here know how funny this is in Australia? We use the word 'root' as slang for having sex. So all these recent Engadget posts for 'rooting' your phone? Bloody hilarious!
@Cenic1
Your post made newb's (↑) comment and subsequent reply that much funnier.
@XIYL
Hahaha!
@Cenic1 You mean there's a meaning for 'root' other than sexual intercourse!?
The Sense ports sound interesting.
Sense looks like a great UI, but HTC has been too stupid to put it on a device with a keyboard...the combination of Sense and keyboard makes me curious (though I honestly hope the Milestone's keyboard isn't nearly as bad as the Droid's).
"The openness ended up being a lie." Damn Right.
@eka
Android IS open, anybody can get the sources, edit it, compile it and flash it to a developer phone. However that does NOT mean that all phones are open; it is up to each manufacture/provider to decide if they allow their handsets to be rooted.
@(Unverified)
However the Nexus One is Google-branded and it will probably be root-access-less too.
But I agree with you on the principle.
Android is Free, Open and Open-source, The Motorola Droid isn't Free nor Open-source :p
Therefore : Nokia >> motorola. (more Open)
YES I KNEW I COULD MAKE SOMETHING OF THAT !
Finaly :) here is the link?..
the great thing of Android wasn't the "open" culture compared to the "closed" one of Apple? And then what, Android do jailbreak?
I've got English instructions up here:
http://beefsack.com/blog/post/p/How+To+Root+Motorola+Milestone
I know Milestone has multitouch browser, but does it also have a multitouch keyboard? I already have the Milestone browser, but a multitouch keyboard is all i really want!