Jailbreaking and rooting

Android rooting means...

Android rooting is the process of allowing users of smartphones, tablets, and other devices running the Android mobile operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's subsystem. Rooting is often performed with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and hardware manufacturers put on some devices, resulting in the ability to alter or replace system applications and settings, run specialized apps that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal Android user. Rooting is analogous to jailbreaking devices running the Apple iOS operating system. On Android, rooting can also facilitate the complete removal and replacement of the device's operating system, usually with a more recent release of its current operating system.
As Android was derived from the Linux kernel, rooting an Android device is similar in practice to accessing administrative permissions on Linux or any other Unix-like operating system such as FreeBSD or OS X.

Guide to Jailbreaking and Rooting

What is Jailbreaking?

When you buy your device it comes with a set number of files installed on it that affect the way you can use it. In Windows these files don’t really restrict the way you use your device, they rather just facilitate it to visualize what’s going on for you so that you can get around easier. However in phones they also put up defenses to stop you using the same system to edit and delete certain files such as system files. This then means that you can’t edit the ‘firmware’ that comes installed on it in order to change the way the keyboard looks for instance, and it means that you can’t get to the system files made by your games and apps.

When you jailbreak or root your system however you are simply changing those defenses and in many case getting rid of them in order that you are able to see whichever files you want to anywhere on the device and to make whatever changes to those files you see fit. It also means then that you can download files that will make those changes for you, or that will work alongside the firmware in order to help you get better performance.

Why Do It?

That’s all very good and well, but what’s the point? Well in short it’s worth doing because of how much more it usage it lets you get out of your device – which is particularly true if you own an iPhone tanks to how restrictive the existing software is on any Apple device. For instance it doesn’t let you change the default browser or the default keyboard, it doesn’t let you change the look of your icons on your screen, nor the number of icons you want to display. On top of this it also won’t allow you to change things like the number of icons on your dock, and it won’t let you run any files other than the ones that Apple has vetted first. If it’s not on the app store then you can’t have it basically.

Well with a jailbroken iPhone you will be able to download all these things which can help to increase your battery life, increase the power of your processor, give you more customization so that you can change the look of your icons etc. and much more. At the same time it will let you run things like DOS emulators so that you can play old PC games or run Word or use Flash (which it should have been able to do anyway).


Should I Do It?

But is it legal? And will it break your phone or games console? The short answers are ‘no’ and ‘no again’. In short jailbreaking or rooting your device is a process that is completely up to you – after all you paid good money for the privilege of using the machine and it’s really your prerogative what you do with it. And furthermore it’s a process that is completely straightforward and even reversible. So even if you didn’t want it anymore you could reset your phone back to normal right away anyway. There’s no risk and it’s your prerogative – so there’s really no reason not to.

New Dmca Ruling about jailbreaking

New DMCA ruling: jailbreaking of smartphones legal starting 2013, but not for tablets


Law and policy can be confusing things, especially when you consider the dichotomy between the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. While the 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) aimed to curb copyright infringement and policy, an interesting backlash is that legal circumvention constituting fair use has become limited.

Case in point: there is always the question of software ownership, such as whether you are free to re-sell apps and other digital content that you have bought in the first place. It seems we now have a clearer answer.

To clarify fair use principles, the Librarian of Congress grants exemptions on these issues, which are valid for three years. For instance, in 2010 the Librarian allowed read-aloud functionality for e-books for access by the disabled if there are no alternative means for access by the blind.

For the 2013 to 2015 period, though, the Librarian has issued a somewhat confusing policy, which will affect smartphone and tablet owners. Ars Technica has quite a technical and policy-oriented discussion on the matter, which pertains to jailbreaking (or rooting, in the case of Android devices), network-unlocking and content ripping. You can check out the source link for the discussion, but for the impatient, here’s a summary.

Jailbreaking/rooting. Starting January 2013, you can legally jailbreak or root your smartphone, which may include the iPhone or any Android phone. This was the same case as in the 2010 rules. However, this time, the ruling is explicit that the jailbreaking is only legal for “the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of [lawfully obtained] applications with computer programs on the telephone handset.”

Meanwhile, tablets are a different thing altogether. The Librarian of Congress says that “the record lacked a sufficient basis to develop an appropriate definition for the ‘tablet’ category of devices, a necessary predicate to extending the exemption beyond smartphones.” The worry here is that other tablet-like devices may be defined as a tablet, and therefore enjoy the same DRM circumventions. These may include laptops, e-book readers, and even handheld videogame devices.

In short: you can legally root your smartphone but not your tablet.

Phone unlocking. In the 2006-09 and 2010-12 periods, the Librarian permitted the unlocking of phones with the purpose of switching to another carrier. Starting 2013, this will come with a provision. Users can only arbitrarily unlock phones purchased before January 2013. Phones bought after that date will require the original carrier’s permission before you can legally unlock these.

This change in ruling came from the Librarian’s view that software is not actually owned by the user upon purchase, but you are only granted rights and licenses under the EULA. As such, unlocking a phone (which is essentially software in nature) without the consent of the original carrier is no longer in fair use.

In short: starting 2013,  Before unlocking your phone legally , you need to ask explicit permission from your carrier

Content ripping. Another interesting point of contention for smartphone and tablet owners is the concept called “space shifting.” There’s always the question of whether it’s legal to rip a DVD for viewing on your smartphone or tablet. According to the Librarian, it will be legal for video content to be ripped only for the following: noncommercial videos, documentaries, non-fiction multimedia e-books offering film analysis, and educational purposes in film studies by students.

Another exemption is for disabled access, meaning ripping content into a medium that can render the content in a way accessible to the blind or deaf.

The Librarian does not allow space-shifting — or ripping so you can watch a DVD video on another device. However, there is a big caveat here. The Librarian says there is no court that has proved this is covered within fair use.

However — and this is a big “however” — a fair use ruling can only be ruled by a court of law. But the courts of law would usually only view an act as within fair use if there is an exemption. So there is a circularity involved, and by default, ripping is illegal.

In short: this implies that anyone who has copied a CD or DVD into a portable media player has already infringed on the publisher’s copyrights.