There were rumors that the next version of Android may block system write access making root pretty much useless, however the Android L developer preview that released for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013 yesterday shows no such implementations, but there’s a minor change in rooting script though.
The SuperSU app which we have been successfully using to root our bootloader unlocked devices for a long time now, requires some minor changes to be able to root Android L. Chainfire, the developer of SuperSU app posted a tweet explaining this:
Fix SuperSU on L: copy /system/etc/install-recovery,sh to /system/bin/install-recovery.sh from recovery. Can’t update the ZIP from abroad…
— Chainfire XDA (@ChainfireXDA) June 27, 2014
We made the changes suggested by Chainfire into a new flashable .zip file, and it installs fine now. You can grab the modified “SuperSU-v2.00 for Android L.zip” file from the downloads section below and flash it via a custom recovery.
ROOT PACKAGE INFO
| Name | SuperSU |
| Warranty | Voids Warranty. |
| Stability | Stable Without Any Issues |
| Root Manager App | SuperSU. It manages root permissions for apps on the device. |
| Credits | Chainfire |
WARNING!
Warranty may be void of your device if you follow the procedures given on this page.
You only are responsible for your device. We won’t be liable if any damage occurs to your device and/or its components.
GUIDE: ROOT ANDROID L WITH SuperSU APP
Before you begin with guide instructions below, make sure your android device is adequately charged — at least 50% battery of the device.
STEP 1: BACKUP YOUR DEVICE
Back up important data and stuff before you start playing around here as there are chances you might lose your apps and app-data (app settings, game progress, etc.), and in rare case, files on the internal memory, too.
For help on Backup and Restore, check out our exclusive page on that linked right below.
► ANDROID BACK UP AND RESTORE GUIDE: APPS AND TIPS
STEP 2: INSTALL THE LATEST CWM/TWRP RECOVERY
We’ll be flashing the SuperSU root manager app to your device using a custom recovery, so make sure you’ve a working installation of either CWM or TWRP recovery on your device.
Nexus 5: CWM Recovery | TWRP Recovery
Nexus 7 2013: CWM Recovery | TWRP Recovery
STEP 3: INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
DOWNLOADS
Download the file given below and transfer it to a separate folder on your phone and remember the location.
SuperSU FILE
DOWNLOAD LINK (Size: 1.14 MB)
BOOT FILE [UPDATE: Should fix binary issues]
Thanks to XDA member savoca for the boot images, here’s the link to his original post →
Be sure to transfer both the SuperSU file and BOOT file you downloaded above to your device and remember the location of the files.
You will need to flash the files now on your device using either of ClockworkMod (CWM) or TWRP recovery.
We’ve got separate guide for CWM and TWRP recovery, so use the guide relevant to the recovery you have installed on your device.
GUIDE FOR CWM RECOVERY USERS
Example video: If you haven’t used CWM recovery before to install a .zip file of a ROM or anything else, then we suggest you first watch a video of that to get familiar with the process. Click here to watch the video
- Boot into recovery mode. If you’re rooted, the easiest way to boot into recovery mode would be using the QuickBoot app. If not rooted, then follow the instructions below:
- Power off your device
- Press the Volume Down + Power button together until the device shows START written with an arrow around it
- Press Volume Down two times until it shows recovery option
- Now press the Volume Up key to enter recovery mode
- Create a Nandroid Backup from recovery. It’s optional but very important to do, so that in case something goes wrong you can restore to current status easily. For making a Nandroid Backup, go to Backup And Restore » Backup.
- Install the ROOT file:
- Select Install zip » Choose zip from sdcard (or external sdcard, you know where your files are) » browse to the location where you saved the file and select the SuperSU file.
- Select Install zip » Choose zip from sdcard (or external sdcard, you know where your files are) » browse to the location where you saved the file and select the SuperSU file.
- Now in a similar way, install the BOOT file on your device.
- Reboot your device. For this, go back to the main menu of recovery and select reboot system now.
That’s all. Your phone will now reboot and it will take some time as it’ll be phone’s first boot after installing the root, be extremely excited for this!
GUIDE FOR TWRP RECOVERY USERS
- Boot into recovery mode. If you’re rooted, the easiest way to boot into recovery mode would be using the QuickBoot app. If not rooted, then follow the instructions below:
- Power off your device
- Press the Volume Down + Power button together until the device shows START written with an arrow around it
- Press Volume Down two times until it shows recovery option
- Now press the Volume Up key to enter recovery mode
- Create a Nandroid Backup from recovery. It’s optional but very important to do, so that in case something goes wrong you can restore to current status easily. For making a Nandroid Backup, go to Backup » and select all check boxes and swipe on the Swipe to confirm option at the bottom of the screen to confirm backup.
- Install the SuperSU file:
- Tap on Install » browse to the location where you saved the files and tap on the SuperSU file. Now at the bottom of the screen, do a swipe on the Swipe to confirm flash option to begin flashing.
- Tap on Install » browse to the location where you saved the files and tap on the SuperSU file. Now at the bottom of the screen, do a swipe on the Swipe to confirm flash option to begin flashing.
- Now in a similar way, install the BOOT file on your device.
- Reboot your device. Go back to the main menu of recovery and tap on Reboot » then, tap on System to reboot your phone.
That’s all. Your phone will now reboot and it will take some time as it’ll be phone’s first boot after installing the root, be extremely excited for this!
FEEDBACK US!
It was easy to root Android L developer preview on your Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013, right? Let us know what you plan to do now with root access on the shiny new Android L dev release.
Your suggestions and queries, if any, are most welcomed!
UPDATE
Some apps like Titanium backup and Helium may not work, this is to be fixed by the developers with new security context, you can read more about it here.
Excuse, but is the wipe a MUST?
No, it isn’t. I just corrected the post. Thanks for notifying.
😉 thank you very much for the tutorial, is very useful!
I’m trying to install busybox … i can’t….
Not work nexus 5
@disqus_6mRuSfFBwr:disqus Added recovery flashable boot.img files to the downloads section, this should fix the binary issue.
Not working on Nexus 5, on Nexus 7 (2013) OK
it doesn’t work! after reboot, run SuperSU, it says “There is no SU binary installed…”
Added recovery flashable boot.img files to the downloads section, this should fix the binary issue.
I get “There is no SU binary installed” after the SupeSU flash 🙁
Hey Ben, I just updated the post with recovery flashable boot.img files. Reload the page to get download links.
still get this message..I try to flash twice with the boot and nothing change
Excuse, but is the wipe a MUST?
No, it isn’t. I just corrected the post. Thanks for notifying.
😉 thank you very much for the tutorial, is very useful!
I’m trying to install busybox … i can’t….
Not work nexus 5
@disqus_6mRuSfFBwr:disqus Added recovery flashable boot.img files to the downloads section, this should fix the binary issue.
Not working on Nexus 5, on Nexus 7 (2013) OK
Excuse, but is the wipe a MUST?
No, it isn’t. I just corrected the post. Thanks for notifying.
😉 thank you very much for the tutorial, is very useful!
I’m trying to install busybox … i can’t….
Not work nexus 5
@disqus_6mRuSfFBwr:disqus Added recovery flashable boot.img files to the downloads section, this should fix the binary issue.
Not working on Nexus 5, on Nexus 7 (2013) OK
it doesn’t work! after reboot, run SuperSU, it says “There is no SU binary installed…”
Added recovery flashable boot.img files to the downloads section, this should fix the binary issue.
it doesn’t work! after reboot, run SuperSU, it says “There is no SU binary installed…”
Added recovery flashable boot.img files to the downloads section, this should fix the binary issue.
I get “There is no SU binary installed” after the SupeSU flash 🙁
Hey Ben, I just updated the post with recovery flashable boot.img files. Reload the page to get download links.
still get this message..I try to flash twice with the boot and nothing change
I get “There is no SU binary installed” after the SupeSU flash 🙁
Hey Ben, I just updated the post with recovery flashable boot.img files. Reload the page to get download links.
still get this message..I try to flash twice with the boot and nothing change
I installed the two zip files and it’s not working. When an app ask for root access, every time the phone reboot and install an android update. 🙁
I installed the two zip files and it’s not working. When an app ask for root access, every time the phone reboot and install an android update. 🙁
I installed the two zip files and it’s not working. When an app ask for root access, every time the phone reboot and install an android update. 🙁
Nice guide to root android on nexus devices, like it.
http://www.techgreet.com/install-android-l-on-your-nexus-device/
Awesome! It worked well 🙂
Nice guide to root android on nexus devices, like it.
http://www.techgreet.com/install-android-l-on-your-nexus-device/
Nice guide to root android on nexus devices, like it.
http://www.techgreet.com/install-android-l-on-your-nexus-device/
Awesome! It worked well 🙂
Awesome! It worked well 🙂
Thanks for the Zip File! Already flashed TWRP and the boot.img on my N5 before. Flashed your modified SuperSU.zip, reboot, root. Yeah! The most important thing for me: AdFree and Root Browser work as expected, Quick Boot still doesn’t. Other things I still have to test.
P.S. Sorry to say, but you page is a pain to view on Chrome on my phone. Gets cut resp. covered up by something in the Chainfire Twitter post. Had to boot my desktop in order to read the guide and download the files. 🙂
Thanks for the Zip File! Already flashed TWRP and the boot.img on my N5 before. Flashed your modified SuperSU.zip, reboot, root. Yeah! The most important thing for me: AdFree and Root Browser work as expected, Quick Boot still doesn’t. Other things I still have to test.
P.S. Sorry to say, but you page is a pain to view on Chrome on my phone. Gets cut resp. covered up by something in the Chainfire Twitter post. Had to boot my desktop in order to read the guide and download the files. 🙂
Thanks for the Zip File! Already flashed TWRP and the boot.img on my N5 before. Flashed your modified SuperSU.zip, reboot, root. Yeah! The most important thing for me: AdFree and Root Browser work as expected, Quick Boot still doesn’t. Other things I still have to test.
P.S. Sorry to say, but you page is a pain to view on Chrome on my phone. Gets cut resp. covered up by something in the Chainfire Twitter post. Had to boot my desktop in order to read the guide and download the files. 🙂
After having rooted My Nexus 5 this way, now when I reverted back to 4.4.4 using Unified_Android_Toolkit (http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/orig-development/toolkit-skipsoft-android-toolkit-nexus-t2525026) I can flash a stock google image but after it ‘writes’ system img it gets stuck saying writing though it has completed. if I reboot I will be able to get into the stock image as expected but I always get the error “Failed too many links” from the Unified_Android_Toolkit console. beforehand after flashing a stock image it would complete and reboot the device with no intervention needed from me. is there a way to correct this now?
Try flashing this SuperSU file from Chainfire’s official site through a custom recovery. Flashing boot.img file isn’t required with this file. (link below) http://download.chainfire.eu/451/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.01.zip
After having rooted My Nexus 5 this way, now when I reverted back to 4.4.4 using Unified_Android_Toolkit (http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/orig-development/toolkit-skipsoft-android-toolkit-nexus-t2525026) I can flash a stock google image but after it ‘writes’ system img it gets stuck saying writing though it has completed. if I reboot I will be able to get into the stock image as expected but I always get the error “Failed too many links” from the Unified_Android_Toolkit console. beforehand after flashing a stock image it would complete and reboot the device with no intervention needed from me. is there a way to correct this now?
Try flashing this SuperSU file from Chainfire’s official site through a custom recovery. Flashing boot.img file isn’t required with this file. (link below) http://download.chainfire.eu/451/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.01.zip
Try flashing this SuperSU file from Chainfire’s official site through a custom recovery. Flashing boot.img file isn’t required with this file. (link below) http://download.chainfire.eu/451/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.01.zip
After having rooted My Nexus 5 this way, now when I reverted back to 4.4.4 using Unified_Android_Toolkit (http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/orig-development/toolkit-skipsoft-android-toolkit-nexus-t2525026) I can flash a stock google image but after it ‘writes’ system img it gets stuck saying writing though it has completed. if I reboot I will be able to get into the stock image as expected but I always get the error “Failed too many links” from the Unified_Android_Toolkit console. beforehand after flashing a stock image it would complete and reboot the device with no intervention needed from me. is there a way to correct this now?
Try flashing this SuperSU file from Chainfire’s official site through a custom recovery. Flashing boot.img file isn’t required with this file. (link below) http://download.chainfire.eu/451/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.01.zip