How to root /e/OS

Purpose of the document

This guide will share details on rooting and how to do it on devices with /e/OS.

Caution: Rooting is not required to install or run /e/OS. Root your device only if you know what you are doing and do it at your own risk.

What is Rooting?

Rooting is a manual process executed on an android device. It is done by a user to gain access to the root or core level of the device. By Rooting an android device, a user is able to:

add, remove or alter system applications available on the device
modify system settings
install or run application that require administrator level privileges
perform activities that are normally restricted to the user by device vendors
monitor or enhance the smartphone functionality

FAQ on rooting (_{From /e/OS perspective})

Is it possible to root an /e/OS smartphone?

Yes, you can root a smartphone which has /e/OS installed.

Are users required to root their device to install /e/OS?

No. Rooting is not required to install or run /e/OS.

No. We do not recommend rooting. User who want to root their device should do it at their own risk.

Why is rooting not recommended?

Rooting should only be done by experts
If not done correctly, rooting can brick your device
Rooting should only be done by experts
If not done correctly, rooting can brick your device
Rooting will also void the warranty of your device

Is rooting an /e/OS device different from rooting other smartphones

The concepts remain the same. There may be minor variations depending on the OS installed on the device.

What has changed in /e/OS v1.0

The v1.0 source code includes a change which impacts the ability of the user to root. Previously there was an option to enable adb root through the Developer Options. This option will not be available with the code of v1.0 and greater.

The reason behind this is

Use of ih8sn
move to user builds

Lets learn more about these two points

ih8sn

ih8sn is a tool developed by LineageOS developers which helps to mask a rooted device . Please note LineageOS does not officially endorse this tool.

user builds

Android ROM’s can be built with different configuration settings
- eng or Engineering builds are used for development purpose. These builds have adb enabled by default.
- user-debug builds are meant to help device developers understand the performance of in-development releases. It does not include root access by default, but it can be added. Includes extra logging features
- user builds are meant for the final release to the end user. These builds do not allow root access.
For v1 we will go ahead with the following configurations:
- test builds would continue to be eng builds
- community builds will be userdebug builds
- official builds will be userdebug builds with ih8sn which fakes a user build
Post v1 (what we plan to achieve)
- test builds will continue to be eng builds
- community builds will continue to be userdebug builds

Why can’t I root from developer options on official builds?

official builds intend to be offer the better user experience for our users. That’s why we worked hard in order to offer Safetynet support for those devices, in order to improve third party app support. To do so, we had to fake the build type, moving from userdebug to user build (awaiting the move on user builds)

As a side effect, it disabled the adb root option, available under Developer Options. In order to recover it, we advise our users to move on a /dev build.

How to root v1.0 /e/OS ROMs

By enabling `adb rooting` in the developer options (only for community builds)

It is the safest way to root your device. This method only works on community builds.

To root your /e/OS device

Enable Developer options on the device and enable adb root
You should see options similar to the screenshot show below

Enable the Rooted Debugging option
Once done return from this screen back to the main

Tip: If you are on a official build of /e/OS, enabling Developer Options will not display the adb rooting option. If you still want to root your device you will have to switch on a /dev build (or use Magisk).

Rooting by Using Magisk

The steps on how to install Magisk is not in the scope of this document. Interested users can check the guide linked below in the ‘Additional References’ section. Rooting with Magisk may create some side effects and strange behaviors on your installation.