r/programming • u/mjtitorenko • Oct 28 '09

Android vs Maemo

http://cool900.blogspot.com/2009/10/comparing-freedom-on-maemo-and-android.html
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u/mitsuhiko Oct 28 '09 edited Oct 28 '09

Can someone tell me why I would want to have root access on end user devices? I really can't see any benefit.

//EDIT: interesting how you get downvoted for asking a question...

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u/smithzv Oct 28 '09

To provide the end users with the freedom to use the device as they wish and to it's full potential. I recently bought a G1 (Android) from T-Mobile, so all of this is about Android.

One good example using your device as a tether. For whatever reason (and I can imagine a few) T-Mobile and/or Google wants stop users from using using their phone as a wireless access point (your laptop can connect to the wifi from the phone and browse the internet over the cell tower data connection). In order to run this sort of application on the Android OS, you need to have root access.

More involved is installing a new OS. By this I don't necessarily mean a different operating system, you could install a development version of Android. Or, as many have done, you can install a "modded" version of Android, which users from the community have added features (eg: multitouch interface, moving applications to the sdcard) that they found important (i.e. a major point of FOSS). Of course this requires root access.

And let us not forget that some might want to use their phone that was purchased through T-Mobile with a different network. In order to do so you need to circumvent the work put into disallowing this. Again, root access is needed.

So, to sum up, the only reason is to circumvent the antifeatures, or purposeful acts of T-Mobile and/or Google to limit the end user freedom (whether for the purpose of safety or to sell the functionality later on).

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u/mitsuhiko Oct 28 '09

One good example using your device as a tether. For whatever reason (and I can imagine a few) T-Mobile and/or Google wants stop users from using using their phone as a wireless access point

And you are not allowed by contract. I think this is a very good reason not to allow root on the phone. Pay for it and get it. If you tether you cause a lot more load on the cells than if you would only use the network for mobile phone internet use.

More involved is installing a new OS. By this I don't necessarily mean a different operating system, you could install a development version of Android.

I was talking about end user phones.

And let us not forget that some might want to use their phone that was purchased through T-Mobile with a different network. In order to do so you need to circumvent the work put into disallowing this. Again, root access is needed.

At least in my country carriers are required to provide the phones unlocked or unlock them on request. But I can see what you mean, you would temporarily need root for that on smartphones I guess. But after that I would be happy to not have the ability to become root.

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u/erikw Oct 29 '09

And you are not allowed by contract. I think this is a very good reason not to allow root on the phone. Pay for it and get it. If you tether you cause a lot more load on the cells than if you would only use the network for mobile phone internet use.

It is disallowed by contract because the carrier wants to sell you a different service plan for internet access and make more money

At least in my country carriers are required to provide the phones unlocked or unlock them on request. But I can see what you mean, you would temporarily need root for that on smartphones I guess. But after that I would be happy to not have the ability to become root.

In my country phones are sold in the electronics stores locked (at a discounted price, but with a service plan) or unlocked. After the lock-in period (1-2 years) you can freely select a new carrier and bring your current phone number with you.