How can I start file browser as root?

General
#1

my x10ii is a semi brick, many things no longer work and i need to back up.
so how can i start file brwoser as root?

#2

never mind. the phone no longer boots

if you own x10ii don’t install 4.2.0.21.

#3

Hello - I hope you can save your Sony Xperia 10ii? I have now also got one and have SFOS 4.3.0.12 on it. Have you found an app with root in the meantime? I’m looking for something like that too. But all patches are not yet for aarch64 :frowning: Thx…

#4

As far as I remember you have to enable the “development-tools” (translated right?), after that a root-file-browser will appear in the app-list.

#5

We also can do a backup through ssh.

-Enable developer mode
-Set an ssh password in settings > developer options
-Connect to your device from a PC terminal doing ssh defaultuser@192.168.2.nn where nn is the number you have chosen in developer options

$ devel-su
$ passwd root (choose a password for root)

-CTRL-D twice to disconnect
-as root or with sudo, try to ssh into the phone as root:

$ sudo ssh root@192.168.2.nn

-CTRL-D again to disconnect
-Now create a dir and mount your phone root folder / somewhere on your PC:

$ sudo mkdir /mnt/the_dir_name_you_want
$ sudo sshfs -o idmap=user,allow_other root@192.168.2.nn:/ /mnt/the_dir_name_you_want

-backup /home:

rsync -vaHE --force --delete --recursive --exclude=/some_dit_you_want_to_exclude /mnt/the_dir_name_you_want/home/ /your_PC_local_destination_backup_dir/Home/

Method and some options might be approximative or redundant but it works.
I believe some settings are stored out of the /home/defaultuser dir. These will not be backed up, of course.
First rsync is long but then, only new files will be copied.

You could try to backup the whole root partition but you will at least have to exclude some dirs with infinite links and file types I don’t know that make backup last forever:

$ rsync -vaHE --force --delete --recursive --exclude=/sys/ --exclude=/proc/

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#6

Nanofiles from OpenRepos can do root access.

1 Like
#7 
 devel-su env XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/100000  WAYLAND_DISPLAY=../../display/wayland-0 harbour-file-browser
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#8

nice, thanks. I’ve been using su (which works also), but always wondered how to get around the xdg_runtime thing…

If anyone wants to know, you also can:

  • type devel-su enter
  • enter password to get root prompt #
  • type passwd enter
  • make up a new password for su
  • type exit to get back to $
  • type su enter and enter new password
  • type harbour-file-browser or whatever app you want
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#9

You can do something similar with ADB Tools and ADB Tools give you access to stuff outside the directories you can see on your phone so I would probably go for that option! :slight_smile:

To look around on your phone :

adb shell

To download stuff from your phone :

adb pull /path/to/your/dir/or/file

#10

Cool.
But in what state do you put your phone for that? (off+vol UP + plug or dev mode while on…)

#11

I’m SFOS user since J1 (7 years or so) and have developer mode and tools enabled. Have not seen file-browser running as root at all. With normal file browser you can access only user accessible files. Terminal (or ssh) with devel-su is IMO the only way to access all files.

#12

Yes. But copying an alive system filesystem is tricky for me. Lots of links and files which are not files.
Anybody has an idea how to clone the entire filesystem and the way back to restore?
Emergency telnet thing (I not yet studied)?

#13

Possible with dd command. Uses 20-30 gb of sd card space, and takes about a half hour.

See my hacky method here - complete flashable image of the os as backup - together.jolla.com

Or the more clean, proper method in the post before mine…

note that that guide was written over 3 years ago, I think for SF 2.x, so may have to be adjusted for modern partition setup…

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#14

Turned on in normal state and Developer Mode + USB Debugging turned ON :slight_smile:

Might also work in Recovery Mode (Volume UP + Power Button) but I am not 100% sure…

With the above I can access stuff outside the running OS too! :slight_smile:

And with TWRP installed you can do this :

From TWRP itself IIRC :wink:

#15

TWRP at boot with SFOS?
Is that possible with 4.3?

#16

I can’t test it for you in combination with 4.3 but my Xiaomi Mi 9T (EEA model) is running a Community version of Jolla Sailfish 3.4.x and that Custom ROM was flashed from TWRP :slight_smile:

You can also do a one time boot of TWRP by just loading it instead of flashing it :

fastboot boot twrp.img

vs.

fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
fastboot oem reboot-recovery

:wink:

2 Likes
#17

Thanks for the many posibility :slight_smile: I copied the line from nephros in qcomand and give root. It works perfect.

1 Like
#18

i’m no longer on this os
android is absolute garbage but at least i don’t have to face a brick

#19

Oh I’m sorry. I also have an Xperia 10ii and I am very satisfied with the 4.3 freshly installed. Were you able to save your 10ii? I am very hopeful. Maybe you’ll come back someday. I had my problems installing WhatsApp but then I got MicroG to work and it worked. Now I am very satisfied with 3 days of battery life. Have a SIM1 with data running on 4G and the company SIM on 2G.
Regards Ralf

#20

flashed stock sony android on it, i hate it. but i had to do it since my xperia x died
i’m not considering to ever return i’m done with all the bugs. version 3.x was really fucking good. 4 and up was just horrible all together nothing but problems