How To Root Nexus 5 On Android 4.4 KitKat With CF-Auto-Root
One of the best things about Google’s Nexus devices is their developer and modder-friendly nature. Built to deliver the pure Android experience, they don’t come packaged with any restrictions by carriers or device manufacturers that plague most other devices out there. As a result, Nexus devices are known to be easily rootable to the extent that a non-developer like me was able to be the first one to successfully root the Nexus 4 when it came out last year, without even having access to the device. It has been just over a day since Google revealed the new Nexus 5 running Android 4.4 KitKat, and just as one would expect, the device has been successfully rooted, this time by the ever-awesome Chainfire at XDA. Let’s find out how, right after the jump.
For those interested in the technical side of things (the rest may skip this), this rooting method uses fastboot to first unlock the device, and then boot it using a version of Chainfire’s famous CF-Auto-Root specifically built for the Nexus 5 as the boot image. Once booted, the CF-Auto-Root boot image automatically injects the su binary and SuperSU APK into the device. No other changes are made, meaning apart from root access, your device remains fully stock, and no custom kernel/boot image, recovery or any other mod is flashed.
Do note that since the process involves unlocking your device’s bootloader, everything on it will get wiped, unless you have already unlocked the bootloader before attempting to root with this method.
So, now that you’ve had all the details, let’s move on to getting your Nexus 5 rooted.
Disclaimer: Please follow this guide at your own risk. AddictiveTips will not be liable if your device gets damaged or bricked during the process.
Requirements
- Google Nexus 5 running stock Android 4.4 KitKat
- Fastboot drivers (can be installed as a part of the Android SDK)
- (https://download.chainfire.eu/363/CF-Root/CF-Auto-Root/CF-Auto-Root-hammerhead-hammerhead-nexus5.zip) CF-Auto-Root for Nexus 5
Procedure
- Download the CF-Auto-Root package and extract its contents to your computer.
- Boot your Nexus 5 into fastboot mode by powering it off, and then pressing and holding Volume Up, Volume Down and Power buttons together.
- Connect your Nexus 5 to your computer via USB and install any drivers if required, as instructed in our Android SDK post linked above.
- Run the CF-Auto-Root script as follows, based on your operating system:
- Windows: Simply double-click the root-windows.bat file from the extracted CF-Auto-Root files.
- Linux: Open Terminal, navigate to the directory where you extracted the CF-Auto-Root package, and enter the following commands one by one:
chmod +x root-linux.sh ./root-linux.sh
- Mac: Open Terminal, navigate to the directory where you extracted the CF-Auto-Root package, and enter the following commands one by one:
chmod +x root-mac.sh ./root-mac.sh
- Follow any on-device instructions for unlocking the bootloader if prompted, and then let the script do its magic.
That’s all – enjoy root access on your brand new Nexus 5!
[via XDA-Developers]
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