Gain root!
 

After 24 hours or so of trying to gain root with a flasher i came across this alternative method.

Directions are here to gain root without a flasher: http://maemo.org/maemowiki/HowDoiBecomeRoot2

1. Install DropBear SSH Server on the 770 http://matt.ucc.asn.au/dropbear/dropbear.html
2. Connect the 770 to your wireless lan.
3. From your home computer open a terminal and type root@00.00.00.00 <the ip adress of the 770.
4. It will ask for a password put in rootme .
At this point you should have gained root access to your device. Now, for the future, unless you want to keep SSH-ing from another machine, a clever move is to add "user" to sudoers: echo "user ALL = PASSWD: /bin/su" >> /etc/sudoers
The user account on the 770 doesnt have a password by default so add one.
5. Type in passwd user then type in a password you want to use between 3 and 8 leters or numbers.
6. Now you can gain root on the 770 using xterm by entering sudo su -
7. Xterm asks for a password, enter the password you created for the user account.

All this just to change an icon sheeeeeeeesh!
Sorry I didn't give a description of my system. I'm running 2006.

Wow..how you figure this out. Sounds a lot safer than going into R&D mode first. One of the reason I didn't want to try to gainroot. Didn't want my display to die like others. Good job...I'm going to try this in a while.

R&D mode is unguilty. :)

these displays tend to brake when powered on. maybe the chance of a failure
is bigger when you switch the device off/on multiple times without giving it some time to rest.

ps: it always gives me the creeps, when i have to shutdown my 770. :eek:

pps:

Which package, the debian?

I assume you download it directly to the Nokia 770 and then installed how specifically? Apologies if it obvious, as I am new to this and keen to learn what sounds to be a simpler way to achieve root access etc.

---edit--- silly me there is an unofficial maemo package https://www.komputika.net/maemo/inde...=&searchMode=f

I think this works only on IT2006. On IT2005 you need to gain root before you install dropbear. On IT2006 package installation scripts run as root so this is possible. On IT2006 no such scripts are possible and installation runs as user 'install' which cannot gain root too.

Also for IT2006 it is not hard to make dummy installation package that just modifies gainroot script to not to check for R&D mode and allow root everytimes.

Tried to install mameo download on OS 2005 and Nokia 770 stated it could not install as it was already a built in component?

Another thing can this method be run from windows XP cmd line and if so how, as root@.... is not a standard recognised command etc?

Will then it is pretty simple to write a script with the installation package to enable root then. Hopefully someone with those linux and gnome skill going make a installation package soon.

Wow - congrats! you're the first I've seen post that's done this. Since it wasn't possible to become root with 2005, thank the OS update for that. Sounds as complicated as some of my solutions (BTW, I've flashed my 770 dozens of times so I'd agree with the other poster who said it's not at fault)

A few suggestions:

I didn't think anybody else did this either - a nice touch as well. Plus a bonus is root's .profile is parsed and you end up in the correct home directory.

I hate this about using xterm - I always have to "cd" and manually execute the .profile.

Actually, are you sure you're asked the password here? On my 770, "sudo su -" doesn't ask - you're suddenly root.

Which is a real problem, I think - this is a gaping security hole. Now ANYBODY can become root on ANY 770 that has internet access (so why bother with all the gainroot crap then??)

You should at least do "passwd -l root" to protect your system from remote logins. As it stands, everytime you connect to the internet you're risking someone stumbling on your system and gaining root access (granted it's a very low risk but still.... makes me nervous).

But you've done far more than that. I think ssh on the 770 is a wonderful thing. Talk about geek bliss.

Brad.

You can't install it directly on the 770 - you need to download the update on another box and flash it via USB.

Yup, I do this every day. Try using putty

Brad.

EDIT: Oops, ok, I don't do it from the command line - putty is not a command line application. You can do it if you install the cygwin stuff, though I really like putty.