Re:CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
by commoner on Friday August 06, 2021 @09:29PM
(#28094836)
> Furthermore Lineage's official root addon writes to /system.
LineageOS no longer offers an official root add-on as of December 2019.
https://www.xda-developers.com/lineageos-dropping-superuser-...
The most common rooting solution is Magisk, which is systemless.
Re:CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
by zozbot234 on Friday August 06, 2021 @06:36PM
(#28093572)
> But you cannot make any additional changes to /system with that root power afterwards.
Not a showstopper, as modern root solutions like Magisk support "systemless" root, via file system overlays.
Re:CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
by SubzeroCarnage on Friday August 06, 2021 @07:53PM
(#28094196)
I am not sure how systemless root interacts with verified boot. I've never tried it myself.
Re:CalyxOS – De-Googled Android Alternative
by commoner on Friday August 06, 2021 @09:32PM
(#28094854)
Installing Magisk requires you to patch the bootloader or recovery image, which would break verified boot:
https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/install.html
The only way to preserve verified boot with Magisk is for the bootloader or recovery image to have Magisk compatibility built-in prior to signing. I don't think any flavor of Android that supports verified boot is currently doing this.
Furthermore Lineage's official root addon writes to /system. You can't have any additional changes to system or else verified boot won't boot.
You can't have it both ways as it stands.
That isn't to say they are incompatible, you can compile-in root support before the system hashes are generated and then you can have a locked bootloader with verified boot with root support. But you cannot make any additional changes to /system with that root power afterwards.