The Nexus 7 hasn’t even been released yet, and the developer community has already achieved root on it thanks to the handy work of developer birdman and friends over on RootzWiki. We’ve written down a step-by-step guide on not just how to root your Nexus 7, but also how to unlock its bootloader and flash ClockworkMod Recovery. Check it out after the jump!
DISCLAIMER: You will void your warranty after rooting your device. Redmond Pie will not be held responsible for any damage incurred to your device as a result of following this guide. Follow at your own risk.
Despite the developer’s claim of it not being “super simple”, the method is actually quite simple. You have to navigate through terminal and flash a couple of files. Let’s get right into it.
Part 1: Unlocking Bootloader
Step 1: Download and install Android SDK.
Step 2: Enable USB Debugging from Settings > Developer Options.
Step 3: Connect your Nexus 7 with PC via USB cable. Launch Terminal / Command Prompt, navigate to the fastboot folder which will be inside the location where Android SDK is installed (On Windows, it should be in C:\)
Step 4: Enter the following command:
fastboot oem unlock
Once flashing is complete, enter:
fastboot reboot
Step 5: Download and place recovery.img [Goo.im] in the fastboot folder and type in the following:
fastboot flash recovery CWM-grouper-recovery.img
Step 6: Reboot again by entering:
fastboot reboot
Part 2: “Making ClockworkMod Recovery Permanent”
Step 7: Now, in order to keep from losing access to ClockworkMod Recovery, enter the following commands in terminal:
mount system
adb shell
cd /system
mv recovery-from-boot.p recovery-from-boot.bak
Part 3: Gaining Root Access
Step 8: Download JB-SuperSU.zip [ClockworkMod] and place it directly under /sdcard on your device.
Step 9: Enter ClockworkMod Recovery by shutting off your device, pressing and holding Volume Up, Volume Down and Power buttons until you see the screen flash with the iconic CWM logo.
Step 10: From the main menu, navigate to install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > JB-SuperSU.zip
Step 11: From main menu, select reboot system now.
If you followed the steps correctly, your Nexus 7 tablet will now be rooted on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Go ahead and install your favorite root-only apps!
For queries, please visit the official thread over on RootzWiki.
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