Successful Rooting of Rm500 (also known as the smart controller)

[RBDrones]

If you figure it out NoLimitDronez is offering up to a $10,000 reward. View attachment 68969

For the Mavic 2, not for the smart controller.


I was talking about once you flash the twrp on the rc if you could then flash a systemless root like magisk and maybe it would stick then?

 

[brett8883]

For the Mavic 2, not for the smart controller.

I actually thought you misspelled mavic and were asking what if you rooted the mavic via PWRP. Now I realize that wasn’t what you meant lol

 

[amstar]

Great work! And so will this root stick? I think you said earlier you were having trouble getting it stay rooted?

So far not bad. In tech, open source is the way to go and I hate companies who lock products so that customers are just chained down to a batch of useless products or ads from the company.
I have tried a few custom ROMs including Magisk
There are also options of bypassing rooting and just install a custom recovery. I don’t know if that will allow flashing off apks or more importantly open google services to allow apps to be downloaded from the android store. Haven’t had much time on this lately, I will look at it today

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

Watching this thread for updates. Rooting the SC is on the top of my list. I had been using the CS that I rooted using LordRoot's exploit and love it. All we all really want is root access to be able to use the Google Play Services on the SC.... Uggg

 

[Venomvip]

Would love to get the news as to easy root SC or/and possibly custom ROM!

 

[amstar]

Would love to get the news as to easy root SC or/and possibly custom ROM!

So it appears to be clearer why none of the root solutions work. A bit more light comes into the inner workings of the SC due to some combination of multiple root methods and behavior of devices similar to rm500 and it seems that root permissions are granted on a per app basis. It’s a work in progress as a lot of writing is in Chinese. Boot loading pretty much is initiation of DJIgo, google play and services are disabled and so are random apps depending on the whether the architecture will support or not. This now gives a good picture of what DJI has envisioned of the “smart controller”. A stripped down android tab designed around the Go4 app driven by an Arm cortex processor similar to the Amazon Fire HD built around the Amazon market place.
I have unlocked the boot loader and root permissions are basically a yes or no option.
It has a whole bunch of Chinese social media apps pop up like We Chat etc and ads for more.
As of now appears to be designed for running the go4 app and that’s pretty much it, rooted or not.

 

[Venomvip]

Any updates as SDK for SController is released?

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

If you're ultimate goal is to just get Google Play and the Google Services, I've found you don't need root to do this. I followed these steps I found on the DJI Forum:
install the following:
1. Download and install Google Services Framework for 7.1.2 Nougat
2. Download and install Google Play Framework for 7.1.2 Nougat
3. Download and install Google Account Manager for 7.1.2 Nougat
4. Download and install Google Play Store apk
5. Download and install DEVICE ID apk (you'll need this for the next step)
6. reboot controller
Then when you run Google Play Store it'll say your device is UNCERTIFIED. Just like the registeration button at the bottom, tell it you're registering this device because youre a ROM developer. It'll ask you for your Device ID, you get this from the Device ID app you installed in step 5. When it's open grab the ID that is in the second row, paste that into the registration. Reboot the controller. Done

OR THERE IS NOW AN EASIER METHOD FOUND HERE but I have not tried this method.

 

[amstar]

None of these methods is a real solution. These are just holes you are trying to plug here and there and they spring up the next time you boot up. You can do all this and more with Lucky Patcher but again the revised apps don’t work. Why?
The SDK source code is a highly stripped down version of Android 7.
The android compatibility definition document ( CDD) is at a bare minimum
Google mobile services (GMS) licensing is absent.
As I said before, don’t think this is a tablet.
This is a radio with a screen which has the software to operate a particular type of RC device.
This android device does not have its own google usb driver!
Your pc does not even recognize this except as a ? Rm500. (Wtf did you plug in)?

 

[CERTIFIED AERIALS]

None of these methods is a real solution. These are just holes you are trying to plug here and there and they spring up the next time you boot up. You can do all this and more with Lucky Patcher but again the revised apps don’t work. Why?
The SDK source code is a highly stripped down version of Android 7.
The android compatibility definition document ( CDD) is at a bare minimum
Google mobile services (GMS) licensing is absent.
As I said before, don’t think this is a tablet.
This is a radio with a screen which has the software to operate a particular type of RC device.
This android device does not have its own google usb driver!
Your pc does not even recognize this except as a ? Rm500. (Wtf did you plug in)?

It might not have the same kind of connectivity as a tablet but you can install Google Play Store on it without rooting it. I haven't had an issue yet using the above mentioned link.

 

[amstar]

It might not have the same kind of connectivity as a tablet but you can install Google Play Store on it without rooting it. I haven't had an issue yet using the above mentioned link.

True. But eg today go4 released an update. How do you think you can update your app?

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

True. But eg today go4 released an update. How do you think you can update your app?

You can still only update the Go 4 app through firmware updates or through the settings in the Go 4 App.

 

[amstar]

Is there a recovery mode on this tab?

 

[Aerial-Pixel]

Is there a recovery mode on this tab?

Not that I've been able to find. But since being able to add Google Services, I've given up on rooting the Smart Controller as all I really wanted was Google Services.

 

[charlas]

I've just splatted the GApps onto it, and pretty musch everything works, all I really wanted was HDSync and Litchie on it anyhow, oh and GMaps. They all work just fine, so I'll stick with this.

Also in the latest release notes for the Firmware update it says they have decoupled the ROM and Go4, so it can be updated individually, so perhaps they will start pushing app updates without ROM ones.

 

[amstar]

G8! good to know which way DJI is going.

 

[charlas]

I'll add a video below showing the lichie app all happy and running (can't take it flying, as piddling it down) from GPlay, but here's the information on the device if anyone is interested/curious

Processor : RK3399 - BIG-little (2 Cortext-A72@1800Mhz - 4 Cortex-A53@1416Mhz) with Mali-T860MP4 GPU with hardware support for all the 'normal' Codecs including 10bit x265. (RK3399 - Rockchip Wiki)
Memory : 3.8GB / ZRAM : 508MB
Kernel : 4.4.83(876)
Android : 7.1.2 / Security Patch : April 5 2017 (YES 2017!!)
Build Date : April 25 2019 5:48am
Busybox : /system/bin/busybox
Battery : 6700mah (yeah not 5000mah!) @ 7.995V
USB-C : Type-C Spec 1.1 for communication and Compliant with USB Power Delivery Specification, revision 2.0 (QC format required by chargers)
: Support USB3.0 Type-C and DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode
: Up to 5Gbps data rate for USB3.0 / Up to 5.4Gbps(HBR2) data rate for DP1.2, can support 1/2/4 lane mode
Thermal Sensors : GPU / SOC / Battery (although bat looks broken on mine at least, its deffo not 340 deg C)
Sensors : Invensense (complete package)

Geekbench Score : Not exactly a rocket
Single Core : 1208
Multi Core : 2757
Compute : 2173

 

[amstar]

I'll add a video below showing the lichie app all happy and running (can't take it flying, as piddling it down) from GPlay, but here's the information on the device if anyone is interested/curious

Processor : RK3399 - BIG-little (2 Cortext-A72@1800Mhz - 4 Cortex-A53@1416Mhz) with Mali-T860MP4 GPU with hardware support for all the 'normal' Codecs including 10bit x265. (RK3399 - Rockchip Wiki)
Memory : 3.8GB / ZRAM : 508MB
Kernel : 4.4.83(876)
Android : 7.1.2 / Security Patch : April 5 2017 (YES 2017!!)
Build Date : April 25 2019 5:48am
Busybox : /system/bin/busybox
Battery : 6700mah (yeah not 5000mah!) @ 7.995V
USB-C : Type-C Spec 1.1 for communication and Compliant with USB Power Delivery Specification, revision 2.0 (QC format required by chargers)
: Support USB3.0 Type-C and DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode
: Up to 5Gbps data rate for USB3.0 / Up to 5.4Gbps(HBR2) data rate for DP1.2, can support 1/2/4 lane mode
Thermal Sensors : GPU / SOC / Battery (although bat looks broken on mine at least, its deffo not 340 deg C)
Sensors : Invensense (complete package)

Geekbench Score : Not exactly a rocket
Single Core : 1208
Multi Core : 2757
Compute : 2173

Really glad that you were able to get what you wanted.
Yeah, know the hardware specs of the SC.
It also has a 5MP concealed camera in the light sensor. Wonder what kind of pics they have managed to get for their govt.

 

[charlas]

Yeah noticed the camera too, du recorder even allows you to record from it whilst screen recording.

Just hadn't seen any of the specs up, and people on other threads were wondering what QC format it used and the likes, so thought woul post it up for them to find if they wanted.

Pretty good device if you ask me, although not sure I'd pay what DJI are asking for for it.

 

[paulatkin73]

Really glad that you were able to get what you wanted.
Yeah, know the hardware specs of the SC.
It also has a 5MP concealed camera in the light sensor. Wonder what kind of pics they have managed to get for their govt.

unless it also has a hidden satellite link - probably not many pictures will be sent out.
i would think camera came with a donor unit for the tablet, it was probably cheaper to use it 'as is' rather then to take camera out, even if it is not really needed. is there any app that can use it directly, on a non-rooted device?