Root Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 SM-T713

XDA instructions, with links to packages.

Enabling OEM replacement and debugging

1. Open the "System Settings" app.
2. Tap "About device."
3. Tap "Build number" seven to ten times to open up the "Developer Options."
4. Tap "Developer options."
5. Set "OEM unlock" ON.
6. Set "USB debugging" ON.

Install TWRP

1. Power the tablet OFF.
2. Boot the tablet to Download Mode by pressing [Power + Home + Volume Down] simultaneously.
3. Press [Volume Up] to complete the transition to Download Mode.
4. UN-check "Auto reboot" in Odin. If the option is greyed out, then edit the Odin .ini file and set AutoReboot=0
5. Flash TWRP tar file with Odin.
6. Use [Power + Home + Volume Down] to exit from Download Mode.
7. As soon as the screen goes blank, IMMEDIATELY press [Power + Home + Volume UP] to enter Recovery Mode.

- This is a matter of timing. The XDA website says to move from [Volume DOWN] to [Volume UP] "whilst still holding the other buttons." That didn't work out too well for me. I have taken to unplugging the USB cable to keep the charging routine from interfering with the button presses.

- If you do not IMMEDIATELY go into Recovery Mode by pressing [Power + Home + Volume UP] at the right time, the system will boot. Then when you try to go into Recovery Mode, the bootloader will crash and the normal Samsung recovery software will take over.

- If you fail to make the IMMEDIATE transition from the Download Mode to the Recovery boot, then you have to repeat steps 1 to 5 above.

Do a TWRP backup

This captures the system in a working condition. It takes time and space, but it is worth it. Don't ask me how I know. :o(

Boot TWRP back into Recovery Mode

This seemed to me to be necessary to make the TWRP installation stable.

Put zip files in a good location

There is much that I do not understand about my system.

When I plug the USB cable into the table in normal system mode, the device driver installed by Samsung Smart Switch is used. I can see the table from ADB and Odin and Windows Explorer.

When I go into Download Mode, the computer installs some device drivers, and the tablet vanishes from sight until I go back into the normal operating system. Odin can find it, but ADB cannot.

I also had a very important driver that tried to load and failed to do so dozens of times. I got rid of VZW Software Support and installed Kies 3 and Samsung Smart Switch. The Emergency Repair mode in Smart Switch is what finally saved me from myself the first time around. It was slow, but it WORKED.

Pasta faggiole!

I know I got this to work once. Haven't found a route yet this time around.

Copy the SuperSu and no-verity-no-encrypt_ashyxzip files to some reasonable location on your tablet. I used ADB to place it in /data . That made it easy to find with TWRP.

adb push no-verity-no-encrypt_ashyx.zip /data -p
adb push SR3-SuperSU-v2.78-SR3-20161103171345.zip /data -p

Flash SuperSu using TWRP

1. Mount the data folder to make the zip files accessible.
2. Find the SuperSu zip file with the "Install" button, and flash it.
3. Find the no-verity-no-encrypt_ashyx zip file with the "Install" button, and flash it.

Boot into the system, if you can

I made a ton of mistakes the first time I tried this. I've written this as a script to follow in my second attempt. Stay tuned for further adventures in Bitland!

- It took me 41 minutes to write the first draft of this page. It is now 22:13, 22 December 2016 (EST).