title: How do I give superuser access to my app on a device I own and control?
body: <h1>Background</h1>
  
  <ul>
  <li>We build and control the hardware devices on which the app will run.</li>
  <li>(EDIT)We will build a custom version of the Android OS soon as well.</li>
  <li>We're building an app which we expect to be "always-on."</li>
  <li>We want the app to be able to self-update, independent of the market. Hence, we are hosting a service which the client app will periodically poll for updates, download the apk, and then install it. Therein lies...</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h1>The problem</h1>
  
  <p>I want the UpdateService to install the downloaded app update <strong>without</strong> giving the user the usual permission and update prompts - after all, we control the hardware and the software.
  To do that, I <strong>think</strong> I need to give my app superuser permissions (tho, if there is some other way, then my question becomes something completely different).
  But I can't figure out how to do that.</p>
  
  <p>I <strong>have</strong> read about a superuser app that can be installed - but this seems like a user solution for users who want to root their own phones. Or a solution for devs who want to distribute an app that needs superuser, but they don't control the device on which their users will install it.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a file somewhere in the android OS that lists apps or users which should have su? If so, it's no problem; we control everything.</p>