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Question concerning backup before flashing cyanogenmod

Hey Guys,
I want to try out cyanogenmod 7.1 on my xperia play. I still have a locked bootloader but clockwordmod recovery is already installed, so if something goes wrong, i am able to go back to my stock 2.3.4 rom. I think for cyanogen mod working right, i have to flash the doomkernel too? So what will happen if i unlock the bootloader, flash a custom kernel and a custom Rom and then apply the backup, i created before? Will i go back to my stock rom, stock kernel etc? I cant find an answer for this :/ sorry for Bad english, im from germany
Sent from my R800i using XDA

Hydrony said:
Hey Guys,
I want to try out cyanogenmod 7.1 on my xperia play. I still have a locked bootloader but clockwordmod recovery is already installed, so if something goes wrong, i am able to go back to my stock 2.3.4 rom. I think for cyanogen mod working right, i have to flash the doomkernel too? So what will happen if i unlock the bootloader, flash a custom kernel and a custom Rom and then apply the backup, i created before? Will i go back to my stock rom, stock kernel etc? I cant find an answer for this :/ sorry for Bad english, im from germany
Sent from my R800i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Despite the fact that you have recovery, you can't use cyanogenmod on a locked bootloader. Cyanogenmod requires a kernel that is different from stock, and you can't flash a kernel on a locked bootloader.
Sent from my R800x using XDA

Yes, i know about that. My question is, if i unlock my bootloader, flash a custom kernel, Flash cyanogenmod and THEN use clockwordmod recovery to apply my nandroid Backup, that i createt, before unlocking the bootloader and flashing all These things, will this work? So im back at my stock rom and stock kernel? I really want to try out cyanogenmod, but i want the option to go back to stock, if something is Not the way, i imagined. And i dont know, if the kernel is included in a nandroidbackup. Furthermore, i dont know if a Backup, created with an locked bootloader will work on a device with an unlocked bootloader too?
Sent from my R800i using XDA

Sorry, I guess I didn't read your post in its entirety.
The short of it is yes, you can use the nandroid of a locked on an unlocked phone. The nandroid won't backup nor restore the kernel, that must be flashed separately. The kernel is such a small filesize, and the command is easy enough that it shouldn't be a problem. That is, unless you wanted to change kernels while away from a computer.
Sent from my R800x using XDA

Thank you, this was really helpful to me so i have to download the stock kernel, if i want everything as it was before cyanogenmod. But thats not the Problem, i guess. I think i'm going to try it out after work, thank you for your fast answers
Sent from my R800i using XDA

I'm not entirely sure, but I don't believe there are any stock kernels available. You can use an .ftf file with flashtool, as that sets everything to stock, then restore a nandroid after reinstalling recovery.
Sent from my R800x using XDA

Ahhh thats a lot easier than the way, i planned to do this. Thanks
Sent from my R800i using XDA

If you restore a nandroid from a stock ROM after flashing the cyanogen kernel your phone won't boot.
You would need to go back to the stock kernel before restoring. Problem is, you don't have a recovery in the stock kernel.
You could revert using flashtool, by flashing stock, then rooting, then install the locked version cwm, then restore.
Or after unlocking the bootloader before even trying cyanogen, flash DooMKernel, and make a backup through the kernel recovery. Then you can try cwm, and if you don't like it, flash DooMKernel again and restore.
Sent from a Galaxy far, far away

[Q] About installing custom roms

Hello all well I have been following the forums much lately and have finally managed to root my Xperia Arc mobile [Lt15i]
Now the question here is that while flashing a custom kernel I was encountered with the "1 block damaged" error and hence for a while my phone got bricked which I later recovered by flashing with Flashtool.
Now I want to install custom roms and most of the tutorials which I have gone through guides us to flash the custom kernel and then flash the custom rom using recovery.
Now since that doesn't happen in my case, I was thinking whether I could just "boot" the recovery mode and then flash the custom rom.
Would it work? From what I've been reading, it seems custom roms and kernels work in conjunction... am I right or are custom roms independent of kernels?... it's just that I've been sitting here on this chair for 6 straight hours [trying to bring my arc back to life] and before I do anything I really want to be sure becuz I've gone through a big hassle.
Thank you for your time in advance.

Do you have your bootloader unlocked?
Prince

No most of the roms here needs a kernel to work. There are some few that works.
Have you tried to flash kernel with fastboot method ??
Typed down from the sky with sexy LT15i

In my experience, it depends on the custom rom.
Some custom roms, for example JJ's Hybrid will work with the stock kernel from Sony. These are usually roms that are based off the official Sony, but with various modifications and tweaks.
Other custom roms, for example FreeXperiaProject/Cyanogenmod require you to use a custom kernel as well. These roms are usually built from Android's open source code.
In any case you will need a phone with unlocked bootloader for custom roms because of the need for Clockworkmod.
Re: What you said about just booting recovery.
Yes it is possible to just temporarily "hotboot" a kernel with CWM recovery built in, BUT this requires fastboot mode, and unfortunately on Arc fastboot mode requires an unlocked bootloader.

Sorry on my part for not giving details.
Yes I have an unlocked bootloader. And it is through fastboot method that I flashed my kernel.
And I was thinking of flashing this rom on my arc
- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1681555
As far as I've searched, clockworkmod doesn't support the arc yet and the "wiki" method which I read had to use flashing using "fastboot boot boot.img" method which gives me the "1 bad sector error". Which is why I refrain from trying it.
Plus he's given the green signal that it works on stock kernel. Only the CWN mod is a problem!

[Q] Installing custom roms on Arc S with locked boot loader

I'd just like to say hi to everyone, my name is Mick.
I have an Arc S, originally running GB, but currently running ICS, build 4.1.A.0.562 which I updated to via SEUS a while ago.
I've used DoomLord's one click method to root the phone, have CWM installed, and I've been happy with it since, but I've now decided to see about installing a custom rom.
I've done a lot of reading on here about locked and unlocked boot loaders, and mine's locked so a bit restrictive in what I can do I gather.
What I'd like to know is, a lot of the roms for locked bl's, say based on, or must have, the .587 build, but mine is the earlier .562.
What is the best way to proceed?
Can I flash the .587 kernel with flashtool as I've read that the stock, signed kernels can be flashed on locked bls. Is this right, and does flashing a stock .587 kernel affect rooting?
Any help, or links to whatever I haven't found yet, would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Mick.

MickieH said:
I'd just like to say hi to everyone, my name is Mick.
I have an Arc S, originally running GB, but currently running ICS, build 4.1.A.0.562 which I updated to via SEUS a while ago.
I've used DoomLord's one click method to root the phone, have CWM installed, and I've been happy with it since, but I've now decided to see about installing a custom rom.
I've done a lot of reading on here about locked and unlocked boot loaders, and mine's locked so a bit restrictive in what I can do I gather.
What I'd like to know is, a lot of the roms for locked bl's, say based on, or must have, the .587 build, but mine is the earlier .562.
What is the best way to proceed?
Can I flash the .587 kernel with flashtool as I've read that the stock, signed kernels can be flashed on locked bls. Is this right, and does flashing a stock .587 kernel affect rooting?
Any help, or links to whatever I haven't found yet, would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Mick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, .562 update is crap. Sony released a crappy 4.0.3 update, better update if you can.
Then installing stock firmware before installing a custom ROM is not necessary.
Yes, there is difference in .562 and .587 kernels. Apparently, .562 kernels have a security hole in it, which can be used for rooting, however .587 kernels don't have it anymore and you will have to install older kernel to root and then install newer kernel back.

Yes u can flash .587 kernel using flashtool & this will not effect on root... But I will suggest u to update ur phones firmware to .587 (.562 is full of bugs), root it & install cwm then flash stock based custom roms which supports locked bootloader..
Sent from my MT11i using Tapatalk 2

Samak46 said:
Yes u can flash .587 kernel using flashtool & this will not effect on root... But I will suggest u to update ur phones firmware to .587 (.562 is full of bugs), root it & install cwm then flash stock based custom roms which supports locked bootloader..
Sent from my MT11i using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does. 4.1.A.0.562 kernel has a security hole in it, which is used to root via DooMLoRD's method. .587 kernel has that hole patched and that root method does not work.

Thanks for the replies.
Ok, so this means that I can use flashtool to flash the .587 kernel, and then whichever rom afterwards.
I have tried flashing roms with the .562 kernel, and they do work, but I get odd glitches.
The Walkman app in Zelly Cream 2.0 for instance says it has unexpectedly stopped whenever I click on My Music, and the Ultimte HD rom is really good, but the native Movie player won't work and does the same whenever I click on a video.
Each app works ok on one rom, but not on the other.
At the moment I've got the Zelly Cream rom installed and just disabled the Walkman, so had to download another player.
So far I've not had any issues with boot loops or anything, but I have been wiping properly before installing.
I have got a stock .587 kernel I found on here, so I'll try flashing that and see if it's any better.
It's a shame the boot loader is locked, but I've also read that removing the sim lock can fix this.
Thanks again for the info. :good:

587 kernel
Sorry, has anyone got a link for a generic .587 kernel as when I search, the ones that come up have been modified in some way, and my boot loader is locked.
Thanks.

Got it
Ah, it's ok, I think I've found it.
The first one I downloaded was reproting LT15 in Flashtool, so after a bit more searching found it here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1838830
Should be ok.

Just download the whole ROM, but choose only kernel to install.
Sent from LT18i with custom firmware by myself.

Your phone's not covered under warranty anymore, so why don't you try unlocking the bootloader? Would barely take a few minutes.

Hi, Flash new .587 firmwar..... flash .562 kernel only.....root phone.....flash original .587 kernel only.....this video helped me a lot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjv71b9QcZE
Feel free to get in touch...good luck !!

[Q] Root vs Bootloader Unlock

I am new and fresh to this field, so what exactly is rooting and bootloader unlock?
Is it necessary for us to unlock bootloader before rooting the phone like most of the thread that i have read so far?
if we installing custom rom like Xperia Ultimate HD, paranoid,etc. is it necessary just to root/unlock bootloader or both is required?
Can we install custom rom without unlock the bootloader or rooting?
What is is the downfall of rooting and bootloader unlock?
Thanks for the reply in advance.

Rooting gives "admin" rights - allowing you to make changes to the system files on the phone.
Unlocking bootloader enables you to write to the /boot partition on the phone ( ie flash custom kernel) which is normally not writable even with root access.
it is phone dependent. Some phones need unlocked bootloader to be rooted, some do not. We have several rooting tools for locked bootloader, it's in the general section use the search button.
There are different types of rom - stock based and CM based.
But before that - kernels are only compatible with android version. You cannot use, say, JB kernel on ICS rom.
Stock based roms ( UHD, Zelly Cream etc) do not need unlocked BL bc they can run on the stock kernel.
CM based roms ( CM7.2, CM9, MIUI V5) need unlocked BL because they cannot run on stock.
So if you have locked BL, you root, copy Rom into sdcard, install recovery then install rom.
if you have unlocked BL, you simply flash kernel then flash rom. No need to root because custom roms are pre rooted.
Rooting does no harm to phone. Unlocking BL via official method makes u lose DRM keys and warranty but u can always relock and get warranty back. ( providing service centre does not check for DRM)
This is a simple overview for a more in-depth understanding check the general section there are many great guides in there.
Sent from my MiUI-ed Xperia arc S
\ press thanks if I've helped /

tangosierra_ said:
Rooting gives "admin" rights - allowing you to make changes to the system files on the phone.
Unlocking bootloader enables you to write to the /boot partition on the phone ( ie flash custom kernel) which is normally not writable even with root access.
it is phone dependent. Some phones need unlocked bootloader to be rooted, some do not. We have several rooting tools for locked bootloader, it's in the general section use the search button.
There are different types of rom - stock based and CM based.
But before that - kernels are only compatible with android version. You cannot use, say, JB kernel on ICS rom.
Stock based roms ( UHD, Zelly Cream etc) do not need unlocked BL bc they can run on the stock kernel.
CM based roms ( CM7.2, CM9, MIUI V5) need unlocked BL because they cannot run on stock.
So if you have locked BL, you root, copy Rom into sdcard, install recovery then install rom.
if you have unlocked BL, you simply flash kernel then flash rom. No need to root because custom roms are pre rooted.
Rooting does no harm to phone. Unlocking BL via official method makes u lose DRM keys and warranty but u can always relock and get warranty back. ( providing service centre does not check for DRM)
This is a simple overview for a more in-depth understanding check the general section there are many great guides in there.
Sent from my MiUI-ed Xperia arc S
\ press thanks if I've helped /
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, how about Xperia Arc and Xperia Arc S? does it require to unlock bootloader to root?
What is the main difference of Stock based roms and CM based roms? How to differentiate it?
Correct me if i mistake. Unlock the bootloader normally only required for flashing the custom kernel like lupus kernel which it is required for CM based rom. And if it is stock based it will only need root for the installation.

shuffle1990 said:
So, how about Xperia Arc and Xperia Arc S? does it require to unlock bootloader to root?
What is the main difference of Stock based roms and CM based roms? How to differentiate it?
Correct me if i mistake. Unlock the bootloader normally only required for flashing the custom kernel like lupus kernel which it is required for CM based rom. And if it is stock based it will only need root for the installation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, Xperia Arc and Xperia Arc S use the same kernels, and the same ROMs, they're most likely the same phone. The stock-based ROMs, as far on my stay on xda I've learned that they are the ones based on the ROMs already released by sony, i.e Ice Cream Sandwich or Gingerbread. How to differentiate? Easy, on a first place the Rom Thread should clearly say if it's stock based or no, and you can see the tags [ICS] or [.587], or tags like that. CM based ROMs should be clearly stated too, plus it must say [CM10] or [CM10.1].
And yes, you're right, without unlocking bootloader you can still have a custom ROM, ICS based or GB based. You actually don't need root for the installation, and generally the ROMs that you install come pre-rooted. Hope it helped.

tangosierra_ said:
Unlocking bootloader enables you to write to the /boot partition on the phone ( ie flash custom kernel) which is normally not writable even with root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to correct this, unlocking bootloader allows custom, unsigned, kernels to be installed. /boot partition can still be edited by using stock kernels, which have been signed by Sony, these are the kernels within Flashtool FTF files. This can still be done with locked bootloader.

The thread titles will tell if it is stock or CM based
Ah yes forgot about the stock kernel, damn

[Q] Xperia play Noob at installing rom.

Hi, I've had my Xperia play for a few weeks and feel like i want to install a new rom as the default 2.3.4 software is a bit sluggish. Ive already rooted and installed CWM and backed it up. I have a locked bootloader and the first instruction to installing the rom is to install a stock rom, Don't i already have that installed as i haven't installed a custom rom before? Should i just skip this step? Thanks in advance! My Model is R800i and the build is 4.0.2.A.0.42.

loudninja said:
Hi, I've had my Xperia play for a few weeks and feel like i want to install a new rom as the default 2.3.4 software is a bit sluggish. Ive already rooted and installed CWM and backed it up. I have a locked bootloader and the first instruction to installing the rom is to install a stock rom, Don't i already have that installed as i haven't installed a custom rom before? Should i just skip this step? Thanks in advance! My Model is R800i and the build is 4.0.2.A.0.42.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it depends on which kernel you want to use.
.42 firmware does not support custom partition layout, so in order to use kernel like Turbo Kernel by CosmicDan or Lupus Kernel by wedgess (both with custom partitions) you'll need to flash .62 firmware or newer, wipe userdata and system and then flash the kernel.
While this isn't needed if you want to use, for example, DoomKernel

CriGiu said:
it depends on which kernel you want to use.
.42 firmware does not support custom partition layout, so in order to use kernel like Turbo Kernel by CosmicDan or Lupus Kernel by wedgess (both with custom partitions) you'll need to flash .62 firmware or newer, wipe userdata and system and then flash the kernel.
While this isn't needed if you want to use, for example, DoomKernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But i have a Locked Bootloader so i cant install Kernels right? so should i just skip this step or should i get a new stock rom?

loudninja said:
But i have a Locked Bootloader so i cant install Kernels right? so should i just skip this step or should i get a new stock rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol sorry didn't see you're on a locked bootloader you must unlock before you can flash any kernel
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app

CriGiu said:
Lol sorry didn't see you're on a locked bootloader you must unlock before you can flash any kernel
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still havent answered my question, I dont really want to unlock my bootloader if its possible to just flash the rom but do i have to flash a stock rom even though i haven't installed a custom rom before as wouldnt i already have a stock rom? The rom is a GB rom so i dont have to unlock the bootloader, it even has installation instructions for locked bootloaders.

loudninja said:
Still havent answered my question, I dont really want to unlock my bootloader if its possible to just flash the rom but do i have to flash a stock rom even though i haven't installed a custom rom before as wouldnt i already have a stock rom? The rom is a GB rom so i dont have to unlock the bootloader, it even has installation instructions for locked bootloaders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've said you, you should skip this if you don't want to flash any kernel with custom partition layout
But remember that if you remain on stock kernel you cannot flash no other rom than stock based ones
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app