I've done some research in to unlocking the bootloader for my Xperia Arc. I have yet to understand the reason why you would need to unlock it at all.
The official definition given by Sony on their website is:
Unlocking the boot loader allows you to put custom ROMs on your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
However this is clearly not true. As I am able to put custom ROMs on my Xperia Arc without unlocking the bootloader (ie. I was on official ICS firmware. I flashed kernel to different version then root using doomlord's ICS root, flash back the original kernel then installing Ultimate HD 4.0 via recovery.)
I have noticed some other ROMs state they are for unlocked bootloader only. Is this becuase they require custom kernals in order to function? Is that why you need unlocked bootloader (because locked bootloaders can only accept official kernals during flash/boot)? Or is there a more in-depth reason?
King of Procrastinators said:
I've done some research in to unlocking the bootloader for my Xperia Arc. I have yet to understand the reason why you would need to unlock it at all.
The official definition given by Sony on their website is:
However this is clearly not true. As I am able to put custom ROMs on my Xperia Arc without unlocking the bootloader (ie. I was on official ICS firmware. I flashed kernel to different version then root using doomlord's ICS root, flash back the original kernel then installing Ultimate HD 4.0 via recovery.)
I have noticed some other ROMs state they are for unlocked bootloader only. Is this becuase they require custom kernals in order to function? Is that why you need unlocked bootloader (because locked bootloaders can only accept official kernals during flash/boot)? Or is there a more in-depth reason?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To explain further, you can still install custom ROMs, but only ROMs based on stock firmware and using stock kernel. If you tried to install other ROMs like CyanogenMod you will realise that you can't install the ROM at all because you cannot flash the custom kernel that comes with it. What the unlocked bootloader does is allow you to install unsigned kernels onto your phone. Stock kernels are already signed by Sony so they can be flashed without unlocking your bootloader.
The kernels you have been flashing so far are all stock kernels so you can flash them with no issues. If you tried to flash a CM kernel you will get an error if your bootloader is locked.
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popthosegaskets said:
To explain further, you can still install custom ROMs, but only ROMs based on stock firmware and using stock kernel. If you tried to install other ROMs like CyanogenMod you will realise that you can't install the ROM at all because you cannot flash the custom kernel that comes with it. What the unlocked bootloader does is allow you to install unsigned kernels onto your phone. Stock kernels are already signed by Sony so they can be flashed without unlocking your bootloader.
The kernels you have been flashing so far are all stock kernels so you can flash them with no issues. If you tried to flash a CM kernel you will get an error if your bootloader is locked.
僕のLT18iから送られてきた
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. So I was right. The Kernel is (one of?) the reason you would want to unlock your bootloader.
Do you know if unlocked bootloader is required for SD partitioning on Xperia Arc? I had a read here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2126363 but something is confusing:
- Unlocked Bootloader (need EXT4 support, not allowed in stock kernel)
- EXT4 Kernel Support (most of kernels for Xperia 2011 have EXT4 support)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It says stock kernel doesn't work then says most Xperia 2011 kernel support it?!?!
King of Procrastinators said:
Thanks. So I was right. The Kernel is (one of?) the reason you would want to unlock your bootloader.
Do you know if unlocked bootloader is required for SD partitioning on Xperia Arc? I had a read here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2126363 but something is confusing:
It says stock kernel doesn't work then says most Xperia 2011 kernel support it?!?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may refer to custom kernel for 2011 Xperia devices.
僕のLT18iから送られてきた
popthosegaskets said:
It may refer to custom kernel for 2011 Xperia devices.
僕のLT18iから送られてきた
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. So it's not possible to use link2sd without unlocked bootloader?
u dont really needed i payed 10 dollars to unlock it so i can use custom kernel to increase the performance of the phone,but still after 2 months after that i dont see any improvenments
gogobaba said:
u dont really needed i payed 10 dollars to unlock it so i can use custom kernel to increase the performance of the phone,but still after 2 months after that i dont see any improvenments
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Went from Stock .587 rom to ultimate HD with stock .587 kernel and I find the phone can't handle more than 3 apps without slowing down at certain times.
I was actually considering unlocking so I can get an overclocked/custom kernel to improve performance.
What do you mean by after 2 months you don't see any improvements? Did the performance improve at first but now have gone back to similar performance of stock kernel?
gogobaba said:
u dont really needed i payed 10 dollars to unlock it so i can use custom kernel to increase the performance of the phone,but still after 2 months after that i dont see any improvenments
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't know how to optimise the ROM then it will be as slow as any stock ROM. Don't say that the performance never improves after a certain time of usage. Please read up on the ways to optimize and improve ROM performance rather than assume that custom ROM is not good when you haven't tried optimizing it yet.
僕のLT18iから送られてきた
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:27 PM ----------
King of Procrastinators said:
Really? Went from Stock .587 rom to ultimate HD with stock .587 kernel and I find the phone can't handle more than 3 apps without slowing down at certain times.
I was actually considering unlocking so I can get an overclocked/custom kernel to improve performance.
What do you mean by after 2 months you don't see any improvements? Did the performance improve at first but now have gone back to similar performance of stock kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The base ROM is good, but it's the stock kernel giving the bad performance. Overclocking doesn't help much with performance so it's not recommended.
Like I said in my earlier reply, the ROM will work properly if you optimise it for performance, so don't say that the performance does not improve after a certain time of usage.
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popthosegaskets said:
If you don't know how to optimise the ROM then it will be as slow as any stock ROM. Don't say that the performance never improves after a certain time of usage. Please read up on the ways to optimize and improve ROM performance rather than assume that custom ROM is not good when you haven't tried optimizing it yet.
僕のLT18iから送られてきた
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:27 PM ----------
The base ROM is good, but it's the stock kernel giving the bad performance. Overclocking doesn't help much with performance so it's not recommended.
Like I said in my earlier reply, the ROM will work properly if you optimise it for performance, so don't say that the performance does not improve after a certain time of usage.
I tried to search for "optimize ROM performance" in the forums but only come accross
僕のLT18iから送られてきた
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct me if I'm wrong but by saying "ROM will work properly if you optimise it for performance" do you mean flashing a custom kernel? (in which case you would need unlocked bootloader?)
Or do you mean an add-on like this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1908269 ?
Or something else?
The only "optimizing" that u can do on a rom is removing the animations since overclocking is not recomenced.So i still find it useless.Even the phone app is starting slow.So in my opinion spenging money on unlocking ur bootloader is useless
popthosegaskets said:
If you don't know how to optimise the ROM then it will be as slow as any stock ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I tried "pimp my rom" and ticked all I thought I wanted but got a boot loop and had to reflash everything.
I'm keen to know what you mean by "optimising".
King of Procrastinators said:
So I tried "pimp my rom" and ticked all I thought I wanted but got a boot loop and had to reflash everything.
I'm keen to know what you mean by "optimising".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be as simple as installing and removing apps to running scripts that improve performance. I use Greenify to hibernate apps running in the background and I don't install Facebook on my phone. Only install apps that you use often because if you install many apps on your phone, it's going to take up more memory and slow it down.
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Related
Hi all !
I've rooted my Play and looking forward to O/C it (mainly for N64 emulation ).
Reading several threads, I gathered that I need to unlock my bootloader and flash a custom kernel (DoomLord's for example).
My Play is not simlocked, so I can use the official unlocking for my bootloader.
If I understand well, I'll then lose some DRM-credentials... But I could not find exactly what that would mean. I guess there would be no problem with apps bought from the android market. But would I lose the games pre-installed on the play? Or the free games I got from EA (Dead Space, etc.) ??
Another n00b question: when flashing a custom kernel (keeping the stock rom), vill I lose everything on my phone and therefore, do I have to backup/restore everything? And if so, what would you recommand in order to have a full backup?
Thanks so much for your help !!
FixB said:
Hi all !
I've rooted my Play and looking forward to O/C it (mainly for N64 emulation ).
Reading several threads, I gathered that I need to unlock my bootloader and flash a custom kernel (DoomLord's for example).
My Play is not simlocked, so I can use the official unlocking for my bootloader.
If I understand well, I'll then lose some DRM-credentials... But I could not find exactly what that would mean. I guess there would be no problem with apps bought from the android market. But would I lose the games pre-installed on the play? Or the free games I got from EA (Dead Space, etc.) ??
Another n00b question: when flashing a custom kernel (keeping the stock rom), vill I lose everything on my phone and therefore, do I have to backup/restore everything? And if so, what would you recommand in order to have a full backup?
Thanks so much for your help !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Drm is your your certificate for official updates and if you lose your drm official updates would brick your phone now, if you can't do a official update you can always flash using flash tool. You won't lose any of your games or the xperia store. There is a touch point method so you won't lose your drm. You won't lose any data from your rom when flashing a kernel. When do flash a kernel then you can do a full back up through cwm.
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
danlivesey said:
Drm is your your certificate for official updates and if you lose your drm official updates would brick your phone now, if you can't do a official update you can always flash using flash tool. You won't lose any of your games or the xperia store. There is a touch point method so you won't lose your drm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this the method you are referring to:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1285285 ??
I'll look into it thanks !
danlivesey said:
You won't lose any data from your rom when flashing a kernel. When do flash a kernel then you can do a full back up through cwm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't quite get it, sorry
Unlocking the bootloader + flashing a custom kernel: must I backup everything before and restore afterwards, or do these operations keep everything intact (apps, datas, etc.) ??
Thanks for your kind help dan !
Yes that's the method and no you don't need to back your data up or anything when flashing a kernel. You only need to back your data up when installing custom roms.
Sent from my R800i using xda premium
Im planning to overclock because im experiencing some drop frame rates when playing advanced games i.e gta3 and bankstab. I downloaded atuntun cpu and the maximum I could go up to was 1024 MHz. Is this really the limit?! My phone I rooted.
Im thinking to download setcpu but im wonderimg whether the maximum I would get up to is 1 ghz or could I go higher?
You need a custom kernel to enable overclocking. To flash a custom kernel you must unlock your bootloader
Oh... ok.
A few more questions then:
1) Will increasing the MHz of the cpu make the games play more fluently? (e.g. gta3, backstab etc).
2) By unlocking the bootloader and loading a custom kernal, will I still be on stock ROM?
3) Does the phone need to be rooted again after unlocking the bootloader and loading a custom kernal?
4) Will I be able to update OTA when 4.0 comes out for XPlay?
5) Can I go back to the original state of my phone after unlocking it?
TwilightLoz said:
Oh... ok.
A few more questions then:
1) Will increasing the MHz of the cpu make the games play more fluently? (e.g. gta3, backstab etc).
2) By unlocking the bootloader and loading a custom kernal, will I still be on stock ROM?
3) Does the phone need to be rooted again after unlocking the bootloader and loading a custom kernal?
4) Will I be able to update OTA when 4.0 comes out for XPlay?
5) Can I go back to the original state of my phone after unlocking it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Yes, for pretty much any game (although some may depend more on SD card speed)
2) You'll still be on stock rom unless you also flash a custom rom
3) Not sure but possibly. It's incredibly easy to root with an unlocked bootloader though
4) Only if you use the 'Testpoint' unlock method
5) There is a file that can be flashed to relock the bootloader but I'm not sure if it works with the 'Testpoint' unlock method. You can also reflash the stock firmware which restores all factory settings (except bootloader status)
Can anything go wrong whilst unlocking the bootloader and installing a custom kernel? If yes, will it brick my phone?
TwilightLoz said:
Can anything go wrong whilst unlocking the bootloader and installing a custom kernel? If yes, will it brick my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WE HAVE TO SAY YES HERE.. however it highly unlikely and is almost always possible to fix.
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk
just use dooms kernel v11 im stable at 1.4 and games run smoothly except mc3 taking freaking 10yrs plus jus 2 start a match!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its easy to unlock this bootloader ay. if you can follow instructions and got common sense then every hacking step you take should be a breeze
ok. im planning to unlock my bootloader and flash the doomkernal. although on this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1176502
under notice, it says:
[ NOTICE ]
since i have changed the kernel version string stock wifi modules will no longer work on my kernel...
if u try to enable them on new kernel (v7 onwards) u will get "ERROR" while starting WIFI...
i will be providing wifi modules for my kernel which HAVE TO BE FLASHED VIA RECOVERY for wifi/bt to work correctly
stock wifi modules will also be provided which again will have to be flashed via recovery if u want to return to stock kernel OR if u revert to older v06 or lower kernels
What does this mean? Does it mean my wiFi will stop working?
TwilightLoz said:
ok. im planning to unlock my bootloader and flash the doomkernal. although on this page:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1176502
under notice, it says:
[ NOTICE ]
since i have changed the kernel version string stock wifi modules will no longer work on my kernel...
if u try to enable them on new kernel (v7 onwards) u will get "ERROR" while starting WIFI...
i will be providing wifi modules for my kernel which HAVE TO BE FLASHED VIA RECOVERY for wifi/bt to work correctly
stock wifi modules will also be provided which again will have to be flashed via recovery if u want to return to stock kernel OR if u revert to older v06 or lower kernels
What does this mean? Does it mean my wiFi will stop working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just means that each time you flash a new rom, you'll have to flash the wifi modules provided in the doomkernel thread
Hi I was just wondering if anyone had found a way of rooting the play with .62 software (software not firmware). Apparently it can't be done but I would really like to overclock the CPU and install apps that need root one being disable the Xperia als
Plus if I downgrade my software to rootable one will my baseband version stay the same cause I want to install ics
Sent from my R800i using XDA
If you want to overclock you'll need to unlock your bootloader and flash an overclockable kernel, like Doomlord's. This will also root your phone
Michealtbh said:
If you want to overclock you'll need to unlock your bootloader and flash an overclockable kernel, like Doomlord's. This will also root your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flashing a custom kernel will only enable custom cpu speeds and will NOT root the software. (you are flashing the boot not the system) since root is controlled by the system partion changing the boot.img wont have much effect so having a kernel with overclock support on software that is not rooted is pretty pointless. i should know i build roms for the htc desire (search for tronicrom v2 htc desire if you dont believe me)
dtronics said:
flashing a custom kernel will only enable custom cpu speeds and will NOT root the software. (you are flashing the boot not the system) since root is controlled by the system partion changing the boot.img wont have much effect so having a kernel with overclock support on software that is not rooted is pretty pointless. i should know i build roms for the htc desire (search for tronicrom v2 htc desire if you dont believe me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DooMLoRD's kernel does root the phone. Read his thread before posting
Hi all,
Just got my Xperia S and really love the phone with fantastic design and awesome screen. I really intend to gain root access for my phone to troubleshoot the battery drain issue further (and using some app for better control over the setting). Here's a few queries I have (and some partially answered by some of my searches on the forum):
Will I get any OTA or official firmware update shall I just root my phone with locked bootloader? (I won't mess with custom recovery or ROM)
I suppose I could still claim my warranty. But is there anyway to remove any traces completely to prevent them from finding out? Just removing the superuser app?
If in the future I would like to have access to custom recovery so that I could flash ROM, I suppose I must unlock the bootloader right? (at least until someone gets a workaround for locked bootloader)
The tool I will use for rooting is by Bin4ry. I am on the latest ICS firmware.
tanjinjack said:
Hi all,
Just got my Xperia S and really love the phone with fantastic design and awesome screen. I really intend to gain root access for my phone to troubleshoot the battery drain issue further (and using some app for better control over the setting). Here's a few queries I have (and some partially answered by some of my searches on the forum):
Will I get any OTA or official firmware update shall I just root my phone with locked bootloader? (I won't mess with custom recovery or ROM)
I suppose I could still claim my warranty. But is there anyway to remove any traces completely to prevent them from finding out? Just removing the superuser app?
If in the future I would like to have access to custom recovery so that I could flash ROM, I suppose I must unlock the bootloader right? (at least until someone gets a workaround for locked bootloader)
The tool I will use for rooting is by Bin4ry. I am on the latest ICS firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you'll definitely get official update
To remove trace completely just flash an official ROM via flashtool (official fw can be obtained at dev section)
No can install some stock based Custom Rom and CWM in locked bootloader
Eg : XTX,dualcore,Xcream,etc
What you can't do is flash a kernel. You'll need to flash a kernel to install Cyanogen Mod or Paranoid based rom
Sent from my Xperia S using xda premium
Theonlyzii said:
Yes you'll definitely get official update
To remove trace completely just flash an official ROM via flashtool (official fw can be obtained at dev section)
No can install some stock based Custom Rom and CWM in locked bootloader
Eg : XTX,dualcore,Xcream,etc
What you can't do is flash a kernel. You'll need to flash a kernel to install Cyanogen Mod or Paranoid based rom
Sent from my Xperia S using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I guess I could get official update, just worry that I would lose root during the update. I think I could still try to retain my root using some app right? (LOL, I am a bit outdated about all these stuff - was using a HTC Desire where 2.3 is the best we could go)
I am observing that my screen is a bit yellowish throughout, perhaps I will send in for a warranty before I do anything.
Thanks for the reply. Really appreciate it and clear off some doubts.
My Z1 compact is running and i am trying to unlock the bootloader. I have entered *#*#7378423#*# which says i cant unlock the bootloader.
Is there any other method to unlock the bootloader?
Anyone know if its possible?
The reason I want to do this is to install custom Roms.
Instead of unlocking, I believe its possible to root using root and then install dual recovery.
Is this possible and will it let me install custom Roms?
Your device seems to be branded by your carrier and there is no workaround.
Sent from my D5503 using xda premium
325i. said:
The reason I want to do this is to install custom Roms.
Instead of unlocking, I believe its possible to root using root and then install dual recovery.
Is this possible and will it let me install custom Roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but only stock based. CM based roms require a different kernel which can only be flashed with an unlocked bootloader. So your choices are quite limited. The good news: Sonys roms are pretty good. The only question is how long their support will last in the future.
Sorry mate, but with a Bootloader unlocked allowed status set to :NO you cannot install any custom ROMs. You may however still root the phone if getting rid of bloatware or installing apps that require root is what you are after
Klucznik1 said:
Sorry mate, but with a Bootloader unlocked allowed status set to :NO you cannot install any custom ROMs. You may however still root the phone if getting rid of bloatware or installing apps that require root is what you are after
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not completely accurate, he can still install cooked roms based on stock, as long as they do not modify boot partition as he can only run stock kernels.