Hi.
I receive my new Xperia Z after upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9305) in the next few days and wondered if you guys would be happy enough to answer some questions for me?
Firstly, I know you can unlock the Bootloader, but is it worth it? Does the Bravia Engine make that much of a difference?
If I do unlock the Bootloader, can I still install MODs like ACIDMOD and other stuff or is it MOD specific?
Do any of you use a custom ROM? Reading other topics, there doesn't seem to be a stable (relatively bug-free) release yet, so am I better just sitting it out with the stock ROM?
I take it Rooting leaves the Bootloader intact?
Sorry for the Q & A.
Thanks in advance!
ianrobbie said:
Hi.
I receive my new Xperia Z after upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9305) in the next few days and wondered if you guys would be happy enough to answer some questions for me?
Firstly, I know you can unlock the Bootloader, but is it worth it? Does the Bravia Engine make that much of a difference?
If I do unlock the Bootloader, can I still install MODs like ACIDMOD and other stuff or is it MOD specific?
Do any of you use a custom ROM? Reading other topics, there doesn't seem to be a stable (relatively bug-free) release yet, so am I better just sitting it out with the stock ROM?
I take it Rooting leaves the Bootloader intact?
Sorry for the Q & A.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also came from Samsung and @ Samsung phones the bootloader is unlocked by default, so flashing another kernel is nothing out of the ordinary. Many of us have completely disabled Bravia Engine, so it won't matter for those people if they lost it. You don't need to unlock the Bootloader in order to install a custom rom. When the rom contains a different kernel (non stock) then you will need to unlock the bootloader (If it's even possible).
Root and bootloader aren't related. You can root every phone, but the bootloader can't be unlocked on every device.
Dsteppa said:
I also came from Samsung and @ Samsung phones the bootloader is unlocked by default, so flashing another kernel is nothing out of the ordinary. Many of us have completely disabled Bravia Engine, so it won't matter for those people if they lost it. You don't need to unlock the Bootloader in order to install a custom rom. When the rom contains a different kernel (non stock) then you will need to unlock the bootloader (If it's even possible).
Root and bootloader aren't related. You can root every phone, but the bootloader can't be unlocked on every device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oooh, you beat me to it.
However, I couldn't have put it better myself.
@OP
When I first got my XZ I could definitely see the difference between BE and no BE, however, it was worth the sacrifice, I'd rather have complete freedom over my device than have a very slightly improved image quality.
If you want ROMs like CM10.1 and stuff you will have to unlock the bootloader (requires custom kernel), however, stock based ROMs (Such as KA06, or my ROM) will accept the stock kernel too.
Of course, the ultimate choice is yours but I'd be leaning more towards a bootloader unlock if I were you.
ianrobbie said:
Hi.
I receive my new Xperia Z after upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9305) in the next few days and wondered if you guys would be happy enough to answer some questions for me?
Firstly, I know you can unlock the Bootloader, but is it worth it? Does the Bravia Engine make that much of a difference?
If I do unlock the Bootloader, can I still install MODs like ACIDMOD and other stuff or is it MOD specific?
Do any of you use a custom ROM? Reading other topics, there doesn't seem to be a stable (relatively bug-free) release yet, so am I better just sitting it out with the stock ROM?
I take it Rooting leaves the Bootloader intact?
Sorry for the Q & A.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that for the time being there is no point in unlocking your bootloader. Remember that once you unlock it you do void your warranty. Maybe it would be worth keeping just for a little bit just in the case that your unit was faulty in any way.
Bravia Engine 2 in my opinion looks very good and does make a difference. It is a matter of personal preference though (as is all the color, contrast, viewing angle etc)
As of now there aren't too many custom ROM's for the Xperia Z. There are however quite a few useful MOD's that you can try as most of them work for rooted phones with LOCKED bootloader. You might need to be deodexed for some of them though.
And yes rooting does leave the bootloader intact.
Here is my video that you can find in the general thread as well showing 10 things that you could try after root:
In conclusion in my opinion it IS worth rooting the phone but NOT neccesserily unlocking the bootloader at least for the time being.
ianrobbie said:
Hi.
I receive my new Xperia Z after upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy S3 (i9305) in the next few days and wondered if you guys would be happy enough to answer some questions for me?
Firstly, I know you can unlock the Bootloader, but is it worth it? Does the Bravia Engine make that much of a difference?
If I do unlock the Bootloader, can I still install MODs like ACIDMOD and other stuff or is it MOD specific?
Do any of you use a custom ROM? Reading other topics, there doesn't seem to be a stable (relatively bug-free) release yet, so am I better just sitting it out with the stock ROM?
I take it Rooting leaves the Bootloader intact?
Sorry for the Q & A.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you unlock your bootloader consider this.
I tried root with my bootloader locked and so far it wasn't satisfying at all. My other phone is a galaxy nexus and with CM 10.1 running on that machine it's pure pleasure. :laugh:
I am not sure about the bravia engine thing. Pics and clips will look really neat on your device, but what happens when share your clips and pics with someone who hasn't the bravia engine on the phone... Anyway, now that we have the possibility to save the drm keys we can restore the bravia engine.
I tried the latest cm 10.1 nightly on my xperia and it runs smooth. The cam works pretty well and since yesterday there is also 12,8 megapixel supported.
The next Rom I will try will be probably this but for now I'll stick with my cm nightly. The only downside is that DoomKernel does not support cm 10.1 yet.
Sony's cam app is quite good and I really like the many options one can play around with. On the other hand I really hate the album compared to stock jb/ics or cm 10.1.
Isnt there any dev. That can make a zip of the bravia engine 2,
I know but dont understand drmkeys ect.
I also have agalaxy nexus wtih bravia engine...sooo is it that hard for dev.s to make it work again?
No disprespect intended btw
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Hi!
I was wondering if it would be possible to run a CM userland on a stock kernel (Yes I am one of those fools who bought a device with "bootloader unlock allowed: no").
This has been done in the past for other phones and apart from delivering a CM experience to locked phones this would also allow for a working Bravia engine on CM. Sure there would be some limitations when running such a setup (e.g. because of certain kernel modules not being available), but Sony seems to update the official firmwares at a acceptable pace, so there are fairly recent official kernels available: Most recent stable CM is based on 4.2.2 as is Sony's most recent firmware.
I can hardly estimate how problematic other aspects (ABI version mismatches, etc..) might be when trying this, but I remember CyanoSpaceMod for the XU which worked for devices with locked bootloaders. It was a working CM9 and implemented CWM in the same manner as the dual recovery on the XZ for locked bootloaders running on the stock kernel.
All in all it seems to me that all the building blocks are there, but I have no experience in building CM, so I cannot do this on my own, I need some guidance.
Would it be enough to simply build CM for the prebuilt stock kernel as outlined here, even if it meant that tehre would be no CWM support initially? The kernel itself can easily be extracted from a stock rom...
Any help -- even just an educated guess -- would be appreciated.
Not possible matey.
DrKrFfXx said:
Not possible matey.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you point me to somewhere, where I can find an elaboration on the subject so I can educate myself?
Why is the XZ so much different than other Sony phones? Or is it simply because Sony was so forthcoming in open sourcing everything they legally can, fostering kernel hacking so that the CM kernel now differs greatly from the stock kernel?
In that case I can fully understand that major changes in the CM base would be required to make it run on the stock kernel...
(I am actually just asking out of curiosity, since I got an unlockable device yesterday )
I've read through the forums of the XZ, and found no trace of people trying to load CM on locked bootloaders.
So I was wondering if there is any development going into that direction on the XZ? (ramdisk hijack, kexec,..)
I don't have nearly enough experience to go into something like that, but I was wondering if something like this would be possible for our XZ.
Devs at Xperia SP forum managed to hijack ramdisk and load SlimKat and CM11/10.2 on a locked bootloader device, so maybe we can use the same method?
XSP thread
Maybe we can follow their example and get CM on our device working with locked bootloader!
Does anybody know any reason why this would/wouldn't work on our device? I'm starting to look into it, but maybe some more experienced developer can help.
I dont think its passible because CM need a custom kernel and the custom kenel need UNlocked bootloader
Send from my Xperia™ Z (C6602) using tapatalk?
baga255 said:
I've read through the forums of the XZ, and found no trace of people trying to load CM on locked bootloaders.
So I was wondering if there is any development going into that direction on the XZ? (ramdisk hijack, kexec,..)
I have nearly enough experience to go into something like that, but I was wondering if something like this would be possible for our XZ.
Devs at Xperia SP forum managed to hijack ramdisk and load SlimKat and CM11/10.2 on a locked bootloader device, so maybe we can use the same method?
XSP thread
Maybe we can follow their example and get CM on our device working with locked bootloader!
Does anybody know any reason why this would/wouldn't work on our device? I'm starting to look into it, but maybe some more experienced developer can help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Roms like CM,AOKP,PA,slimkat and so on use custom kernels for their respective roms
Custom kernels require unlocked booloader, if you try to flash custom rom in locked boodloader it will get in to a boot loop
You will need to unlock the bootloader (which WILL void your phones warranty) then flash any custom rom
androidtweaker1 said:
Roms like CM,AOKP,PA,slimkat and so on use custom kernels for their respective roms
Custom kernels require unlocked booloader, if you try to flash custom rom in locked boodloader it will get in to a boot loop
You will need to unlock the bootloader (which WILL void your phones warranty) then flash any custom rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am aware of all of the above. That's why I suggested hijacking ramdisk (as they did on Xperia SP). That would enable us to load CM (or any other AOSP based ROM) on top of the stock Sony kernel.
At least that's how I understood it. You can check the thread I linked in the first post. The devs even posted the links to the source code of the ramdisk hijack method!
More info on this thread.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk
This question is for those who has installed on both bootloaders previously.
[contemplating unlocking the bootloader]
I know that there are more ROMs available (probably shrinking?) for UBL than for LBL.
I also know that, with UBL, I can install other kernels instead of being limited to Sony's.
Other than the 2 reasons stated above, are there any other benefits of UBL?
[e.g. customised kernel is faster, blah, blah blah...]
Thanks for helping.
Not only more ROMs but also more quality.
Lets just say, no barrier for what you want to do.
Locked Bootloader is basically a bootloader that is forced to only boot into a legitimate ROM. With proper hijacking, custom ROMs may be able to boot with the phone with a locked bootloader. Also, a splash of DRM keys added towards it.
For warranty comparisons, it is much easier to have a LBL, in case of damage and you want to send to service centre all you need to do is a quick flash through Flashtool and you are done. Unlike unlocked bootloaders, your warranty was already void. Or if you have backup, you would have to add 2 more steps to the process.
The thing I like the most with UBL is you can do anything. You can even flash an LBL ROM and use it without any problems at all. Risk of bootloops are significantly less compared to the LBL, though this is solely depends on what you do to the device.
Hve unlocked my XSP this weekend and experimented with a few roms plus cm11 latest nightlies
Yup - it has a big advantage in that the many new roms are available to the XSP. My interest was in CM12 and lollipop.
[but alas, to my dismay, my initial feeling is that CM12+lollipop is 'laggy' compared to plain vanilla CM11 (no CM12 vanilla at the moment for XSP).
One further advantage with vanilla CM11 in UBL - OTA
I got the nightly from early May, and, with a button, it updated me to the one on 10th May.
At this point in time, I think almost all of XSP owners should have unlocked - because the XSP is 'outdated' (at least in my country), and warranty would have expired. Save for those with unlockable bootloader, of course.
headache59 said:
Hve unlocked my XSP this weekend and experimented with a few roms plus cm11 latest nightlies
Yup - it has a big advantage in that the many new roms are available to the XSP. My interest was in CM12 and lollipop.
[but alas, to my dismay, my initial feeling is that CM12+lollipop is 'laggy' compared to plain vanilla CM11 (no CM12 vanilla at the moment for XSP).
One further advantage with vanilla CM11 in UBL - OTA
I got the nightly from early May, and, with a button, it updated me to the one on 10th May.
At this point in time, I think almost all of XSP owners should have unlocked - because the XSP is 'outdated' (at least in my country), and warranty would have expired. Save for those with unlockable bootloader, of course.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you are happy for unlocking your Xperia SP!
XSP is indeed outdated especially here in Malaysia. About warranty, lol I forget about it after 3 months of buying the phone haha
i prefer unlocked bootloader becasue it lets me install custom kernels...
UBL doubt
What if, after unlocking, I loose my IMEI code is or s/n code after flashing?
Also is there anyway to retain it and make my xsp as a new phone, (not physically)( as softercally)
dear Master,
previously i own xperia go and M. both of them are bootloader unlocked.
now im using z3 compact. i heard that if i unlock the bootloader it has effect on quality of picture. when i have Go and M. i cant differentiate the quality of pic.
so my question is, is woth unlocking bootloader on z3 compact?
for me - No
for many - Yes
Well yes, that you can get cyanogenmod and many other great ROM's (Cyanogenmod has a great battery life and great enhancements), plus great kernels.
But no, if you enjoy using your phone for photography, then do not unlock it.
As unlocking your bootloader, you loose your DRM keys (which enhance photography, visuals and sound of the Xperia.
If I were you, I would wait until after stock Marshmallow is released and give it a try via standard, factory OTA. If MM were still months away, I wouldn't wait.
Then, after you've gotten tired of stock MM and its features, and you want to try new things, take care to back up your DRM keys (which is a bit tricky; you have to root without unlocking, I believe). After you've done that and have backed up your data, as long as you're careful and follow the more detailed tutorials on this forum, you can experiment to your heart's content.
Could we root z3 compact without unlocking bootloader? I have an unlocked bootloader z1 compact and yes it does effect the picture quality. All those 3rd party OS's can't match stock camera quality. Period.
Yes You can see here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3011598
giefroot - rooting tool (CVE-2014-4322)
Now if worth or not unlocking it depends if you want another thing then stock or stock based. But till now there isn't to many choices... So stock with root for many is enough I think...
I unlocked bootloader but can restore the cam quality. Google "drm restore xperia xda". Sorry i'm on mobile cannot provide link.
So, go unlock it!
I downgraded my phone to 4.4.4, root exploiting, install XZDualRecovery and flash pre-rooted firmware
duke_dreadmoore said:
I unlocked bootloader but can restore the cam quality. Google "drm restore xperia xda". Sorry i'm on mobile cannot provide link.
So, go unlock it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, just a single question for you please. I am on KitKat rooted and locked bootloader. Can I flash Sony Concept Marshmallow and then restore DRM keys to make sure that Noise Cancellation and camera works good?
HearseRider said:
Hey, just a single question for you please. I am on KitKat rooted and locked bootloader. Can I flash Sony Concept Marshmallow and then restore DRM keys to make sure that Noise Cancellation and camera works good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but why would you want to do that?
There are several Marshmallow builds out now that are stock. Far less hassle. Sorry, but any development that insists on recking the best features of your camera doesn't get my vote.
You just need Flashfire and Slim, then your phone will be amazing
thanks all master, and friends.
i just got back my z3 compact. after had screen cracked by it self. fortunately it still has warranty. it take 3 months. hahahaha
Didgesteve said:
Yes, but why would you want to do that?
There are several Marshmallow builds out now that are stock. Far less hassle. Sorry, but any development that insists on recking the best features of your camera doesn't get my vote.
You just need Flashfire and Slim, then your phone will be amazing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are aware that the DRM restoration mod enables all those camera features even after unlocking a bootloader, right? I have my original DRM keys backed up and my bootloader unlocked for a year already and haven't looked back since, because everything is easier with BL unlocked + custom kernels (@someone755 gave us a very appealing MM kernel) and with the DRM restoration working on all stock based roms (from KK to latest MM, Concept rom included) it's a pure joy.
Plus, he can use MultiROM and boot CM/AOSP based rom, to experience stock Android, with the noice reduction algorithm working EVEN on **CM/AOSP, confirmed as well.
**Do note that it's not working wonders as on stock, but it is noticeable difference compared to using CM/AOSP as primary rom, without MultiROM.
Anyway at this point in development, since there is no difference between features (camera) of locked BL vs unlocked BL with DRM restoration mod, it all comes down at how easier it is to flash custom recovery and roms with UBL.
That being said, we all have different preferences, so what suits my needs does not necessarily suit someone else's, and if the OP is asking it just for the sake of having his bootloader unlocked (without the need to flash CM/AOSP rom and/or custom kernel) then don't do it. If OP wants to flash and experiment, then just go ahead and unlock.
Read the needed tutorials, find a tutorial to root the device without unlocking BL, BACKUP ORIGINAL DRM keys right away after rooting, and do as you wish
Cheers
P.S. @Didgesteve Don't get mad mate, not flaming you, just giving the OP choices and additional info, like yourself, and I support your helpful posts as I've seen your dedication
Cirra92 said:
You are aware that the DRM restoration mod enables all those camera features even after unlocking a bootloader, right? I have my original DRM keys backed up and my bootloader unlocked for a year already and haven't looked back since, because everything is easier with BL unlocked + custom kernels (@someone755 gave us a very appealing MM kernel) and with the DRM restoration working on all stock based roms (from KK to latest MM, Concept rom included) it's a pure joy.
Plus, he can use MultiROM and boot CM/AOSP based rom, to experience stock Android, with the noice reduction algorithm working EVEN on **CM/AOSP, confirmed as well.
**Do note that it's not working wonders as on stock, but it is noticeable difference compared to using CM/AOSP as primary rom, without MultiROM.
Anyway at this point in development, since there is no difference between features (camera) of locked BL vs unlocked BL with DRM restoration mod, it all comes down at how easier it is to flash custom recovery and roms with UBL.
That being said, we all have different preferences, so what suits my needs does not necessarily suit someone else's, and if the OP is asking it just for the sake of having his bootloader unlocked (without the need to flash CM/AOSP rom and/or custom kernel) then don't do it. If OP wants to flash and experiment, then just go ahead and unlock.
Read the needed tutorials, find a tutorial to root the device without unlocking BL, BACKUP ORIGINAL DRM keys right away after rooting, and do as you wish
Cheers
P.S. @Didgesteve Don't get mad mate, not flaming you, just giving the OP choices and additional info, like yourself, and I support your helpful posts as I've seen your dedication
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Cirra92 you're right, it's good to give people choices. & no I'm not mad.
But development is limited on our aging Z3Cs, I know you mention CM & AOSP roms, but really there aren't any working well to speak of.
The only couple of developements with any traction is Slim or Concept (Max Ultra Fury is just bits of scripts copied from other deveolpers). So if you had to recomend which one to choose and one of the options involed unlocking the bootloader, which one would you go for?
I know there's a way to restore your DRM post unlock, but having spent a while on the Z3 thread, I've seen so many cries for help (like here & here & here & here) from people who get it wrong and brick their phones with Flashtool, that I struggle to recomend people playing with the tool when the stock options are just as good and won't endanger the phone.
Didgesteve said:
@Cirra92 you're right, it's good to give people choices. & no I'm not mad.
But development is limited on our aging Z3Cs, I know you mention CM & AOSP roms, but really there aren't any working well to speak of.
The only couple of developements with any traction is Slim or Concept (Max Ultra Fury is just bits of scripts copied from other deveolpers). So if you had to recomend which one to choose and one of the options involed unlocking the bootloader, which one would you go for?
I know there's a way to restore your DRM post unlock, but having spent a while on the Z3 thread, I've seen so many cries for help (like here & here & here & here) from people who get it wrong and brick their phones with Flashtool, that I struggle to recomend people playing with the tool when the stock options are just as good and won't endanger the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using SliMM 2.0 and it was fast and mostly reliable (Wajk has made sure to make it stable) but there were still some bugs, and battery life for me was a bit worse than his LP rom with same usage and setup. If OP requires root on whatever rom he chooses, I would go for Concept (which does require UBL to be rooted) as it's the fastest I've used, it's stable as a rock and it has a very good battery life + it's nearly AOSP looking and performs that way.
As for the Flashtool issues... Well if I understood those were mostly user mistakes, right? I have always carefully checked what was (un)selected before flashing anything in Flashtool, especially with SIMLOCK. When I bought the device last summer I probably spent 2 days reading every thread about rooting/(un)locking/flashing and it's consequences and even today I still recheck and read again the procedure if needed.
Follow the tutorials exactly as they were written and no problems will occur
Cirra92 said:
I have been using SliMM 2.0 and it was fast and mostly reliable (Wajk has made sure to make it stable) but there were still some bugs, and battery life for me was a bit worse than his LP rom with same usage and setup. If OP requires root on whatever rom he chooses, I would go for Concept (which does require UBL to be rooted) as it's the fastest I've used, it's stable as a rock and it has a very good battery life + it's nearly AOSP looking and performs that way.
As for the Flashtool issues... Well if I understood those were mostly user mistakes, right? I have always carefully checked what was (un)selected before flashing anything in Flashtool, especially with SIMLOCK. When I bought the device last summer I probably spent 2 days reading every thread about rooting/(un)locking/flashing and it's consequences and even today I still recheck and read again the procedure if needed.
Follow the tutorials exactly as they were written and no problems will occur
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps we can agree to disagree.
I don't think telling someone who's new to XDA and only has a handful of posts that they should embark on the unlock process. Some phones can't be unlocked and I am tired *sigh* of trying to comfort users who post the "waaa, my phone is broken", over and over again.
Hey all....experiencing lag and overheating after unlocking BL .Is that ok ,anyone?
Using slimm 2.4 full rom on my D5803 .Factory reset and drm fix applied ,prior use
nicorb said:
Hey all....experiencing lag and overheating after unlocking BL .Is that ok ,anyone?
Using slimm 2.4 full rom on my D5803 .Factory reset and drm fix applied ,prior use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My bootloader is locked, sorry, can't help you.
Perhaps @Cirra92 might have some ideas?
Unlocked bootloader on Xperia Z5, rooted with stock MM rom (253). Debloated and deodexed, and get easily over 8hrs of SOT (screen on time) with still about 20-24% battery remaining .. So is it worth it?? You tell me ..
***In other words, YES***
Only if you know what you're doing so you dont hard brick your device
Hope that helps, All the best ....
Sent from Sony Xperia Z5 E6653
nicorb said:
Hey all....experiencing lag and overheating after unlocking BL .Is that ok ,anyone?
Using slimm 2.4 full rom on my D5803 .Factory reset and drm fix applied ,prior use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, that won't be caused by unlocking your BL. I've flashed different roms numerous times, no such issue. Haven't tried slimm 2.4 though, maybe it is rom related, but so far no one mentioned that. You are using stock slimm kernel, right?
Install Kernel Adiutor from Play Store and check which governor your device is using in CPU section. It should be "interactive", but there are cases where it was set to "performance" after unlocking BL, which caused overheating and lagging due to thermal throttling.
To answer again, is it worth unlocking, from my point of view