DRM mysteries - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

HI guys,
After being a sammy boy for years, Sony's android development is still a deep forest for me with all its bootloaders and secret keys.
I've got a rooted 5.0.2 with twrp recovery and just read somewhere, that this is enough to flash a pre-rooted 5.1. Is this true? No unlocking of the BL nor putting the DRM keys at risk?
Have a nice day!

If the "pre-rooted" 5.1 zip is all stock and has stock kernel, then you're good to go. Custom kernel and custom ROM requires unlocking the bootloader.
All you have to do is, go on TWRP recovery, wipe everything and flash that "pre-rooted" STOCK zip WITHOUT exiting TWRP after the wipe.
@Koostis

V4LKyR said:
If the "pre-rooted" 5.1 zip is all stock and has stock kernel, then you're good to go. Custom kernel and custom ROM requires unlocking the bootloader.
All you have to do is, go on TWRP recovery, wipe everything and flash that "pre-rooted" STOCK zip WITHOUT exiting TWRP after the wipe.
@Koostis
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So as long as the bootloader stays locked, my DRM keys are safe? And flashing a rom through recovery will not unlock a bootloader in any way?

Koostis said:
So as long as the bootloader stays locked, my DRM keys are safe? And flashing a rom through recovery will not unlock a bootloader in any way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nay.

Related

[Q] Flashing latest TWRP - Help needed!

Hi,
Currently I have NUT's dual recovery installed. Trying to install the latest TWRP 2.8 following TWRP's website, fails everytime. I know the Xperia recoveries are different from other devices.
I have a locked device. Is there a way to get the new recovery onto my Z2? Even from flashing from the current recovery maybe?
Regards,
B
No, custom kernel/recovery requires unlocked bootloader, you'll have to unlock or wait for nut to update dual recovery
Sent from my Xperia Z2 using Tapatalk
But after flashing monxDified I had 2.8. When I wanted to use eXistenz, I went back to stock and flashed Dual recovery again
Flashing TWRP
Sorry to hijack the thread but I have a related question.
I'm running Doomlords CWM recovery and .402, unlocked and rooted. I'd like to update to TWRP. All of the guides I've found on flashing TWRP assume you don't already have a custom recovery. Do you suppose I could just install TWRP through TWRP Manager over the existing CWM? Would I need to flash a new kernel patched version of the stock ROM that supports TWRP?
Thanks in advance.
No issues so far running the teamwin recovery on LB.
Puffin617 said:
But after flashing monxDified I had 2.8. When I wanted to use eXistenz, I went back to stock and flashed Dual recovery again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MonxDified includes 2.8 with his rom if you must run 2.8 now find a rom with it included otherwise wait for Dual recovery to be updated.
ghostofcain said:
MonxDified includes 2.8 with his rom if you must run 2.8 now find a rom with it included otherwise wait for Dual recovery to be updated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If TWRP can be flashed from Recovery with a ROM, surely it must be able to flash TWRP on its own???
Puffin617 said:
If TWRP can be flashed from Recovery with a ROM, surely it must be able to flash TWRP on its own???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO, Z2 doesn't have a separate recovery partition therefore, as I understand it, recovery needs to be flashed as part of the kernel.
ghostofcain said:
NO, Z2 doesn't have a separate recovery partition therefore, as I understand it, recovery needs to be flashed as part of the kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the kernel does not get flashed on a locked bootloader as far as I know???
Puffin617 said:
But the kernel does not get flashed on a locked bootloader as far as I know???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you are correct, looking into it further, with locked bootloader the recovery is actually located in /system/bin therefore some magic involved in booting recovery, but my point stands in that the recovery has to be modified from standard to be bootable from its non standard locale.

[Q] Unlock Bootloader, Custom Recovery and Root

Hey guys,
I am trying to prepare my Nexus 9 to receive root (when that happens) and I was wondering if unlocking the bootloader will suffice for the time being? That means it will wipe it once, and I can start using my Nexus 9 without worrying of wiping it in the future.
Then it means as soon as TWRP comes out with a version that supports Nexus 9 I just need to flash that (no need to wipe device) and then flash SuperSU (no wiping either)
Am I missing something here?
You're right but...
Hey ombadboy
I think this will work. Don't forget to enable the oem unlock in the developer settings before. Otherwise your try to unlock will fail. Maybe you shouldn't flash the first versions of twrp, because this will be the first one for Lollipop und encrypted storage. Just boot the image once and flash superSU. So you will still get OTA updates.
After unlocking you should be able to root without losing your data twice.
After a few time and if there are no more OTAs in the near future you can flash a stable TWRP image.
funatkill said:
Hey ombadboy
I think this will work. Don't forget to enable the oem unlock in the developer settings before. Otherwise your try to unlock will fail. Maybe you shouldn't flash the first versions of twrp, because this will be the first one for Lollipop und encrypted storage. Just boot the image once and flash superSU. So you will still get OTA updates.
After unlocking you should be able to root without losing your data twice.
After a few time and if there are no more OTAs in the near future you can flash a stable TWRP image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See the guide here. http://www.theandroidsoul.com/unlock-bootloader-nexus-9/
Thanks for the replied guys. Yes, that's exactly what I did; now I have an unlocked bootloader.
So if I understood this well, can I get root without flashing a custom recovery? If so, what's the purpose of flashing one?
ombadboy said:
Thanks for the replied guys. Yes, that's exactly what I did; now I have an unlocked bootloader.
So if I understood this well, can I get root without flashing a custom recovery? If so, what's the purpose of flashing one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The purpose of having a custom recovery is to flash custom roms.
Here's some info for root
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-9/orig-development/root-t2929118/post56516599
Hogyoku said:
The purpose of having a custom recovery is to flash custom roms.
Here's some info for root
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-9/orig-development/root-t2929118/post56516599
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Recovery allows you to flash anything to device without doing manually with root explorer, adb or fastboot. Can do most anything you can do with recovery with these 3 tools.

Doubts for Moving to AOSP/CM

Hello All
i recently rooted my Z2 by downgrade method, thinking about moving to CM12 or PA as soon a stable build is released but have some doubts in that area.
1- if i make a nadroid backup through the dual recovery i have now and later after unlocking the bootloader and flashing a differnet recovery and ROM if i restore the old backup will my bootloader be locked automatically?
2- can i use my dual recovery to install a CM ROM( after a clean wipe of current system of course)?
3- i have read about people having problems after installing recovery after flashing a CM ROM, and i havnt really found a coherent answer for that in all the forums that i follow. can anyone give a proper method of how to flash a recovery after the ROM so that i can restore my backup just in case?
4- if my nandroid backup does not relock my bootloader than does restoring my TA backup relocks it?
5- if after flashing a CM or AOSP Rom i try flashing a stock based ROM like existenz or MoonWalker can i restore my TA Backup on dat? will that in anyway affect the root capability of my device? will this relock the bootloader?
Sorry for a list of questions. have only worked with locked bootloader till now and not really handy with sony devices. have only been few months since i got it.
Anybody?
kunaltyagii said:
Anybody?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your questions are vague and can really depend on what rom you flash and what you do . General answers are below:
1 - No.
2- Yes.
3- commands are
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Or
fastboot flash boot boot.img
Really depends on what recovery and if it's included in the boot.img.
4- Yes
5- yes. You can relock an any stock based ROM.
It shouldn't. Bootloader and root aren't related at all.
Yes

Zip

Hi guys,
After seeing so many issues with unlocking bootloader, I decided to root on a locked bootloader. However, is it possible to install zips on a locked bootloader? Eg. V4A?
We have a working recovery for locked bootloader (see [NUT]'s dual recovery in the cross device development section). So yes it is.
gamer649 said:
We have a working recovery for locked bootloader (see [NUT]'s dual recovery in the cross device development section). So yes it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I have that installed alr. So I can just flash a zip from the recovery? Can I flash custom roms, and is xposed for locked bootloader working?
Plain Water said:
I think I have that installed alr. So I can just flash a zip from the recovery? Can I flash custom roms, and is xposed for locked bootloader working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can just flash from recovery.
You can only flash SONY STOCK custom ROM's.
Xposed works fine for me on my locked bootloader.

Root without unlocking bootloader

Hello,
talking here just about ROOTING not flashing CUSTOM rom!
I have one simple question. Is it possible to root device without unlocking bootloader? I have mediatek CPU MTK6750T and stock ROM flashable via SP flash tool. What if I just add superSu manually to the stock image and flash ot via SP flash tool just over /system partition?
Or what If I just flashed recovery (TWRP, CWM) over recovery partition? Could I root from there as well?
In both methods I would NOT unlock bootloader right? So I could be rooted without unlocking bootloader?
Please explain me if something will not work.
Or can flashing original stock rom Lock bootloader again so nobody knows?
Thank you: )
howpathetic said:
Hello,
talking here just about ROOTING not flashing CUSTOM rom!
I have one simple question. Is it possible to root device without unlocking bootloader? I have mediatek CPU MTK6750T and stock ROM flashable via SP flash tool. What if I just add superSu manually to the stock image and flash ot via SP flash tool just over /system partition?
Or what If I just flashed recovery (TWRP, CWM) over recovery partition? Could I root from there as well?
In both methods I would NOT unlock bootloader right? So I could be rooted without unlocking bootloader?
Please explain me if something will not work.
Or can flashing original stock rom Lock bootloader again so nobody knows?
Thank you: )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader restricts rooting or flashing recovery, system or anything else.
Therefore, you can't do anything without unlocking bootloader.
Augustoandro said:
Bootloader restricts rooting or flashing recovery, system or anything else.
Therefore, you can't do anything without unlocking bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But SP flash tool can flash directly to partition right? so what if i use stock rom and just change recovery image file to flash? So it will flash stock ROM with my Recovery img. I will turn of checksum of course..
Or does bootloader really forbid this?
howpathetic said:
But SP flash tool can flash directly to partition right? so what if i use stock rom and just change recovery image file to flash? So it will flash stock ROM with my Recovery img. I will turn of checksum of course..
Or does bootloader really forbid this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh sry, I overlooked the SP Flashtool part. You can flash without unlocking bootloader.
howpathetic said:
But SP flash tool can flash directly to partition right? so what if i use stock rom and just change recovery image file to flash? So it will flash stock ROM with my Recovery img. I will turn of checksum of course..
Or does bootloader really forbid this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you please tell me how would you exactly do that?
I'm trying to flash twrp by changing the recovery file in the stock rom but I can't seem to find the stock recovery inside the zip folder.
thanks in advance

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