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ok so please be gentle here, coming back here after 7 years, from old Windows Mobile days!
I am a newbie to Android and want to root my Z5 compact. The only reason I want to root it is to enable some apps like Greenify and GSam battery monitor to work with all their features enabled. I do not want to flash a new ROM. I am happy with Sony's stock ROM.
Is it possible to get root access without installing / flashing a new ROM?
I have searched the internet but people talk about flashing every time I read about rooting. Then I also saw this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/development/root-automatic-repack-stock-kernel-dm-t3301605
Lots of geeky stuff there which is fine, but again, it seems to talk about flashing the ROM, which I really do not want to do or do not see the need (yet).
Unlock boot loader:
I see that Sony lets me unlock the boot loader from their dev site. I am willing to unlock the boot loader. (Not sure if I want to do that first. Maybe unlocking BL is all I need?)
rajdude said:
ok so please be gentle here, coming back here after 7 years, from old Windows Mobile days!
I am a newbie to Android and want to root my Z5 compact. The only reason I want to root it is to enable some apps like Greenify and GSam battery monitor to work with all their features enabled. I do not want to flash a new ROM. I am happy with Sony's stock ROM.
Is it possible to get root access without installing / flashing a new ROM?
I have searched the internet but people talk about flashing every time I read about rooting. Then I also saw this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/development/root-automatic-repack-stock-kernel-dm-t3301605
Lots of geeky stuff there which is fine, but again, it seems to talk about flashing the ROM, which I really do not want to do or do not see the need (yet).
Unlock boot loader:
I see that Sony lets me unlock the boot loader from their dev site. I am willing to unlock the boot loader. (Not sure if I want to do that first. Maybe unlocking BL is all I need?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason to use that guide is to backup ta keys for whatever reason you'd want to do that.
If you're after root on stock ROM the single easiest way is to unlock bootloader, flash twrp 3.0.2, flash xpower 3.0, and that's it. Solid marshmallow with root goodies. Xpower has everything and is deodexed and ready for xposed framework.
just a little more clarification please?
civicsr2cool said:
.....easiest way is to unlock bootloader, flash twrp 3.0.2, flash xpower 3.0, and that's it. ......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks.....that sounds straight forward.....but isn't TWRP a ROM? (sorry, the moment I hear flashing...I think ROM)
And I am looking up xpower...not sure what that is (yet) and why do I need it
I do want xposed framework though.
I wish there was a simple straightforward answer
rajdude said:
Ok thanks.....that sounds straight forward.....but isn't TWRP a ROM? (sorry, the moment I hear flashing...I think ROM)
And I am looking up xpower...not sure what that is (yet) and why do I need it
I do want xposed framework though.
I wish there was a simple straightforward answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Twrp is your recovery,you flash through fastboot, xpower 3.0 is the ROM, just a pre-modded stock ROM with options of xperia x addons. Use lite and stock kernel for xpower and you'll be set.
still a little confused
civicsr2cool said:
Twrp is your recovery,you flash through fastboot, xpower 3.0 is the ROM, just a pre-modded stock ROM with options of xperia x addons. Use lite and stock kernel for xpower and you'll be set.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks! So my understanding (so far) is :
We "must" flash a ROM in order to root a phone. Did I get that correct?
Since I said I like the stock Sony ROM, you recommended the xpower 3.0 ROM.........but the point is.....I still have to flash ROM.
A little confused here...
I am a systems engineer (my day job). In Linux or Windows OS, if we want root access (to run some software or a low level command, like partitioning a disk etc), we either run SU command and put root's password OR right click and run as administrator......
We never have to install a brand new Operating System to get root access.
Just a total newbie question.....Why do we have do install a whole new OS (flash new ROM) on our Android phones to get root access?
rajdude said:
Ok thanks! So my understanding (so far) is :
We "must" flash a ROM in order to root a phone. Did I get that correct?
Since I said I like the stock Sony ROM, you recommended the xpower 3.0 ROM.........but the point is.....I still have to flash ROM.
A little confused here...
I am a systems engineer (my d Linux or Windows OS, if we want root access (to run some software or a low level command, like partitioning a disk etc), we either run SU command and put root's password OR right click and run as administrator......
We never have to install a brand new Operating System to get root access.
Just a total newbie question.....Why do we have do install a whole new OS (flash new ROM) on our Android phones to get root access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is Linux, to gain root in the ROM you have on your phone currently all you need is an unlocked bootloader to run SU, but then you'll be left with a phone that still needs a customized kernel to keep root and a DRM fix for the camera. Xpower 3.0 is that package.
You could really benefit from reading more. Google up on dm-verity and Sony Ric, and fastboot/adb for a little better understanding of what you're getting into without a pre compiled ROM. Messing around with any Android you'll have the majority of the same steps, unlock bootloader with fastboot, flash Supersu, customized kernel.. Etc
Why use a stable compiled ROM?
Let me list down and explain to you why it's best to use a stable compiled ROM. But first you need to understand these few things before you decide to unlock your bootloader and root.
Before Sony Z models kicked in, every rooted Sony device are still able to retain all the features that came together with the phone before it was rooted. When Sony introduce the first Z model, they start to create these things called DRM keys. DRM keys are unique algorithm (i guess i should put it that way) which is attached to every phone the same way an IMEI number is attached to every phone. In short, my DRM keys cannot be used on your phone and vice versa.
DRM key: It's a unique algorithm that holds all the unique features that an unrooted Sony phone boast such as camera quality, X-reality, High Res Audio etc etc.
The moment you unlock your bootloader, that's the moment your DRM keys will be lost. But don't panic, the wonderful devs on XDA have prepared a tool to backup your TA partition (a partition that contains your DRM key) for your own convenience if you want to relock your bootloader.
Then recently Sony/Android come up with new features called Sony RIC and dm-verity. (You may Google what these are all about but to my understanding it is placing limitations to people who root their phones to meddle around with the system settings of thier phone)
With all these "hurdles", it have taken some time for devs here to find a work around and like every fairytale ending, they manage to find a way.
Now you're wondering if you can actually root without flashing another rom. Good news for you: you can! There's a guide that will teach you how to actually root and apply the work around after unlocking your bootloader and rooting.
.. But ask yourself what's the point of going through the hassle of rooting and your phone is not tweaked for performance or for theming purposes?
That's when people flash roms and in Z5 compact's case, XPower is the best rom there is. It gives you all the performance tweak you need to make your phone lag free, it has a lite version that removes all the unnecessary system apps you can't delete without root, it gives you an option to add themes and framework from Xperia X with all those work around in place.
For your second question: why is there a need to install TWRP?
TWRP is a recovery tool which is a need for all rooted phone. It's also a tool for you to backup and restore your current rom so that you can rollback to the last working configuration if your phone went into a bootloop etc. Plus i believe all these guides require you to actually use TWRP to flash the SuperSU to successfully root your phone.
I hope this explains your doubts.
Thanks a lot but...
firdyRAY, thanks a lot for the comprehensive reply to my questions. And yes, it has shed a LOT of light on my doubts.
I googled Sony RIC and dm-verity:
I could not get find much on ric
Dm-verity seems to me a way to check if the boot image has been modified from the last boot, and if it has, stop from booting. Sounds like a good idea until we understand that to flash a ROM dm-verity needs to be bypassed/turned off.
So to compile what I have understood so far:
By unlocking bootloader, you lose DRM keys. There is a way to backup DRM keys which are in the TA partition, but this is to be done BEFORE you unlock bootloader. Good that I have not done anything to my X5c yet.
The next steps for me would be to look into XPower 3 ROM…which I did and here is what I found out:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-compact/development/rom-xpower-v1-0-aroma-debloat-custom-t3371100
First, what's up with the scary looking warning in RED right at the top of the first thread. I did read the OP and the second post, I did not see anything in there which IF I missed will cause my phone to explode! That is probably posted to make noobs read all instructions, right?
Second, I do not see any step in there to backup the DRM / TA partition. I guess the dev is assuming the phone already has lost the DRM, right? So I gotta find instructions on how to backup DRM / TA
Then I searched for problems in this ROM and seems to me that the fingerprint sensor is reported by many to be not working and/or buggy. I rely on the fingerprint sensor day and night. I have many apps which rely on that, like lastpass. That would be a major deal breaker for me.
So going back to stock ROM option…I remember you said "There's a guide that will teach you how to actually root and apply the work around after unlocking your bootloader and rooting."
Could you please post a link to that?
Thanks again!
I think this is a pretty great thread rajdude. It's getting people to spell out a lot of information to noobs like us that it seems most posters have taken for granted over time.
I'm a complete novice at all of this. Sort of gleaning information as I go along, but I used this guide: http://twigstechtips.blogspot.hk/2016/04/sony-z5-compact-root-without-losing-ta.html?m=0
Along with this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/general/guide-rooting-unlocking-bootloader-t3354307
The first guide is pretty basic step-by-step instructions. It unfortunately occasionally kind of skips over a couple very small things (that will be clear as you go along), or occasionally words things in such a way that might not be completely intuitive, but maybe that's cause I need things explained to me like I'm five sometimes. Any time I might have had a question about something in the the first guide, I went to the other and found the answer. It didn't take me long to get the gist of the whole thing though, and overall, it wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. It'd be fantastic if someone created a video walkthrough, but so far as I know, no one has done that yet.
The guide will help you back up your TA Partition where your DRM keys are stored, unlock your bootloader, root your device, and then restore your DRM keys. In order to do this you need to downgrade to Lollipop (if you're not already on it), and then upgrade back up to Marshmallow. It will also install TWRP (which I had no clue was installed until I went into "recovery mode" by pressing UP when I saw the LED flash yellow during boot). There may be an easier way to go about this whole process, but this is the process I used.
Before jumping into anything, I'd hold off until you heard more from firdyRAY or someone more experienced. They may look at the guide I linked and be horrified.
And yeah, I haven't installed xpower yet for the same reasons you haven't. Sounds like there's even an xpower 4.0 that was released recently, but still seems kinda buggy. Being rooted with stock I've been able to give Greenify access to root. Install Adaway (which was worth getting root to begin with). Install sound/music mods like DiVA-X, Viper4Android and Dolby Atmos. Install Titanium Backup. And make a few other minor tweaks (that I've since reversed). I still don't know much about custom ROMs and all that jazz, so I'm holding off until I get more understanding. I'd love to install the xpower ROM (when the bugs are worked out), and maybe some sort of sound ROM. I also need to get more understanding on some of the other vernacular like what exactly a "dirty flash" is.
rajdude said:
firdyRAY, thanks a lot for the comprehensive reply to my questions. And yes, it has shed a LOT of light on my doubts.
I googled Sony RIC and dm-verity:
I could not get find much on ric
Dm-verity seems to me a way to check if the boot image has been modified from the last boot, and if it has, stop from booting. Sounds like a good idea until we understand that to flash a ROM dm-verity needs to be bypassed/turned off.
So to compile what I have understood so far:
By unlocking bootloader, you lose DRM keys. There is a way to backup DRM keys which are in the TA partition, but this is to be done BEFORE you unlock bootloader. Good that I have not done anything to my X5c yet.
The next steps for me would be to look into XPower 3 ROM…which I did and here is what I found out:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-compact/development/rom-xpower-v1-0-aroma-debloat-custom-t3371100
First, what's up with the scary looking warning in RED right at the top of the first thread. I did read the OP and the second post, I did not see anything in there which IF I missed will cause my phone to explode! That is probably posted to make noobs read all instructions, right?
Second, I do not see any step in there to backup the DRM / TA partition. I guess the dev is assuming the phone already has lost the DRM, right? So I gotta find instructions on how to backup DRM / TA
Then I searched for problems in this ROM and seems to me that the fingerprint sensor is reported by many to be not working and/or buggy. I rely on the fingerprint sensor day and night. I have many apps which rely on that, like lastpass. That would be a major deal breaker for me.
So going back to stock ROM option…I remember you said "There's a guide that will teach you how to actually root and apply the work around after unlocking your bootloader and rooting."
Could you please post a link to that?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sony ric is a layer of security for sony roms so that they can protect nfc and fingerprint stuff. samsung and htc have there own variants as well.
yes lol the big red lettering is there to make you read, although hes not far off on the melting your phone part, the s810 is ridiculously hot.
the xpower thread doesnt not include the drm backup instructions because: 1) you need bootloader unlocked to flash it. and 2) because it includes the drm fix in it so you dont have to backup your ta keys.
the fingerprint sensor bug is on any bootloader unlocked phone, the hardware fails after x amount of hours and requires a reboot to work again. xpower is a stock rom, the only thing different is its pre-rooted, de-bloated, and deodexed for xposed to work. we have a separate thread for the fingerprint sensor bug and its been solved.
rajdude said:
firdyRAY, thanks a lot for the comprehensive reply to my questions. And yes, it has shed a LOT of light on my doubts.
I googled Sony RIC and dm-verity:
I could not get find much on ric
Dm-verity seems to me a way to check if the boot image has been modified from the last boot, and if it has, stop from booting. Sounds like a good idea until we understand that to flash a ROM dm-verity needs to be bypassed/turned off.
So to compile what I have understood so far:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony RIC main function is to disable /system write even you got root permission(you still able to do /system write but after a reboot will restore to original). There is a workaround but very trouble, TWRP recovery file manager can bypass Sony RIC(it works in the old day for me, not sure about now). BTW, all 3rd kernel should be disabled RIC nowadays. For any regular computer, there is no hardware or software lock to prevent you gain root access in linux but there are many such trouble stuffs in the android world... lol
I'm running XPower 3.0 Full as a daily driver since June and been very happy. Battery life, stability and speed is good.
Please note, that you MAY lose your warranty when you lose your DRM keys. That's why I didn't unlocked my phone before there was a way to backup TA partition. Now I'm after warranty repair, and before it I was able to fully restore stock ROM with DRM and all features fully functional. In my country, there is only one Sony approved repair center and they check DRM keys before repairing anything - even if it's mechanical fault.
When I had Z1c in KitKat days, it didn't had dm-verity and Sony RIC. It was possible to gain permanent root with bootloader locked, so I was happily using stock ROM and kernel. In Z5c case, first thing I tried was to do the same and it was possible (just backup TA, unlock bootloader, and flash TWRP with patched kernel (dm-verity and Sony RIC disabled) to begin with), but going XPower way was much more confident - I didn't had to think about removing every bloat app. I just flashed lite version in June and I'm using it till this day without any problems at all
Another thing is that you lose OTA (Over-The-Air Update) functionality when you unlock bootloader and disable Sony RIC and dm-verity. Updating to newer versions of firmware, even on stock ROM is problematic when you modify it.
michuroztocz said:
Another thing is that you lose OTA (Over-The-Air Update) functionality when you unlock bootloader and disable Sony RIC and dm-verity. Updating to newer versions of firmware, even on stock ROM is problematic when you modify it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's simply not possible. If you are rooted you can't apply OTA updates and neither should you.
flopower1996 said:
It's simply not possible. If you are rooted you can't apply OTA updates and neither should you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's just what I wrote - just put it in another words
Good morning
Been playing with my new Z5C for a week now and amongst all the things that i like about it (size, weight, responsiveness, ease of use) i have to say that i am not satisfied with its battery (thats why i bought it) and the fact that i really i miss my silent button on my old iphone!
Searched the forums for a solution, especially for the battery and i realized that i have to Root my device since Greenify does not offer me the battery extend i wish. I am not good with tech and hacking so i would like to check if there is any secure and working 'root 101 for dummies' that i can refer to, for solving my issues and getting rid of all those factory installed apps that i have no use for. I dont want paly around all day on my phone, i want it to be fast, light in background process and with a good battery.
Thanks for all the help and advise. Have a good month everybody
AndreasE
Not really. In this forum you can already find different guides about how to root your device and also about how to make a backup of your TA-partition if you want such backup before unlocking your bootloader.
But rooting your phone isn't anything (at all) for dummies, and there is no one-click-solution for most of the possible issues. And it won't be secure, because you're dealing with highly experimental software and "hacks". This means your phone could get (much) more unexpected behavior.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-compact/general/how-to-backup-restore-ta-partition-root-t3479532
There are honestly no good instructions that can take even someone familiar with rooting through the process. When I first got the Z5C, I tried rooting it and made a mistake when backing up my TA. Thank god the phone was still under warranty. If you find it difficult, don't do it. It's not very simple.
The steps are actually quite simple.
1. Downgrade to LP to backup TA partition.
2. Upgrade to MM.
3. Unlock bootloader
4. Flash either custom kernel or stock (patched) kernel
5. Flash supersu.
6. Done.
I recently switched to Sony and I'm still a noob here
I searched everywhere and I wasn't sure how to get root, DRM fix, TWRP on stock android 7.0 Nougat
I found a lot of ways and threads and I kinda got lost
currently I still have a Locked bootloader and I'm running the latest update 32.3.A.0.376
so can someone give me some links and a short guide
that would be highly appreciated
I'm in the same position... Not quite sure, but I think you can flash 6.0.1 w/o unlocking bootloader, then flasing TWRP for 6.0.1 and backing up keys, then flashing some rooted nougat rom and re-loading the drm keys. Something in those lines, but I am also trying to gather steps for this situation and am not brave enough to just go for it.
flash AndroPlus Kernel 43 https://kernel.andro.plus/kitakami_r2.html
flash twrp https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66232457&postcount=160 (to enter twrp press vol down and switch on the phone)
install zip with root in recovery
hromanse said:
flash AndroPlus Kernel 43 https://kernel.andro.plus/kitakami_r2.html
flash twrp https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66232457&postcount=160 (to enter twrp press vol down and switch on the phone)
install zip with root in recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ty for the reply. So, to clarify, we flash this kernel over the stock kernel and stock rom? And then we flash TWRP .img file over that all through fastboot, then we restart the phone into TWRP mode and flash a rooted 7.xx ROM (like Carbon or LineageOS for suzuran) over the stock rom?
Try Zach's kernel, quite speedy and battery smart
The thing you want to take extra precaution with is your DRM keys. Once you've unlocked your bootloader, there's no way to get them back without a prior backup.
I believe many of the replies above assume you have already unlocked your bootloader. To the best of my knowledge, it's impossible to run custom software (anything not signed by Sony) with a locked bootloader. To date, there's no way to root with a locked bootloader.
Therefore you can conclude that you have to unlock your bootloader before you can progress, but then you'd face the first problem I warned about.
So, what you'd want to do is first and foremost is downgrade your firmware to an older version that is exploitable to backup your TA partition, which contains your DRM keys.
To perform a downgrade, you must use a third party tool. Flashtool is the de facto flashing tool for Xperia devices.
To obtain an older version of stock firmware, you can download it straight from Sony's servers using a tool called XperiFirm, then use Flashtool to convert the package to FTF format, which is the file type Flashtool uses for flashing firmware.
However, Sony's servers usually only serve the latest firmwares, so you might not find the version you want. The next best option is to find and download a FTF file from a trustworthy source. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone has attempted to make a repository of FTF files for Z5C, so you'll have to search the forums and cross your fingers.
How old the version should be depends on what solution you pick to backup the TA partition. I recently made a rooting guide that provides instructions on one of the solutions which uses the dirtycow exploit. I think any MM or earlier version would work, since the last MM firmware Sony released is 32.2.A.5.11, which is vulnerable to dirtycow.
Once you've backed up your TA partition, then you can safely unlock your bootloader, then decide for yourself how you want to get root.
If you prefer a "stock" kernel and firmware, see the rootkernel thread, or you can see the guide I linked to above. If you do follow my guide, in step 6 don't include xposed, and use superuser instead of SuperSU for root management (see the first post in the rootkernel thread for more info). You'll need to download phh's superuser app from the Play Store after you're done. The rootkernel tool packs TWRP into the boot.img automatically, so there's no need to install it separately. It also integrates DRM fix.
Or, you can try any of the replies above.
mhaha said:
The thing you want to take extra precaution with is your DRM keys. Once you've unlocked your bootloader, there's no way to get them back without a prior backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the post - it's very informative! This is basically what I have gathered (also through your dirycow exploit threat, which is awesome), but I was under the impression that it is not so easy to flash older firmware, or that even that requires an unlocked bootloader? Well, actually you answered that - ROMs that are officially signed by sony can be flashed without unlocking bootloader, it seems. And is there any risk of bricking the device by doing this?
Is it really that simple? Get a MM build and use flashtool to flash it, and you are done? If that is the case, then I might as well try the whole process, using your guide and rolling back to MM before that. It is very annoying to see what kind of insane battery drain we get (even 3 days of usage is ridiculous, less than half of what we should be getting) and to be fair it's just not pleasurable to use a device that you do not really "own".
Using Flashtool to flash stock firmware is relatively safe, but I don't think anyone can guarantee no risk. In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, you can always try to reflash or use Sony's official tools like PC Companion (or whatever they call it these days) and attempt to repair. In any case, the TA partition is not touched, so your DRM keys will be safe and you have a greater chance of not voiding your warranty. As long as you don't tick the wrong checkbox in Flashtool that is, since it does have the ability to wipe the TA partition.
The basic idea really is that simple, but as you can see from the long guide, the actual steps to get there isn't exactly 1-2-3. The point of the downgrade is to backup the DRM keys, but if you'd like to stay on MM instead of going back to 32.3.A.0.376 that's also an option. I'm not sure if you're aware, but Xposed currently only supports up to MM.
The battery drain you mentioned is slightly curious, although personally I'm still on MM, I've read through the Nougat thread and thought people generally reported improved battery compared to MM. And 3 days of usage is ridiculous indeed... ridiculously long that is. Which phone can do more than double that time? I thought the Z5C maxed at 2-ish days of moderate to light usage.
mhaha said:
And 3 days of usage is ridiculous indeed... ridiculously long that is. Which phone can do more than double that time? I thought the Z5C maxed at 2-ish days of moderate to light usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been picking apart the google and sony apps in the stock firmware, but I just ran into some problems recovering my backups in nougat.
from what i can see in my tests, googles nearby & ui suck up alot of the play services battery usage, and almost all of the GApps have even more settings in settings now... I've managed to disable/prevent the playstore from auto updating, but i don't know if it has to do with the toggle in dev options to auto update the system.
the next biggest culprit are the sony anonymous analytics - support and diagnostics. you can run them with minimal permissions and still be able to gather reports for battery and wifi, but if you allow access to contacts, it automatically creates a hidden account, then links itself to the new xperia account manager, which i think replaced the sony account manager from lollipop and marshmallow. Tips gets divided into 3, and lets you disable the service, but it doesn't matter because it's receiving from somewhere else that i haven't found yet. probably whats new.
i feel like sony changed the 'software update' app - because before when I disabled software update on marshmallow - i wouldn't get any notifications for updates, but it's not the case for me currently.
My hunch is that XL, Whats New and Software Update all share the same info now.
I have a couple of screengrabs from a few battery tests I was doing, but at the moment the compact is on my bed next to my xbox controller being a paper weight... i'll just pull the SD out and post the pics, it clearly shows that any data/activity for some of the GApps and Sony apps are really bogging down the stock firmware
Also, earlier you said something about locked bootloader ... because this is my first sony handset in a while - im used to samsung....
i had root on 32.2.A.0.253, and the toggle switch for bootloader was greyed out, and switched off, my DRM keys were active, but would reflashing the TA just be the equivalent of samsung's triangle hide ? i probably shouldnt say this - but google really didn't like it because i basically had free reign on the playstore and could maintain licenses for every app, and then just remove it. that build got borked when i thought id try my luck with an OTA update. it accepted it... but then things got messy later.
im still new learning all this stuff still. im still trying to work my way through my Ubuntu VM on my laptop.
brokich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP 3.0.2 using the 6.0.1 rootkernel 5.23 will have issues with the Nougat update. You can get it working, but when you start restoring, after the first time, my compact doesn't like the partitioning, and instead of having an internal as a FUSE, it is ROOTFS.
Then I get stuck on loops. That's why it's on my bed right now. at one stage I was able to have both marshmallow and nougat backups on my sd, and i could restore from either, but the problem was - I was changing carriers, and at the time I didn't have a working SIM, so I don't know if the backups were working 100% because i couldn't make voice calls. when i got that sorted from optus - i know for certain that one of the later backups i did on nougat screwed up because I lost the voice codecs completely, and dialing out would be completely silent, as well as incoming.
i might hop on my main laptop and get the pics off my SD and work at getting my phone back up and running and able to restore without looping
edit: i'm in the land down under by the way - so all of my stuff is Generic Australian releases i get from xperifirm
also i forgot to mention, simply by having a quick setting shortcut - will run the app as a background process, so if you have nearby, or some other crap there, everytime you sweep past the page it's on for the first time, it'll flash briefly, then turn itself back off
it's really obvious with VPN, because I have my vpn app to close itself automatically, so i can watch it open and close as a process when i open the quick settings pull down
---------- Post added at 23:05 ---------- Previous post was at 22:26 ----------
brokich said:
I'm in the same position... Not quite sure, but I think you can flash 6.0.1 w/o unlocking bootloader, then flasing TWRP for 6.0.1 and backing up keys, then flashing some rooted nougat rom and re-loading the drm keys. Something in those lines, but I am also trying to gather steps for this situation and am not brave enough to just go for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here's the TWRP 3.0.2 for 6.0.1 32.2.A.0.305 running a restore for 7.0 32.3.A.0.376...snippet of my latest log from a few minutes ago
Code:
I:Setting up '/data' as data/media emulated storage.
I:Can not create '/sdcard' folder.
I:mount -o bind '/data/media' '/sdcard' process ended with RC=0
I:Backup folder set to '/data/media/0/TWRP/BACKUPS/CBXXXXXXXX'
I:Settings storage is '/data/media/0'
Updating partition details...
I:mount -o bind '/data/media/0' '/sdcard' process ended with RC=0
I:Data backup size is 1515MB, free: 21535MB.
I:cmd: /sbin/exfat-fuse -o big_writes,max_read=131072,max_write=131072 /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 /external_sd
__bionic_open_tzdata: couldn't find any tzdata when looking for localtime!
__bionic_open_tzdata: couldn't find any tzdata when looking for GMT!
the cannot create sdcard folder is what is causing my "E: legacy environment not initialized blah blah... properties may not be seen or something...... blah blah" error i think....
I had a problem where the phone thinks I have 16GB internal too... i haven't figured that one out yet
here's the battery life tests i was doing with the stock apps... the time stamp won't make sense for the first 2 because I was just coming out a flash changing settings from the automatic sync everything to my restricted stuff, walking to the bus stop on my way to watch Logan (Great Movie BTW) and only just insterted my sim card after I had lunch and the movie started...
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"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
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The interesting thing is this from the other day:
This was my restricting everthing from the Welcome First Start Setup, and then enabling the settings so it matches the settings that would be enabled, if you were to let the Welcome FIrst Start do everything and sign in to everything.
edit: almost all the stock G and Sony apps have minimum permissions and are data restricted
It sort of hammered in my hunch that some of the services are draining the battery excessively... because for both tests, doing the opposite initial setup, and it's results being ... well... opposite... and because this is my light usage on a normal day.. or spread over 2
while my phone's in its bung state, i could test the TWRP App over Google Play - and see what it does, but there's no option for Z5C, so I don't know what to select, and if it will bung the phone even harder.
i had a quick look, but have no idea what to choose, or where to look to actually find what version of TWRP it will flash to recovery
I might ultimately roll back to MM and stay there until Xposed is done for Nougat (if it is done at all). But really, what I need from Xposed is baked into some of these Kernels already, so I won't be missing much.
The problems are bugs and stability... your long post is concerning as it reveals quite a few issues along the way.
And about battery, to respond to mhaha - yes, 2-3 days would be a lot with very heavy usage (10 hours of screen time in 2-3 days). But idle, full standby, should be about 25-30 days with LTE on on almost any phone with a battery that has 2700-3000mAh. This is not some kind of voodoo magic, these devices should drain about 0% per hour when not used. Of course, under usage it will drain much more, but not in idle. And now I get 0.6-1% of idle drain. How can that be compared to 0.0% drain?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5vc7tjpQrnkdlFmRi0wWTVjMDg/view
This was from jenana, in your dirtycow exploit thread, on android 7, with some modifications in the rom and kernel.
That's what I am after. There is also another topic about battery life in the Xperia cross-device forums. You can see screenshots there with 10 hours of screen time during 100% - 6% battery. I get 2h 40mins after 3 days of almost no usage, just casual net browsing and chatting. That is completely ridiculous to me and seems very abnormal.
Even factory reset is scary to me, because I won't be able to use Debloater again on 7.0. So, I might try rolling back to 6.0.1 to back-up DRM keys and then even possibly doing the battery guide. With my casual usage of the phone I would be charging it once/twice per week.
But the whole idea is to not brick the device, while using it to the full extend, optimized as you want it, and not as Google want it.
Bobzee said:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5vc7tjpQrnkdlFmRi0wWTVjMDg/view
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's nifty, is that an app producing that log?
NeoBeum said:
That's nifty, is that an app producing that log?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it is produced by the app "Better Battery Stats", which requires root for full functionality and is a paid app. But it seems to be very well-done and worth the money. I plan to purchase it if I ever end up reaching a rooted and stable state with this phone.
mhaha said:
The thing you want to take extra precaution with is your DRM keys. Once you've unlocked your bootloader, there's no way to get them back without a prior backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Silly Q but why does one need the DRM keys?
Secondly how can one do a full backup to include the DRM keys et. Running stock 7.
I'm still getting Recovery Loops when I do a restore from TWRP... everything is good until I try to restore
divansantana said:
Silly Q but why does one need the DRM keys?
Secondly how can one do a full backup to include the DRM keys et. Running stock 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so you can get your free movies in lounge and use the special camera filters and touch things, and have a easier time claiming any warranty faults
NeoBeum said:
That's nifty, is that an app producing that log?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's Better Battery Stats, indeed...
I had to check if it was paid or not, but apparently I paid €2,- for it in 2014. For me, it's most useful to dive into my idle logs, because it gives a lot of details about what happens with your phone in idle time (especially the partial wakelocks, they get your phone out of deep sleep without turning the screen on; also CPU and network use and other stuff.
@divansantana
@mhaha explained it a few message above your and also in another thread on top of "XDA - Sony Xperia Compact Z5 Compact".
Those keys are useful when you want to re-lock your bootloader and/or can be used as an alternative to the DRM-fix.
I got a bit mad trying to get TWRP working with root and having restore functions working - but the last build for rootkernel (EDIT: I should say: rootkernel is fine, it's adding TWRP with rootkernel that causes the issue: rootkernel is what currently gave me root with SU)I have downloaded broke the partitioning of the OS so I think that's what's causing the loops - unless it was actually something to do with that DRM fix which locked everyting again... but everything worked fine in Marshmallow, that's what I don't understand (if it was DRM/TA or Verity)
Good news is - (because I rage quit, I decided to go old school and currently my compact is running non-recovery Root for now with Titanium handling my userdata) - I think I may be able to rebuild TWRP, and integrate it to Rootkernel, because I took some time to read what was happening, and during my firstboot set up and getting my phone back to some usable state - I took down some notes to where I think the TWRP was not binding correctly and to where the Z5C .376 build needed to put the internal folder.
I took some snaps for Bobzee asking about my battery in another thread. Here was my 'optimized' non-root-setup again, except this time, I only had installed ES and SuperSU/Pro as the old versions had my keys, and then I decided to redownload all(most) my apps again. I managed to keep my data low until I actually started the downloading, which was part of the idea of my first-boot setup because I was and am studying when Android first started their sync with adding photos and drive - and needed to keep my data allowance in check because of my Prepaid Mobile service. I found this out the hard way years ago when photos was added to my apps and decided to upload my albums to drive. Yay. No mobile credit suddenly.... anyway... here's the results of the battery life (Mobile data was at 40MB with WiFi at 6MB before I did the market download:
Roughly 4 hours of hard downloading/with scanning the phone/checking folders/uninstalling/usb-otg + micro-sd transfers/titanium/setup etc....
Then I went to sleep.
So, part of the good news is - while I'm on break for studying - because I can actually understand and am familiar with C++/C from school - the rest of this Linux/Unix stuff I just started reading about at Christmas last year, I'm going to try to rebuild TWRP with Rootkernel and have something specifically for the Z5C on Nougat, so I can remove all the other junk that's related to other devices that may be causing problems.
EDIT: I might even go in and change/ or add the labels to TWRP that will match Flashtool64 to make it easier for newer users to see what exactly needs flashing and what actually gets backed up in TWRP.
Found what TWRP is doing... It's not wiping or formatting correctly after a factory reset, and the internal partitioning gets marked as ROOTFS and it's not mounted as fused
NeoBeum said:
Found what TWRP is doing... It's not wiping or formatting correctly after a factory reset, and the internal partitioning gets marked as ROOTFS and it's not mounted as fused
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your work and reporting in this thread, NeoBeum, it looks very useful. I have still not started doing any kind of re-flashing or even unlocking the bootloader. But my unit is acting strangely, sometimes slower than it used to be in MM (very snappy) and in the beginning of Nougat (again, very snappy). It's like Greenify did something I still can't fix, or the phone just somehow got bugged in some specific way. Actually, this rom has been through a lot, and it was even debloated in MM before the update and has not been reset.
So, ultimately I might even wait to see if things get better for the 7.0 rooting process, especially with TWRP. That's probably what scares me most as different users report so many different results, boot loops and stuck situations.
Unfortunately I have basic linux skills, but nothing on the level of a developer, so at this stage I can't be of any real help. But I am grateful to anyone who is helping in their free time, it's well appreciated. :highfive:
the TWRP git has been updated with some terminal fixes about some bugs i posted that limited my ability to work in the terminal inside TWRP, so I might contact Team Win and see what needs to be done to get the base recovery repo and then have me submit a working build for the e5823 to get it officially supported
NeoBeum said:
the TWRP git has been updated with some terminal fixes about some bugs i posted that limited my ability to work in the terminal inside TWRP, so I might contact Team Win and see what needs to be done to get the base recovery repo and then have me submit a working build for the e5823 to get it officially supported
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be really great! I am hoping to see official z5c support for TWRP any day now.
Hi all,
Feels good to be back.
let's cut to the chase, Im looking for a new Custom ROM for my RN3 Kate Device(as I always used MIUI Stable ROMs, currently MIUI10); I kept looking at all those ROMs/versions ( and some kernels ) and it's stupidly overwhelming, I can't even count them anymore; dont get me wrong tho, its a good thing.
Since Q3 2018 I've been using my RN3 Kate mostly for gaming, but also, browsing / Mail / Youtube. My RN3 It's no longer my daily driver.
So, I should be looking at performance/gaming ROMs (/Kernels), not customization centered ROMs, right ? The problem is, how can I distinguish between them ?
I mean, back in day almost every ROM/Kernel had, like, 7 or 8 lines explaining what the project was all about, not only that but also "101" Screenshots, performance numbers, all that jazz; Im not seeing that anymore, not for the most part, that is.
Other thing that grinds my gears, is the bootloader, in most threads it says that I need to unlock in MM (MIUI Dev ROM), I have already unlocked my RN3 in the same month I got it or something like that; The official unlocking way. Up to this very day (MM MIUI10 Global Stable), in the phone, it still says that is unlocked.
Even if I flash that latest Dev ROM, how can I unlock it again, how is that possible ? how does that even work ?
I would like to have some knowledge members to help me out on this, to give me some advices, if possible, It would be much appreciated.
NMRH said:
Hi all,
Feels good to be back.
let's cut to the chase, Im looking for a new Custom ROM for my RN3 Kate Device(as I always used MIUI Stable ROMs, currently MIUI10); I kept looking at all those ROMs/versions ( and some kernels ) and it's stupidly overwhelming, I can't even count them anymore; dont get me wrong tho, its a good thing.
Since Q3 2018 I've been using my RN3 Kate mostly for gaming, but also, browsing / Mail / Youtube. My RN3 It's no longer my daily driver.
So, I should be looking at performance/gaming ROMs (/Kernels), not customization centered ROMs, right ? The problem is, how can I distinguish between them ?
I mean, back in day almost every ROM/Kernel had, like, 7 or 8 lines explaining what the project was all about, not only that but also "101" Screenshots, performance numbers, all that jazz; Im not seeing that anymore, not for the most part, that is.
Other thing that grinds my gears, is the bootloader, in most threads it says that I need to unlock in MM (MIUI Dev ROM), I have already unlocked my RN3 in the same month I got it or something like that; The official unlocking way. Up to this very day (MM MIUI10 Global Stable), in the phone, it still says that is unlocked.
Even if I flash that latest Dev ROM, how can I unlock it again, how is that possible ? how does that even work ?
I would like to have some knowledge members to help me out on this, to give me some advices, if possible, It would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u r flashing miui fastboot rom using PC then u need to select "Clean all" option.
If u select "clean all and lock" option then ur bootloader will get relocked. So select clean all.
If your bootloader status is unlocked then good.
To check bootloader status using fastboot command.
fasboot oem device-info
If unlock= true then ur phone is jail free.
u can install latest twrp 3.2.3 img and flash custom roms.
Black_Stark said:
If u r flashing miui fastboot rom using PC then u need to select "Clean all" option.
If u select "clean all and lock" option then ur bootloader will get relocked. So select clean all.
If your bootloader status is unlocked then good.
To check bootloader status using fastboot command.
fasboot oem device-info
If unlock= true then ur phone is jail free.
u can install latest twrp 3.2.3 img and flash custom roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thx for your help !
Views run fast, replies, not so much.
I see, so we no longer need to use 3th party software, thats nice…
its sure better than Sony's lack of support back in the day…
I did it, Lattest Dev ROM "kate_global_images_9.1.10_20190110.0000.00_6.0_global_a354395fdc" got flashed, and I still get the same result, its unlocked, like it should be.
Im pretty sure that Im missing some intel here, but its ok.
Print: https: //imgur. com/a/ocqkX0G
Based on my description, can you provide any ROM/Kernel recommendations ?
NMRH said:
Hi, thx for your help !
Views run fast, replies, not so much.
I see, so we no longer need to use 3th party software, thats nice…
its sure better than Sony's lack of support back in the day…
I did it, Lattest Dev ROM "kate_global_images_9.1.10_20190110.0000.00_6.0_global_a354395fdc" got flashed, and I still get the same result, its unlocked, like it should be.
Im pretty sure that Im missing some intel here, but its ok.
Print: https: //imgur. com/a/ocqkX0G
Based on my description, can you provide any ROM/Kernel recommendations ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did u install twrp ?
Black_Stark said:
Did u install twrp ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just did, like 15 seconds ago.
Version 3.2.3-0
In this version Im no longer able to root; Im pretty sure I was running some moded version with SuperSU.
For those new custom ROMs the rooting method should be diferent anyway...
NMRH said:
I just did, like 15 seconds ago.
Version 3.2.3-0
In this version Im no longer able to root; Im pretty sure I was running some moded version with SuperSU.
For those new custom ROMs the rooting method should be diferent anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont use supersu. Flash magisk if u want root.
Flash Aex pie and gapps. Nice rom with good battery.
Black_Stark said:
Dont use supersu. Flash magisk if u want root.
Flash Aex pie and gapps. Nice rom with good battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see,
AEX 9.0, I like it, the gaming performance its also good, a bit better than MIUI10; nothing major, but still noticible. I cant notice any change in batery department, but it's holding up nicely (so far), I guess.
There's a major issue, Magisk (v18) was a "no go".
Some people are reporting a Error on flashing, in my case, I did NOT got any error, but it seems that it doesnt work anyway. Is there a workaround to this ?
Or maybe you could tell me any other ROM, root capable. Im willing to try it.
2014... 2019, Root its still not trivial, I guess some things doesn't change.
Edit: Nevermind, after some diging I found some people saying to keep flashing until the app show up. It doesnt make any sense, but it does work, after flashing the third time the app is now showing up. Rooted successfully.
Thx for your help, really appreciated.
NMRH said:
I see,
AEX 9.0, I like it, the gaming performance its also good, a bit better than MIUI10; nothing major, but still noticible. I cant notice any change in batery department, but it's holding up nicely (so far), I guess.
There's a major issue, Magisk (v18) was a "no go".
Some people are reporting a Error on flashing, in my case, I did NOT got any error, but it seems that it doesnt work anyway. Is there a workaround to this ?
Or maybe you could tell me any other ROM, root capable. Im willing to try it.
2014... 2019, Root its still not trivial, I guess some things doesn't change.
Edit: Nevermind, after some diging I found some people saying to keep flashing until the app show up. It doesnt make any sense, but it does work, after flashing the third time the app is now showing up. Rooted successfully.
Thx for your help, really appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U dont need to flash 3 times.
Magisk takes time to appear in first reboot. Its a bug . if it does not appear even after 5 min. Then restart phone. It will appear next reboot. I did it and it shows up in next reboot.
Black_Stark said:
U dont need to flash 3 times.
Magisk takes time to appear in first reboot. Its a bug . if it does not appear even after 5 min. Then restart phone. It will appear next reboot. I did it and it shows up in next reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand, although, I can confirm this was not the case.
To be more precise, the phone was actually rebooted twice, before those re-flashes. The app was nowhere to be seen.
Some people are getting a error when flashing (maybe due to older versions), there's probably something wrong on their end too, in some way;
thanks for looking into that and finding that bug, I'm pretty sure other people will see this thread, just like I saw others.
NMRH said:
I understand, although, I can confirm this was not the case.
To be more precise, the phone was actually rebooted twice, before those re-flashes. The app was nowhere to be seen.
Some people are getting a error when flashing (maybe due to older versions), there's probably something wrong on their end too, in some way;
thanks for looking into that and finding that bug, I'm pretty sure other people will see this thread, just like I saw others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash 17.3 magisk.
Magisk 18 is buggy.
Already unlocked and going to switch to latest xiaomi.eu ROM to hopefully alleviate issues with push notifications and battery restrictions with data usage.
I have been using global Mi Mix phones since the 2s, then had two global mix 3's so I couldn't help but try the 4. Hoping this will help but I am new to the whole process so I want to know if there are any tips which may differ for US flashing from China to EU. I ever needed to flash in the past and only ever rooted my old Samsung's etc. Never needed to flash but the guide looks easy enough.
I have also used Nova launcher for the past decade so I would like to use that with the gesture nav if possible. Not sure why I never had an issue until now. I would prefer to do as little as possible and just flash the eu ROM which should be okay with all Google services including safetynet. Any real need to flash/root? and flash Magisk?
If you have the SDK platform tools installed which is adb and fastboot it's just a one click install.
Once you extract the EU zip file to the same location as fastboot there's a choice of 2 install files to click on. It's impossible to go wrong. One is install with format data and one is for installing without formatting data (for updates). Once you click on one it'll run a script and do all the work for you.
On the Chinese ROM you can fix push notifications. This video covers the important stuff. It's a lot of hassle but it solves it.
Thanks .
I am passed my waiting period so I think I just want to do the bare minimum bootloader unlock. Idk the phone is actually unusable how it is shutting network and application access.
Is the eu ROM going to help enough? My signal is unusable even wifi won't stay connected it's incredibly frustrating. This is my 4th or 5th Mix and the first issues ever.
I appreciate your help!
KelVarnsen said:
Is the eu ROM going to help enough? My signal is unusable even wifi won't stay connected it's incredibly frustrating. This is my 4th or 5th Mix and the first issues ever.
I appreciate your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not experienced those issues on the Chinese or EU version before. Factory reset or a fresh install will probably solve it.