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[Q] MK16i Xperia Pro

Yes, there is one post that follows the process that I used for my SK17i Mini Pro a couple months ago.
I'm new to Android. Yup a Noob. I don't mind saying as we all have to start to learn somewhere and somehow.
Long story short. I've damaged my Very well liked SK17i. Physical is what I mean here.
I rooted it according to some instructions along the lines of:
1. upgrade to firmware xxx.
2. grab image xxx. etc.
3. use the tool to root it.
I diverged... I just installed Doomloards Custom Kernel after step 2 or so and installed it as it was already rooted! It has overclocking though I didn't use it and of course it had Boot recovery. Plenty of other useful tools aready in the .img.
I basically want the same thing for my Pro.
My whole purpose of rooting is for the rights root grants, and to use aps2sd. Sufficient for my functions. (CM mod etc, will have to be a lot more stable for me to consider them which is going to be some time down the road for this device.)
I kept everything else stock. I don't do custom roms etc. This is a daily phone and I need it to function and work for communication.
bboof posted something like what I'd prefer to do. I'm waiting for a reply as to whether his kernel will support aps2sd. (I do mean the XDAversion not anything from Android apps store unless there has been something wonderfully new there in the last 2 months since I bought my Mini Pro.)
I was fighting the Internet here and a machine with HDD problems making for a serious dog dog slow experience here. I'm in CHINA. Censorship and random sites blocked for the fun of it.
I have searched and searched. I have broken out my little 10in Computer here cause it's at least not so mind numbingly painfully slow. (haha Now just fighting the internet. At the moment XDA is not blocked! Started out that way earlier? Had to use a proxy.)
I have been at this for several hours. About 7 so far.
I have FOUND no info on a Custom Kernel for the Xperia Pro MK16i? SO other than bboofs, is there none? Yet I've found comments in others that there are? Even that doomlord has made one. I can find no link? I found such a comment in his one step guide and someone said, why? We already have kernels with root available to be flashed to the device? (Please I want this kernel? how to find it?)
I've googled any number of search parameters i could think of. I can't find.
If there's a Doomlord kernel, just like with my SK17i, I would guess specific firmware is needed? Please tell me which and where to get it... Thank you to any and all who can shed some light here. I live in a different time zone and if I can get an answer that enables me to do what I want... I might be able to order this MK16i tomorrow.It seems a great piece of kit with some nice 'upgrades' compared to my SK17i. (It was not available in Oct.)
What I have found so far. CM7 or was it 9? There's a custom kernel that seems to be required to be installed before trying the CM7 ROM.
So anyone with more experience in Android. Can I use that CM7 Kernel for MK16i? What does it support? (I read back with my SK17i some problems with CM and aps2sd. Something about scripts clashing and all that.) I will not install CM Rom. I will keep stock ROM and I am guessing there may be some conflicts? Yes, no? Maybe?
As I'm asking about using custom kernels... WE all know that the Neo and Pro are the same unit. Just like the Mini and Mini pro were. With the physical difference of a keyboard.
Anyone have a clue or has anyone even TRIED! (Someone adventurous perhaps?) the Kernels for the Xperia Neo on the Xperia Pro? I am a noob, and I do use linux 98% of the time. I don't really work in Windows anymore. However, I'm not a coder or script writer. Also Android for lack of a better term has a few mods.
More or less, in Android, from my simple understanding and yes, correct me if I'm totally wrong or even partially, so I can gain understanding, the ROM is basically where all your program functions and such are. SO when we're talking about the keyboard for example. Parameters and such I would guess are in the ROM?
If all else being equal, I should be able to use a Neo Custom Kernel on my SK16i to achieve my simple result? Or do I have it confused?
What I understand is at least with aps2sd, a ramdisk mod is needed? Does the bboof kernel not only offer root but the modded ramdisk to support other features with everything else being stock? (Actually I'm guessing it should because of mods that should still have been made to allow for the recovery. Though everything else is 'stock'. Of course totally not sure or I wouldn't be here asking.)
Anyone know? I'm more or less sitting here spinning my wheels. I want to order the replacement and at the price difference, it seems silly not to buy the MK16i. (However basically want to be 100% certain I can manage my same little basic setup.)
Also, if anyone with more experience has some idea, I'll be happy to use another tool to gain the ability to put aps on my SD card and not take up the limited space on the device. So please recommend a tool that isn't too complicated.
How about link2sd? Does it also require a modded ramdisk space?
I just want to keep it simple. I don't often need so far, any great mods on my devices. Just root so being in CHINA I can actually use the appstore.
My SK17i does work despite the damage. SO I have ROMmanager the back up program. I haven't really used it yet. (Unable to pay for paid version again other limitations of CHINA. Including an inability to pay for VPN at the moment to stop fighting with the internet. Last time to work with my SK17i took me about 5 days! Coz every link to download the files was blocked!! It only took me about 3min following the instructions to actually update firmware. unlock bootloader, add Doomlords custom kernel. ) Hoping I can use Rom Manager to back up just my programs and shift them right over to the MK16i. Can I do that? Anyone with a bit more experience using the program and does this work with the unpaid version?
Hoping to do the same here... if there's no custom kernels or such available. Please tell me. If there are, links where to download etc.
All those who use various ways to put aps on your SDcard please let me know what works well and stable. Also the real way, not like some of the app store aps. I'll make a ext partition, that kind of approach, on my SD card.
THis is likely by far an advance question... what about running debian or some linux image in chroot on Android and obviously an Xperia. In particular the pro but has anyone tried with anything else? I saw a few links about it a few months ago and even someone has an app in appstore supposed to automate it. (Uh not so important as the primary. Getting root in a kernel and aps2sd support.)
Sorry if this post is long. I'm trying to save you guys wondering what I want, and having to ask me more questions.
In case it's important. I am buying a sim unlocked non carrier specific unit. I buy from Expansys. I live in China so buy from HK. Their products are good and stuff not made for CHINA! Which is the absolute must to avoid. Unless you like fiddling and trying to bypass the limitations they put on their products. Android units sold in CHINA of course are locked by carrier. of course remove Android app store!
Not even going into the necessity to have root so I can 'pretend' I'm in some other country to reach apps that google censors from China anyway.
I hope I've been detailed enough and someone can point me in the right direction.
I've got flashtool and other tools from when I did my SK17i back in October. (Fortunately. I dread to think of the internet fight if I had to try to get them all over again. I'll only need the files specific to MK16i and links to them.)

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A

No Jellybean update in Japan...yet.

Just thought I'd let you know of a little issue. I bought my TF300T in Japan (love this tablet) and I'm still awaiting an OTA for JB. I emailed Asus 'customer service' to ask them for a rough schedule, they fobbed me off stating that I was to phone the local Asus office, I tried the number they gave me and lo-and-behold, it's dead. So I emailed back a rather testy email (I'm rather sick of them pushing paying customers to the back-burner, I had issues with my TF101 too)
and was yet again fobbed off with a generic 'we'll sort it' response.
The long and short of this moan is to find out if anybody can find out the release date for JB OTA in Japan, I'll check the Asus website again soon and I've looked on Google, so my skills may be lacking. I'm reticent to unlock, because of the issues I had with my TF101.
Many thanks.
Sent from my ASUS Pad TF300T

unless you need japanese software, you could try the method to switch your firmware to US or WW, then apply the update for those (no unlocking needed)... I did that with the chinese firmware, specially because I wanted to get rid of the chinese apps and have google's. Lots of people are not happy with JB, so give that some thought too... personally I have had no issue other than a little less battery life. No big deal because I don't use the tablet heavily, maybe if I did I would have a different opinion :S

It is worth consideration, thanks for your reply. I'll look into changing my software to WW, I don't really need the JP version. I was actually unaware that you can change without unlocking, so thank you for that nugget of information.
Sent from my ASUS Pad TF300T

[Q] Uber Noob need help with HTC One S bought in Beijing

Hey Guys,
As I mentioned in the title I am an uber noob when it comes to any sort of customization. I am travelling for 8 months, so I decided to pick up the HTC One S (first smart phone) instead of a laptop in Beijing because I thought it would be more useful. However, I'm already experiencing many difficulties.
Everything is in Chinese and I want English apps, but the Chinese app market loaded onto the phone has nothing in English. I have been searching through these forums trying to root my phone and flash a new rom onto it in hopes of accessing Google Play (I might need a VPN, too). However, some of the sites where I need to download software from (mediafire in particular) are inaccessible from where I am. How should I proceed?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! (and please in fairly simple terms for my noobish brain to handle or something I'd be able to search online)

Try to change the language in settings!
Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 2

Before you try and unlock/root/flash your device, make sure it is an actual HTC One S, not some clone, and make sure you know whether you have an S3 or S4 model.

Graymm said:
Hey Guys,
As I mentioned in the title I am an uber noob when it comes to any sort of customization. I am travelling for 8 months, so I decided to pick up the HTC One S (first smart phone) instead of a laptop in Beijing because I thought it would be more useful. However, I'm already experiencing many difficulties.
Everything is in Chinese and I want English apps, but the Chinese app market loaded onto the phone has nothing in English. I have been searching through these forums trying to root my phone and flash a new rom onto it in hopes of accessing Google Play (I might need a VPN, too). However, some of the sites where I need to download software from (mediafire in particular) are inaccessible from where I am. How should I proceed?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! (and please in fairly simple terms for my noobish brain to handle or something I'd be able to search online)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your phone look like one of these? In that case it does not have much in common with the One S versions in the rest of the world and you should absolutely not flash anything from xda. Even if it looks like the "normal" One S do as Jobo mentioned and pay attention to if it is a Z520e ("S4") or Z560e ("S3") and only flash stuff made specifically for your version. There should be a model number on the box.

Which one do I have?

I have given up on this POS tablet from Asus. I would like to root it and load a custom ROM. Mostly as an exercise in the process, but also as the ONLY possibility of making it useful. It has the much reported problem of not loading the touch screen drivers about 99.9% of the time.
I couldn't determine the exact model that I have. So I called Asus and, finally after a long process, gave them the serial number and was told this is an Asus Transformer TF0310C. I have been searching and searching and can't find a custom ROM for this model. Can anyone point me to a source for a reliable ROM I can install on this POS?
Thank you very, very much.

Are there any phones actually worth rooting anymore?

Due to a little frustration I decided to create a whole thread for this.
I suck at computers and I have no idea what I am doing so I ended up bricking my device lmao.
In theory, the thought of rooting your device, and installing a custom OS sounds great! (Like communism) but when put in practice never really works out. The reason for that (I think) is because there are so many different versions, models, and brands. I end up spending all my time trying to refine my search to the right software and versions, and then when I do, I am stuck with some stupid site like (every damn rom site) with a 20kb/s download rate, and a page full of ads! Why? Because they are storing like 2 billion different 2GB roms. In my opinion paying for faster download speed from these websites is ridiculous. I don't even know why they offer (you would have to be stupid(like me)).
(tl;dr: Android SUCKS)
So, now to my actual question...
With the release of the Librem 5 phone, there really is not going to be a point to rooting phones anymore, because google with already be decimated from it... But that comes out in April/May and I still need a phone in the meantime.
So.. Are there any cheap phones ($500+/-), that are not a pain in the ass to root? And one that the developers actually care about to actively develop. All I wan't is a phone I can install stock android with root, and that can be installed without google or gapps. Also I live in Canada, which is another reason why it's a pain in the ass to find a decent phone because all our carriers deadbolt their firmware, and bootloaders like their storing the coordinates to some secret location with a pot of gold.

starscrpt said:
Due to a little frustration I decided to create a whole thread for this.
I suck at computers and I have no idea what I am doing so I ended up bricking my device lmao.
In theory, the thought of rooting your device, and installing a custom OS sounds great! (Like communism) but when put in practice never really works out. The reason for that (I think) is because there are so many different versions, models, and brands. I end up spending all my time trying to refine my search to the right software and versions, and then when I do, I am stuck with some stupid site like (every damn rom site) with a 20kb/s download rate, and a page full of ads! Why? Because they are storing like 2 billion different 2GB roms. In my opinion paying for faster download speed from these websites is ridiculous. I don't even know why they offer (you would have to be stupid(like me)).
(tl;dr: Android SUCKS)
So, now to my actual question...
With the release of the Librem 5 phone, there really is not going to be a point to rooting phones anymore, because google with already be decimated from it... But that comes out in April/May and I still need a phone in the meantime.
So.. Are there any cheap phones ($500+/-), that are not a pain in the ass to root? And one that the developers actually care about to actively develop. All I wan't is a phone I can install stock android with root, and that can be installed without google or gapps. Also I live in Canada, which is another reason why it's a pain in the ass to find a decent phone because all our carriers deadbolt their firmware, and bootloaders like their storing the coordinates to some secret location with a pot of gold.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get something that is not a Samsung, not carrier branded(an international model) and is factory unlocked or can be unlocked.
I suggest you just do some searching to find some devices that you are interested in, then write down the model number of each device and then do some Google searches using those model numbers one at a time to see if a known rooting method exists for each model, then do some Google searching to see if TWRP exists for each model number, then do some searches to see if there are ROMs available for each model number.
We can't predict the future and say which devices will have a rooting method, we can only point you to devices that have already had a known rooting method discovered for that model, you can find that information yourself by doing the Google searches listed below.
To find root methods for the devices:
"Root for (specific device model number here)"
That should find root method for the device in question.
To find TWRP or custom recovery for the devices:
"TWRP for (specific device model number here)"
Or
"Custom recovery for (specific device model number here)"
That should find TWRP or custom recovery if it exists for the device in question.
To find custom ROMs for the devices:
"Custom ROMs for (specific device model number here)"
That should find ROMs if they exist for the device in question.
You might want to consider getting an international device directly from the manufacturer that is factory unlocked or can be unlocked(also known as SIM/carrier unlocked) instead of getting a carrier branded/sold device. Factory direct doesn't come with bloatware and unlocked/unlockable means it should be able to be activated on your carrier network.
Also, make sure the device has a factory unlocked bootloader(this is not the same thing as SIM/carrier unlocked) or can at least be unlocked using a known and verified unlock method. The unlocked bootloader is required if you want to flash custom recovery or custom ROMs.
If you just want to use the stock firmware and modify it to remove the Google stuff, unlocked bootloader won't be required for that. But, if you are going to just modify the stock software already on the device, I will advise you to make sure that the stock firmware for that device is available for download and then download a copy of it just in case you mess something up in the process of removing Google and its components, then you can just flash the firmware on the device to fix it(if you don't screw it up too bad, that is).
I would really recommend that you choose a device that has:
1) an unlocked/unlockable bootloader so that you can flash TWRP on the device
2) has an available downloadable stock firmware so that you can repair the device, if needed
3) has a TWRP recovery available so it can be installed on the device and then used to create a backup of your unmodified stock ROM, then you can modify the device and if you screw something up, you can use TWRP to restore the backup that you create, this will return the device to working condition.
Sent from my LGL84VL using Tapatalk

Droidriven pretty much covered it extremely well.
With regards to rooting:
It often can raise the stress levels beyond normal. Set aside time and take each step slowly and deliberately. Some guides can be much worse than others.
PS. Your idea of a cheap phone is at least 3x the cost of my idea of a cheap phone

The Asus Zenfone 6 just released bootloader unlock and kernel source so there should be a fairly healthy dev community when its released in the US.
The librem 5 ?? I dunno , on my list for sure . but hardware specs soundsmeh for the price . And will we be able to install ubuntu software like clementine music play ? jeez if so that would make up for the lack hardware.
looks like 2019 q3 is going to be an exciting time. I want the zenfone 6 but I dunno..... that librem 5 ubuntu phone is going to need to be checked out once rc is released .