[Q] How to flash CWM on Xperia S Stock JB?

Hi all,

I'm messing around with my girlfriends Xperia S and śtuck on installing a custom recovery (CWM seems to be the preferred one on the S).

The System:
Stock Sony JB
Build 6.2.B.1.96

What I already did:

• Root
• Backup TA
• Unlocked Bootloader (official way via Sony website)

What I already tried to install custom recovery:

• RecoverX App on PlayStore -> Recovery not booting when tapping the sony logo while booting (black screen for some seconds then reboot to Android)
• Xperia S Dual Recovery (Linux script) -> Installation successful but no chance to boot one of the recoveries via Vol +/-, no blue LED, boots directly to Android

What I'm trying to achieve:
Install CM 11 with root access

I'm kind of experienced with HTC phones and my OnePlus One so not a complete noob but it looks like Sony phones are a different thing.

I read about the need to flash a custom kernel which includes the recovery but there are seperate recovery threads on the other hand. The sticky role up threads seem out of date.
Been reading since yesterday but this only lead to more confusion.

I hope someone can help me out getting CWM (or any other recommended recovery) on this phone to install CM 11.

And how to remove the recoveries I already installed and don't work?

EDIT 13:58
After further reading this looks like the way to go:
[RECOVERY] CWM-Based Recovery 6.0.2.7 for Xperia S (UnlockedBootLoader){JB}[20130824]
Correct? I don't want to end up bricking the device by trying different things. Can I flash CM11 ROMS using this recovery? The post says "do not use this for flashing CM10.1 (u will need to use the CM kernel for that)" which keeps confusing me ...
And how do I remove the recoveries already installed (list above) but not working?

Mirhawk said:

First copy the zip of CM11 ROM to the phone.
Then on PC, extract the boot.img (this is the custom kernel with recovery for the ROM) from the ROM zip and flash it via fastboot using the flashtool software. Then You will have a twrp installed in Your phone due to it. Now boot into twrp and flash the ROM.
Note, after You flash the boot.img, You won't be able to boot into stock firmware. You will have to flash the CM11 ROM.
Also, if the recovery are not accessible, they are probably not installed, so no need to remove them.

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Thank you very much for the instructions, now there's less confusion :good:
So let's see how it works with Paranoid Android. I'll report back afterwards.

Any Android 4.4 ROM recommendation as a stable daily driver?
Looks like there is no up to date standard CM11 build for the Xperia S

Mirhawk said:

From what I have been reading, PA does seem to be stable enough to be a daily driver, just find the correct build of it. I don't know which one is as I don't use it much, do ask in the thread.
I would suggest Carbon ROM too, but it is currently having some battery drain issues, the battery works for hardly an entire day.

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Click to collapse

Thanks. I already found the current PA build in the thread (4.5 beta2) and apart from German translations missing in PA settings up to now it performs well [emoji3]