Is a flashable zip kernel possible in play ?

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jaickyt

Member
Apr 10, 2012
30
2
Mumbai
Hi everyone I am new to the xperia play community. .
I was flashing ics on my friend's Samsung galaxy s I9000 and saw that the new kernels were in flashable zip format..
Is it possible for xperia play? because then there would be no need to connect xplay to computer..

Sent from my R800i using XDA App
 
lightningdude

lightningdude

Senior Member
Oct 9, 2010
877
306
jaickyt said:
Hi everyone I am new to the xperia play community. .
I was flashing ics on my friend's Samsung galaxy s I9000 and saw that the new kernels were in flashable zip format..
Is it possible for xperia play? because then there would be no need to connect xplay to computer..

Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Flashable kernels are not possible on this phone because recovery isn't on a separate partition.

Sent from my R800x using XDA
 
W

will8578

Senior Member
Apr 19, 2011
578
70
herne bay
I always wondered how other phones that hav locked bootloaders, how u can flash the whole rom and kernel together, but on the play u cant, i just assumed that the kernel and the system parts must be different

Sent from my R800i using xda premium
 
MilkyJoePD

MilkyJoePD

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2011
990
187
lightningdude said:
Kernel is part of the boot partition. When you flash your phone to stock using an .ftf, it flashes boot, system, and userdata.

Sent from my R800x using XDA
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Click to collapse

So it's possible to flash a kernel? Why only with an ftf file?
I know it's not fastbooting because I can't install the drivers for fastboot again for some reason.

Sent from my R800i using XDA
 
lightningdude

lightningdude

Senior Member
Oct 9, 2010
877
306
MilkyJoePD said:
So it's possible to flash a kernel? Why only with an ftf file?
I know it's not fastbooting because I can't install the drivers for fastboot again for some reason.

Sent from my R800i using XDA
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Click to collapse

You can flash a kernel in fastboot by using a boot.img file, but for those with locked bootloaders, only an .ftf can write to boot.

Sent from my R800x using XDA
 
captain67

captain67

Senior Member
May 23, 2011
1,068
217
Aldergrove
When you flash an ftf for stock, the software is signed digitally by Sony. If you flash an unsigned kernel when your bootloader is still locked, you'll get a boot loop.

Flash mode, which is what flashtool uses, is meant for applying official updates, so it's really only meant for signed, official software.

Fastboot on the other hand is for developers.

You could try making an ftf with a custom kernel, but it's basically pointless when fastboot is so easy and it won't boot unless you're unlocked anyway.
 
Last edited:
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jaickyt

Member
Apr 10, 2012
30
2
Mumbai
Exactly..once you have unlocked bootloader,then its just a matter of seconds to change kernel..
I change and try new kernels and roms every second day.

Sent from my Xperia Play using XDA App
 
MilkyJoePD

MilkyJoePD

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2011
990
187
I can't get into fastboot mode anymore so flashing a kernel in flash mode would be useful. Ftf files flash them in flash mode.

Sent from my R800i using XDA
 
captain67

captain67

Senior Member
May 23, 2011
1,068
217
Aldergrove
MilkyJoePD said:
I can't get into fastboot mode anymore so flashing a kernel in flash mode would be useful. Ftf files flash them in flash mode.

Sent from my R800i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

If you can't use fastboot I'd recommend checking in the service menu, and making sure the bootloader is still unlocked. If it's not you're just gonna end up with a boot loop.
 
T

Trooper_Max

Senior Member
Jan 27, 2011
153
49
bamsbamx said:
but i suppose... if we boot the complete kernel with recovery and copy it to the ram memory, we could flash flash the partition where recovery is insatelled...am i wrong??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

That sounds plausible to me. Just like you can run some Linux distributions live off a USB drive and then remove (or format the USB drive) - only certain ones like Puppy linux can do this though, they have to run from RAM like you're saying. Another option might be to copy the recovery (or necessary files) to the cache partition (if there is enough room) so that the recovery isn't dependent upon that partition so it can be wiped/reflashed. I'm not familiar enough with this level of Android development to know how hard this might be though - but I think it should be possible.

But it would be dangerous... if something goes wrong and your device fails in the middle of the process, the partition may be hosed, in which case you might not be able to boot at all (not into recovery or normally). You'd be hosed until you get to a computer to flash a firmware or kernel, making flashing away from a computer dangerous anyway.

So it's probably more error-prone and more hassle to implement for such small reward (it just takes one extra step with a computer to flash a kernel).

~Troop
 
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bamsbamx

bamsbamx

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Aug 2, 2011
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Trooper_Max said:
That sounds plausible to me. Just like you can run some Linux distributions live off a USB drive and then remove (or format the USB drive) - only certain ones like Puppy linux can do this though, they have to run from RAM like you're saying. Another option might be to copy the recovery (or necessary files) to the cache partition (if there is enough room) so that the recovery isn't dependent upon that partition so it can be wiped/reflashed. I'm not familiar enough with this level of Android development to know how hard this might be though - but I think it should be possible.

But it would be dangerous... if something goes wrong and your device fails in the middle of the process, the partition may be hosed, in which case you might not be able to boot at all (not into recovery or normally). You'd be hosed until you get to a computer to flash a firmware or kernel, making flashing away from a computer dangerous anyway.

So it's probably more error-prone and more hassle to implement for such small reward (it just takes one extra step with a computer to flash a kernel).

~Troop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Well, but its something... if something gone wrong,
We always are able to reflash an ftf file and restore nandroid backup... i will create a new thread in the developement forum tomorrow , and lets see if developers can make this posible:)
 
captain67

captain67

Senior Member
May 23, 2011
1,068
217
Aldergrove
bamsbamx said:
Well, but its something... if something gone wrong,
We always are able to reflash an ftf file and restore nandroid backup... i will create a new thread in the developement forum tomorrow , and lets see if developers can make this posible:)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You can't restore a nandroid with a phone that won't boot into recovery though. If something went wrong with flashing the kernel, you would be stuck until you get home before you can fix it.
 
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    Trooper_Max
    bamsbamx said:
    but i suppose... if we boot the complete kernel with recovery and copy it to the ram memory, we could flash flash the partition where recovery is insatelled...am i wrong??
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    That sounds plausible to me. Just like you can run some Linux distributions live off a USB drive and then remove (or format the USB drive) - only certain ones like Puppy linux can do this though, they have to run from RAM like you're saying. Another option might be to copy the recovery (or necessary files) to the cache partition (if there is enough room) so that the recovery isn't dependent upon that partition so it can be wiped/reflashed. I'm not familiar enough with this level of Android development to know how hard this might be though - but I think it should be possible.

    But it would be dangerous... if something goes wrong and your device fails in the middle of the process, the partition may be hosed, in which case you might not be able to boot at all (not into recovery or normally). You'd be hosed until you get to a computer to flash a firmware or kernel, making flashing away from a computer dangerous anyway.

    So it's probably more error-prone and more hassle to implement for such small reward (it just takes one extra step with a computer to flash a kernel).

    ~Troop
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