[FONT=Albany, Arial]Flashing latest firmware (upgrading & updating) and rooting[/FONT]
For Sony Xperia ION LT28 Series – Locked and Unlocked Boot loaders.
Though this guide is for Xperia ION, but I suppose, this is quite universal and applicable to all Xperia Phones.
Read carefully and understand clearly the process before starting the actual process of flashing. When in doubt, ask your queries in this forum and wait for it to get answered.
The Xperia ION Lt28 exists in 4 variants.
Getting Ready
There a a few very essential things that need to be sorted out before you could flash a firmware. I am listing them below.
Connecting the phone to the PC and making it recognize the phone.
Download and Install flashtool and Drivers:
Download and Install Android Sdk. (Not Mandatory)
For Sony Xperia ION LT28 Series – Locked and Unlocked Boot loaders.
This guide is for everyone who wishes to flash the latest ION firmware and then proceed on to root it.THIS TUTORIAL IS IS NOT APPLICABLE FOR ROOTING ICS 6.1.E.3.7 LT28i and LT28h FIRMWARES.
To root these firmwares:
1. Follow Spectre's thread for Pre-rooted firmwares
OR
2. My thread for flashing stock kernel with root. (unlocked boot loaders only)
Though this guide is for Xperia ION, but I suppose, this is quite universal and applicable to all Xperia Phones.
Read carefully and understand clearly the process before starting the actual process of flashing. When in doubt, ask your queries in this forum and wait for it to get answered.
The Xperia ION Lt28 exists in 4 variants.
- AT&T version with LTE. ( Lt28at )
- Rogers Version with LTE. ( Lt28rogers )
- International Version with LTE. ( Lt28i )
- Version without LTE. ( Lt28h )
Getting Ready
There a a few very essential things that need to be sorted out before you could flash a firmware. I am listing them below.
Connecting the phone to the PC and making it recognize the phone.
(Windows only):
When you connect the phone to the PC for the first time, the phone will prompt you to install the PC Companion S/w on your pc. Go ahead and Install it. In addition to this, essential drivers required for connectivity will also be installed. In windows , both MTP and MSC modes of connectivity work. MTP mode allows access to both Internal and External SD card. MSC mode will allow access of only the External SD card.
(Linux Only):
It is a little tricky in the case of linux to achieve connectivity. The following are the steps you need to follow:
1. Open Command Window, “ terminal” in case of Gnome base Linux and “konsole” in the case of KDE based Linux. It should be easily accessable through menu.
2. Inside the Command Window type “ sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules” if you are using Gnome or “sudo kwrite /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules” for KDE.
3. Add the below lines into the file and save it.
#Sony Ericsson
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0fce", MODE="0666"
4. Execute the following command from command window:
chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
5. Restart Linux now.
6. Connect the phone to the PC, open Command Window and type “ lsusb” without the quotes and press Enter. You should see an output, and you should see a line with the following:
ID 0fce:6177 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
7. If you don't see it, then you have made a mistake in the previous steps. Retrace the steps again to see that they are correct.
8. Open the phone, go to settings and select Xperia Settings and then select connectivity. Select USB Connection mode as “ Mass Storage Mode (MSC)”. The MTP mode does not work in linux. The support is not yet available.
9. Now when you connect the phone to the Pc it will mount the external_sd card automatically.
The above steps just ensures that the Phone is recognized by the PC and
Download and Install flashtool and Drivers:
Download flashtool:
- Link1 ( http://androxyde.github.com/)
- Link 2 Linux ( http://www.sendspace.com/file/0pz8ru)
- Link3 Windows ( http://www.mediafire.com/?9d64a4twrqd3w7y)
Install Drivers:
( Windows Only) After installing Flashtool, navigate into the flashtool folder and go into drivers folder. Double click on the Flashtool-drivers.exe to install the drivers. Restart the computer. This step is not required for Linux Users.
Download and Install Android Sdk. (Not Mandatory)
Downloading Android Sdk:
Android Sdk can be downloaded from here. ( http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html)
Click on the “SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS” to check that you sysytem meets the minimum requirement.
The downloads are under “SDK Tools Only” section.
Setting up Android Sdk:
( Windows Only) Installing in Windows is as simple as clicking in the downloaded exe. After installing, start the Sdk Manager. In windows it can be accessed from the start menu. Select Tools Checkbox and then Install Button. Wait for the installation to complete.
Set up the PATH environment variable to access adb:
( Windows 7)
Select Computer from the Start menu
Choose System Properties from the context menu
Click Advanced system settings > Advanced tab
Click on Environment Variables, under System Variables, find PATH, and click on it.
At the end add the path to android-sdk tools and platform-tools folder.
(Windows XP)
Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced
Click on Environment Variables, under System Variables, find PATH, and click on it.
At the end add the path to android-sdk tools and platform-tools folder.
Setting up Android Sdk:
(Linux Only)
Right click on the downloaded .tgz file and extract it. Probably, it will create a folder “android-sdk-linux”. Copy the folder to root of your home. Open the file manager and navigate to the android-sdk-linux/tools folder and click on android script to execute it.
It will start the Android Sdk Manager. Select Tools Checkbox and then Install Button. Wait for the installation to complete.
Proceed to POST#2 for FLASHING Steps.Set up the PATH environment variable to access adb:
(Linux Only)
Now to set up the PATH environment variable to access adb. For this you need to edit the .bashrc file to setup the path so that adb can be accessed by just typing the command.
Open the command window and type “gedit ~/.bashrc” or “kwrite ~/.bashrc” and add the following lines and save it.
export PATH=${PATH}:~/android-sdk-linux/tools
export PATH=${PATH}:~/android-sdk-linux/platform-tools
Restart the PC.
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