[Xperia Play Android Development] paxChristos:
Step-by-literal-step

If you feel like seeing the step by step PDF Guide, go to these : attached to post #1, or:

At dropbox.com: http://db.tt/RaAUnzjW

At Ubuntu one: http://ubuntuone.com/64OujxgkGMv1N2QSoPmXin

or at Filesonic: http://www.filesonic.com/file/2730341354

If you're doing the script rooting in linux, do these things first

1) Download and unzip file (it's below at dropbox.com or ubuntu one; or it's posted in #1 as an attachment)

2) open up terminal

3) type "su"

4) enter your password

4a) if you don't have su set up

4b) type "passwd"

4c) enter you username password (no, there will be no ***s to show that you entered anything, just hit enter when you've inputted your password)

4d) input a password for root (unix) (no, there will be no ***s to show that you entered anything, just hit enter when you've inputted your password)

4e) type "su" and enter your password

5) navigate to location you unzipped the file to (chrome default download is /home/[your username]/Downloads)

6) type "chmod 755 runme-linux"

7) type "cd files"

8) type "chmod 755 adb"

9) type "cd .."

10) type "./runme-linux"

11) type "exit" x2 to exit terminal

12) enjoy your rooted play!

Here's the script (and all applicable files) (totally ripped off DooMLoRD's code, thank him, please, for me), go to these links:

At dropbox.com: http://db.tt/a4H6QFfV

At Ubuntu one: http://ubuntuone.com/7mD63kpsKzGmaou5hcftBV

Here's the linux script code

#!/bin/bash

#This is DooMLoRD's script for windows. I've ported it to linux
#Somethings to remember
#1) Chmod this file!! ("chmod 777 runme-linux")
#2) Run this script as su in terminal (if you haven't set up your su password run the command "passwd" in terminal, it'll ask you for your username password, and then you'll type in a root password. NOTE: You will not see any changes (i.e. *** representing typed letters) but the password is still being inputted.

#I skipped all of DooMLoRD's info because I'm using VIM and don't feel like rewritting it
echo "--Starting---"
echo "---Killing the adb server to make sure that there are no problems---"
./files/adb kill-server

echo "---Waiting for Device---"
./files/adb wait-for-device

echo "---Cleaning out any previous zergRush attempts---"
./files/adb shell rm -r /data/local/tmp

echo "---Creating temp folder for zergRush---"
./files/adb shell mkdir /data/local/tmp

echo "---Pushing zergRush---"
./files/adb push ./files/zergRush /data/local/tmp/

echo "---Fixing permissions for zergRush---"
./files/adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/zergRush

echo "---Running zergRush---"
./files/adb shell /data/local/tmp/zergRush

#If it gets stuck here for a long time then try:
#1)disconnect usb cable and reconnect it
#2)toggle "Usb Debugging" (first disable it then reenable it")

echo "---Device found!---"
./files/adb wait-for-device

echo "---Pushing busybox---"
./files/adb push ./files/busybox /data/local/tmp

echo "---Fixing busybox permissions---"
./files/adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/busybox

echo "---remounting system---"
./files/adb shell /data/local/tmp/busybox mount -o remount,rw /system

echo "---copying busybox to /system/xbin---"
./files/adb push files/busybox /system/xbin

echo "---fixing ownership and permissions---"
./files/adb shell chown root.shell /system/xbin/busybox
./files/adb shell chmod 04755 /system/xbin/busybox

echo "---installing busybox---"
./files/adb shell /system/xbin/busybox --install -s /system/xbin

echo "---cleaning up---"
./files/adb shell rm -r /data/local/tmp/busybox

echo "---pushing SU binary---"
./files/adb push ./files/su /system/bin/su

echo "---correcting ownership and permissions for SU---"
./files/adb shell chown root.shell /system/bin/su
./files/adb shell chmod 06755 /system/bin/su

echo "---correcting symlinks---"
./files/adb shell rm /system/xbin/su
./files/adb shell ln -s /system/bin/su /system/xbin/su

echo "---Pushing Superuser app---"
./files/adb push ./files/Superuser.apk /system/app/

echo "--cleaning---"
./files/adb shell rm -r /data/local/tmp

echo "---rebooting---"
./files/adb reboot

echo "---All done, your Xperia Play has been rooted by DooMLoRD---"
echo "---This script has been ported by paxchristos!!---"
echo "---If have any questions, feel free to email me @ nielson.peter@gmail.com---"

[Removed walkthrough because it's in the PDF guide. And the PDF guide has pictures. Pretty, pretty pictures of unicorns. Or command line. You decide.]

Thank you to: cl8rs for stumbling up zergRush,

Ch4lky, ieftm, and the Revolutionary team for making (and updating zergRush)

CrimsonSentinal13 for getting us from adb root to phone rooted!

DooMLoRD for doing the script in windows, and giving me something to work off of!

Have fun people, and enjoy!!

Note: With the stock kernal, we cannot overclock, but you can underclock your cpu

Note2: Drivers were added to the first post (Crimsonsentinal13) for sake of keeping everything simpler added drivers for Xperia Play -- to get them to work (if you don't already have them installed, goto device manager, find the SEMC driver (it might show up as android device or unknown device) then update driver, and point it to this zip (unzipped, of course) :P

Note3: Android SDK Download link: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Note4: Unrooting?? Who would want to unroot?? :P One way I unrooted (using my wife's Casio Commando was to uninstall superuser.apk, and the busybox installer (i know, i didn't get rid of everything) but at that point, unless the Verizon/Phone Company employee is a genius, they won't know whether or not you're rooted

Note5: OTA Updates. We don't know what'll happen. If one comes, DENY until we can figure out what'll happen... Most likely, it'll just lose root (hopefully temporarily, we won't know until we get there) but if it bricks all the rooted Plays, I don't want an angry mob with pitchforks at my or Crimsonsentinals13's doorstep

Note6: Updated guide!! Hopefully I fixed all the errors that were in there before (thank you to all the users that pointed them out to me) and added a few things.

Note6B: Somebody had a problem with a busybox installer not downloading from the android market. attached a free one off android market that I used. I only have guesses why this happened (pm setInstallLocation 2...?) but here one is so you have that option as well...

Note6C:I also attached insecure adb. Insecure ADB is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL and should only be downloaded and installed AFTER YOU HAVE ROOT if you want to use root in adb after you reboot. Again COMPLETELY OPTIONAL and you won't necessarily need it.

Note7: As jeffkhlam found out, at no point do you need fastboot. This doesn't unlock the bootloader (no custom roms.)

Note8: If you're having issues doing this, I'll be hopping on and off the thread between 8:00am until about 11:00pm Central Standard Time. If it's not between those hours, please wait, we'll get around to helping you!