[General Questions and Answers] RumCoffee:
:o 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 :D 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... :confused: 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.)