[General Questions and Answers] epixda:
Hi,

I probably didn't understand something, but I have such a simple question that seems basic to me, and I can't find the answer anywhere, and the more I search, the more questions I have.

Is there any post, faq, tutorial or place on the Internet or a video that truthfully explains the very idea of how ROMs, any software changes and updates work?

Let me explain what I mean.

Like probably 90% of users, I am a noob who has a good phone with old Android and I know that I can download new, better software.

For you it's like breathing, but for someone who hasn't experienced it all this is not obvious.

For several days now, despite idiot-proof instructions from every source, my confidence in what I am doing has only become less. Maybe I wouldn't worry about it so much if it weren't for the fact that one mistake and I have a brick instead of a smartphone.

I don't know how to ask about everything, because I don't know what I don't know, so I'll draw a few examples and maybe someone will enlighten me about what I may have missed.

This may apply to Samsung, Huawei, LG or any other phones, but here I will give Sony as an example.

I would like to remind you that I am not looking for a simple answer of where to click and what to enter in CMD step by step, but I want to understand the idea and know the consequences of actions. Just unlocking the bootloader, on the Sony website they wrote:

"If you still want to unlock the bootloader of your device, enter the following command:

fastboot oem unlock 0x"

And now what?

They didn't say anything about entering the number after "x", on another website he wrote a guide to enter the generated code instead of "0x". Or maybe by entering as written on the website, it will then ask for the code separately. I don't know, and I don't know whether if I enter it incorrectly, it won't damage the phone and where can I find out?

But let's say that the bootloader is already unlocked, which will automatically (in case someone didn't read it correctly) reset the phone to factory defaults. What's next? On the lineageos.org website they provide step by step instructions on what to enter and where to load the Lineos ROM with the selected Android. However, if I do as they wrote, can I go back to the stock software or is it overwritten? I only know that I will have a new one and that's it. In another video I watch and after the installation someone shows that you can go back using TWRP, but does Lineageos install TWRP during this installation? Or did someone assume this should have been done earlier? I do not know that.

Others say to keep the roms on the card, the next video gives you the rom installation process using flashtool, others use newflasher. Additionally, each film has its own method. The consequences and differences are never described, except that it's all at your own risk and that it may turn out to be a brick. Additionally, once someone understands what can be installed, where to download the ROMs from? There are many websites, it is not known which ones are scams, the manufacturer will provide something that looks like the ROM model I have, but it is binaries, so I don't know what it will be useful for. At each stage you have to look for answers and ask questions about how to do something, when, in what order, whether it is a reversible method or not, whether it is safe, etc. Even if there is a guide here or on another website describing one element of the puzzle, it is from 2016 , and is it still valid in 2024?

It seems to me that it is essential to understand all this, and I can't find a guide anywhere that would tell me what it does, what it requires and what effects/problems it generates.

Even if all this is due to the fact that there are simply many possibilities to make changes, because you can use flashtool or cmd or another app, you can also describe it somewhere, but I can't find these descriptions and I don't know where to start. What I want is a safe method to keep what I have and somehow be able to safely install the selected OS, know what, know where, be able to change to another version of Android if it doesn't work properly, and also be able to go back to the stock version. Can someone describe all the programs on the Internet, methods, functions and links to sites that are safe, unsafe, or potentially dangerous?

What I mean is a complete guide to everything that people do in guides, in films, each using different methods, with annotations if something is already outdated or dependent on something. I know that what I'm writing here may not be necessary and will even seem stupid when I understand it after some time, but for now I'm at this point and I don't like to act in the dark without knowing the effects, apart from those that are intended. The style doesn't matter as long as it's understandable, but the point is something like that you have to start with 1. bootloader, then there are 2. You need drivers for your computer that you can use, download here and here, that do this and that. Then 3. Downloading roms and sources and what are the differences. Then 4.List of programming to be uploaded and how they differ. What does uploading result in, what must be done first, do we want to replace the rom itself or upload it optionally, can it be undone, is it safe etc. Any program to make everything that people recommend on the Internet become obvious. If it is not possible to create such a complete guide with descriptions of all the possibilities and meaning of actions, I will ask you to at least put it in as simple words as possible. If anyone survived this tldr. Thank you.