James Coleman
8318606f34
No-wipe newflasher upgrade flow for the XQ-EC72, keeping Magisk root. Includes the Linux procedure for re-enabling US 5G over the Qualcomm diag port: the pyserial EFS2 client, the policyman band files that get written, and a backup of the device's original band config. Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Ctisr9uXe4H8XsscZ2exGE
143 lines
6.4 KiB
Markdown
143 lines
6.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: xperia-firmware-upgrade
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description: Upgrade Sony Xperia 1 VI (XQ-EC72) firmware with newflasher without wiping data, keeping Magisk root. Use when asked to flash, upgrade, or update Xperia firmware downloaded with XperiFirm.
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---
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# Xperia firmware upgrade (keep data + Magisk root)
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Device: Sony Xperia 1 VI, model XQ-EC72, region `Customized SEA`.
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Firmware lives in `/home/grmrgecko/Downloads/XperiFirm 5.8.1 (by Igor Eisberg)/` in folders named `XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<version>`.
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Tools: `~/bin/newflasher` (v57), `~/bin/unsin`, `fastboot`.
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## 1. Download firmware
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XperiFirm (Windows .exe in the folder above, runs under Wine/mono) downloads the
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firmware into a new `XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<version>` folder. Never downgrade —
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the bootloader enforces anti-rollback (see `securitypatchlevel.dat`).
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## 2. Patch init_boot with Magisk
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Inside the new firmware folder:
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```sh
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mkdir init_boot_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF
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cd init_boot_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF
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unsin ../init_boot_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF.sin # produces init_boot.img
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```
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Copy `init_boot.img` to the phone, patch it in the Magisk app
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("Install" → "Select and Patch a File"), and copy the resulting
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`magisk_patched-<ver>_<rand>.img` back into this same directory.
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## 3. Prepare the flash copy
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newflasher flashes every `.sin`/`.ta` in its working directory, so work on a
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copy with the dangerous bits removed. From the XperiFirm folder:
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```sh
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cp -r --reflink=auto "XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<version>" "XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<version> copy"
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cd "XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<version> copy"
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rm persist_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF.sin
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cp -r "../XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<previous-version> copy/tadump" .
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```
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- **Remove `persist_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF.sin`** — persist holds per-device
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calibration/DRM data; flashing it overwrites yours. This is the only file
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removed.
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- **`userdata_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF.sin` stays.** Data is preserved by answering
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the "keep userdata?" prompt, not by deleting the file.
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- **Carry the `tadump/` folder forward** from the previous version's copy. It
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accumulates trim-area dumps (`tadump_N.ta`, numbered upward) — hard-brick
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insurance. newflasher appends a new dump to it each flash.
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Verify the prep by diffing against the previous prepared copy: the only
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differences from a fresh download should be `persist*.sin` gone, the
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`init_boot_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF/` workspace dir, and `tadump/`.
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## 4. Flash with newflasher
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Power the phone off, then hold **Volume-Down** while plugging in USB —
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**green LED** = flashmode (`lsusb` shows a `0fce:` Sony device).
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```sh
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cd "XQ-EC72_Customized_SEA_<version> copy"
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~/bin/newflasher
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```
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Prompt answers, in order:
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| Prompt | Answer |
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| "…if you understand the risk" | `y` |
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| "dump trim area" (optional) | `y` — saves into `tadump/` |
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| "Do you want to keep userdata?" | **`y`** — this is the no-wipe step |
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| "Reboot mode at the end of flashing" | `f` — go straight to fastboot for re-rooting |
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Non-interactive equivalent: `printf 'y\ny\ny\nf\n' | ~/bin/newflasher`
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## 5. Re-flash Magisk root
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The flash wrote the stock init_boot, so root must be restored. With the phone
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in fastboot (blue LED — it's already there if you answered `f`; otherwise hold
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**Volume-Up** while plugging in USB from power-off):
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```sh
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fastboot flash init_boot init_boot_X-FLASH-ALL-88DF/magisk_patched-*.img
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fastboot reboot
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```
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First boot after an upgrade takes a while. Open Magisk afterward to confirm
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root survived.
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## 6. Re-enable US 5G (SEA firmware in the US)
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Flashing includes `modemst1`/`modemst2` `.sin` files, which reset the modem
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EFS — any modem-side band/5G configuration is lost on every upgrade and must
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be redone.
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- Old quick trick (worked through 69.2.A.4.16): dial `*#*#4636#*#*` → Phone
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Information → toggle "Enable DSDS" off, re-enable, reboot (some users must
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leave DSDS off). May only force the 5G icon rather than real NR.
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- Current method: replace three RF-band policy files in the modem EFS
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`/policyman` folder with the versions from XDA thread 4753150 ("Enable 5G &
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Global RF Bands on Xperia", by htcmage) — `band_set_01.xml`,
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`plmn_mcc_supported_01.xml`, `policies.xml` (adds T-Mobile / Verizon / AT&T /
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Dish LTE+NR bands). The guide uses Windows QPST EFS Explorer; the Linux path
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below is what actually worked here and needs no Windows.
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**Working Linux / adb procedure (done 2026-08-27, verified):**
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1. Download the 3 attachments from the thread (Chrome navigates directly to
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each `xdaforums.com/attachments/...` URL — script-triggered downloads are
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blocked; a real navigation downloads fine). Validate each is well-formed
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XML with root `<policy>` / `<policy_list>` and `schema_ver="1"` matching
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the device's existing files.
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2. Open the Qualcomm diag port: `adb shell su -c
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'setprop sys.usb.config diag,serial_cdev,rmnet,adb'`. Phone re-enumerates
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as USB `05c6:9091` (adb survives). Bind the serial driver (needs root on
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the PC): `sudo modprobe option && echo 05c6 9091 | sudo tee
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/sys/bus/usb-serial/drivers/option1/new_id`. Diag port = `/dev/ttyUSB0`
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(the one that answers a DIAG version request; ttyUSB1 is silent).
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3. Talk EFS2 over DIAG. EfsTools (JohnBel) is the usual tool but its
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libnserial hits EIO on the option-driver port; the reliable path was a
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small pyserial EFS2 client (HDLC + FCS-16, subsys 0x4B/EFS 19). Scripts
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kept at `~/.../scratchpad/efs2.py` (+ `diag_probe.py`). It does:
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hello → list `/policyman` → **back up** the 3 files → write new ones
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(unlink then open `O_WRONLY|O_CREAT` perm 0777, 1 KB write chunks) →
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read back and byte-compare to verify.
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4. `adb reboot`. Reboot clears diag mode back to normal adb.
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5. Verify: `dumpsys telephony.registry | grep isNrAvailable` → `true`
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(stock SEA firmware shows false); `settings get global
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preferred_network_mode` should be an NR mode (26 = NR_LTE_GSM_WCDMA).
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Backups of the device's original `/policyman` files:
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`~/.../scratchpad/policyman_backup/`. Invalid XML can stop the modem from
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booting — restore by writing the backups back, or reflash the modem `.sin`
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files with newflasher.
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- Hardware limit: band n71 does not work on the 1 VI; T-Mobile users see
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LTE 2/12/66 and NR n41; n66 confirmed on Verizon.
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## 7. Cleanup
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Keep both the original and the " copy" folder for at least one more upgrade —
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the copy is the reference for preparing the next version, and `tadump/` is
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carried forward from it. Older versions than the previous one can be deleted.
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