[Sony Cross-Device General] [NUT]:
XZDualRecovery Future Plans

Okay, we're done with 2.8, it's time for a new version, which is going to throw the current functionality upside down and inside out... :silly:

Chargemon

The issue which has been bugging some community members from the get-go is the lack of support for some models, the mid- and low range phones in particular. The current XZDualRecovery depends on a binary to exist in the ROM, which is called 'chargemon'.

For 2.9 we will aim to eliminate this dependency on this binary and work towards a binary independent operation, able to mimic or replace any binary viable to hijack the boot process. To achieve this we will break down the 2 main scripts currently making XZDR work the way it does.

So, in 2.9, we will start adding new devices to the supported devices list after an initial release for the currently supported devices. For 2.8 we decided to keep the list the way it was, to not add to the already huge workload to debug it for all the LP releases.

Choice

Another thing which the community repeatedly asked for was a way to limit the number of recoveries installed. This will become a part of the 2.9 version as well, I said it before, XZDualRecovery is a package which is meant for you to have a choice, 2.9 will expand on that idea.

The development on CWM and PhilZ has stopped completely, this means that eventually when Android moves on a great deal, these recoveries might become useless.

We will continue to support any recovery which might become available in the future, just not the way we did that in the past. The available recovery packages will be up for download separate from the installer package, showing you a list of available packages during installation, allowing you to download what you want or need.

To this end, we will allow anyone to upload a recovery package to my project's download site, which will then -after approval by us-, be offered for download in the available packages list.

This will detach the releases from this project from the updates on the recoveries and hand that part off to the community.

Security

One other thing the community asked for was a security feature, to put a lock on the recovery entry. We will try to find a way to do that in 2.9.

Awesomeness

One of the major goals in 2.9 is to provide you with a boot menu instead of entering recovery right away.

The features we are investigating in the boot menu:

Allow you to put a PIN on the boot menu or even the boot of the device entirely, to allow you to secure this exactly the way you like it.

Allow you to boot any ROM you wish, provided it works on the kernel your device is currently running. Much like MultiROM TWRP is doing for unlocked devices right now;

Allow you to boot to any recovery you have installed;

Quick un-/rooting of your ROM, to allow you to run apps which require your device to not be rooted and re-root your device quickly once you need it again;

USB-OTG/ADB support and a file-manager to allow you to transfer files without actually booting your device.

We will try to create an eco-system which will allow other developers and contributors to easily add supported devices and features, making XZDualRecovery a one-stop-solution for all your booting, rooting and recovery needs for as many devices as we possibly can.

At some point in the process, which is still undecided, XZDualRecovery will be renamed, because the result will make the current project name a faint shadow of all it's features and possibilities :)

The future is bright, the future is colorful, the future is about choice :cool: