[dev] Opensource (multiboot) Bootloader: Efidroid (formerly Grub4android)

[M1cha]

This is the successor of GRUB4Android - a project to bring multiboot to Android.
Even though most people hate UEFI on computers(users because of secureboot and devs because it doesn't change many problems of BIOS afaik), Intel's implementation("EDKII") actually is quite good and perfectly fits our needs.
Also, it still allows you to boot GRUB - just in case you wanna do that.

First off, having UEFI doesn't mean you can boot to Windows without any extra work. actually UEFI would be like the first 2% of work for such a project).

what's working already?:

• it can boot (on mi2)
• UART, Timer, LCD-screen, MMC
• It can boot Intel's bootmanager App
• non-volatile storage
  
• add support for booting Android

TODO:

• USB(low priority, as it's currently not really needed)
• automatically find and display Multiboot installations
• build a nice Smartphone UI (with AROMA if possible, but we need threads for that first)

EFIDroid Sourcecode:
https://github.com/efidroid

Google+ Community:
https://plus.google.com/communities/114053643671219382368

Slack Community (like IRC):
http://efidroid.appspot.com

Intel's EDKII project:
https://github.com/tianocore/edk2

 

[Coldbird]

You really cook in every kitchen. Impressive.

Gesendet von meinem MI 2 mit Tapatalk

 

[kekkojoker90]

You really cook in every kitchen. Impressive.

Gesendet von meinem MI 2 mit Tapatalk

masterchief?

 

[dnle71]

Can't wait to have my mi2s this week!

 

[M1cha]

Craziest thing ever:
I've managed to implement ramdisk hijacking features into the bootloader.
That means that the bootloader itself can (temporary) modify the ramdisk before booting.

The possibilities with this technology are endless:
from overriding properties for root and lcd density to things like multiboot and f2fs-support.

 

[M1cha]

what's your wishlist for a custom bootloader?
Do you have any ideas?

 

[paulrlz]

what's your wishlist for a custom bootloader?
Do you have any ideas?

Automatic repartition like in custom cotulla bootloader for htc hd2?

 

[M1cha]

I could add a partition manager but what do you mean with automatic?

Sent from my MI 2 using Tapatalk

 

[paulrlz]

Sorry, i ve used the wrong word. I mean, partition manager

 

[adrez]

I don't know if it's a bootloader feature or a kernel one, but it would be nice that the alarm could turn on the phone with CM11 as it happens with MIUI

 

[M1cha]

ehm what? MIUI alarm can turn on the phone?
Are you sure they really turn the phone off or do they use a standby mode or sth. like that?

 

[adrez]

ehm what? MIUI alarm can turn on the phone?
Are you sure they really turn the phone off or do they use a standby mode or sth. like that?

I'm sure, tested right now. I've set the alarm, turned the phone off, taken the battery out and put it back in so that it would turn completely off, and the phone has turned automatically on to start ringing the alarm

 

[M1cha]

another typical Qualcomm fail. That again proves that the public sources have nothing todo with the builds of official stock rom's.
Basically it's sth like this:

bool supports_wakealarm = false;
if(supports_wakealarm)
  init();

supports_wakealarm = true;

 

[adrez]

another typical Qualcomm fail. That again proves that the public sources have nothing todo with the builds of official stock rom's.
Basically it's sth like this:

bool supports_wakealarm = false;
if(supports_wakealarm)
  init();

supports_wakealarm = true;

I don't understand. Does it mean it's an easy fix, or there's a lot of code that hasn't been released and would take much time to be developed?

 

[M1cha]

I don't understand. Does it mean it's an easy fix, or there's a lot of code that hasn't been released and would take much time to be developed?

basically this allows the kernel to write the timer. the problem is that this only works if you pull out the battery instead of powering off the phone.

There's a lot of code which wasn't released.

 

[M1cha]

The first steps for porting the touchscreen driver to bootloader

 

[M1cha]

Xiaomi released the bootloader source. Now the fun can start

 

[paulrlz]

They releasing sources with an dropper!

 

[llision]

our next rom is maybe windows phone 8.x? ;-)

 

[M1cha]

hehe.

what about full multiboot? Also we could remove all the hacky s**t from recovery.

 

[XperianPro]

hehe.

what about full multiboot? Also we could remove all the hacky s**t from recovery.

I never had phone with open sourced bootloader,can you tell me main advantage of this?

EDIT: Could we really boot Windows phone?

 

[M1cha]

I never had phone with open sourced bootloader,can you tell me main advantage of this?

EDIT: Could we really boot Windows phone?

mainly multiboot. Additionally password-protection(like a BIOS password).
Also the bootloader can patch the system on-the-fly do inject some useful hacks.

And no, we can't boot windowsphone because it's closed source.

 

[XperianPro]

mainly multiboot. Additionally password-protection(like a BIOS password).
Also the bootloader can patch the system on-the-fly do inject some useful hacks.

And no, we can't boot windowsphone because it's closed source.

Maybe not Windows Phone but Windows 8?
Kernel of windows 8 comes with all needed drivers.

 

[zicoxx]

this is a great news..
Azz.
I remember old times on hd2 and cLK from kokotas..
I'm waiting for your developer..

 

[M1cha]

Maybe not Windows Phone but Windows 8?
Kernel of windows 8 comes with all needed drivers.

Windows 8 supports the ARM architecture? I never saw such downloads.