Making Android's Bootable Recovery Work for You - Drew Suarez

Explore the intricacies of Android bootable recovery in this 47-minute conference talk from Circle City Con 2015. Dive into the significance of Android recovery, its structure, and components. Learn about initrd images, device mapping, and standard Android boot images. Discover the importance of init scripts and ramdisk exploration. Follow the process of building a device config, including BoardConfig.mk and device_(codename).mk files. Gain insights into testing, flashing, and troubleshooting common issues. Understand new protections and various flashing methods, including Download Mode for Samsung devices and fastboot mode. Acquire valuable references and knowledge to enhance your Android development skills.

Intro
Nice to meet you, I'm Drew.
What is Android recovery?
Why is this significant?
Why do I need this?
A Unique Snowflake...
Recovery: Parts and Structure
Recovery: Initrd Images
Device Mapping
Standard Android boot image
Firmware Exploration
Why are init scripts so important?
symlink/permissions tomfoolery
What else in the ramdisk is interesting?
What if I can't figure something out?
Build a device config
BoardConfig.mk
device_(codename).mk
Build it!
Test it!
Common issues
Flash it!
Download Mode (Samsung)
ODIN
fastboot mode
New Protections...
Getting started
References
Thank you! Questions?