v0.13.2.AN

Change 01: 23 Feb 22¹.

---

• Multiple Misc Stability Fixes
  • Major refactoring and restructuring for improved stability
  • Also applied to filesystem drivers
• Adds SupplyUEFI Feature
  • Adds an implementation of the CreateEventEx feature to EFI 1.x units
  • Additionally, the EFI Revision is modified to present as UEFI 2.3
  • This allows the use of UEFI 2.x tools and drivers on Legacy EFI 1.x units in many cases
  • This is particularly the case on Legacy Macs, which already have amended EFI 1.x implementations
  • This functionality can be disabled by setting the decline_uefiemulate token
  • As an aside, the RuntimeServices table is now also amended in AmendSysTable
• Adds SilentBoot Feature
  • RefindPlus inherited a mode where a default selection was run after an instant timeout
  • A shortcut key for a loader could also be pressed to run that particular loader instead
  • This mode is activated by setting the timeout config token to -1
  • However, the RefindPlus screen was briefly loaded before the target option was run
    • This created an unwanted screen flash and also removed the BGRT logo
  • The default selection is now run without showing the screen at all instead (Based on an upstream update)
  • The mode is now truly silent as there is no video output unless overridden (BGRT logos are maintained)
    • Override is initiated by holding down the ESC key immediately after starting RefindPlus
    • Shortcut keys can also be pressed
      • In such cases, the loader associated with the key will be run instead of the default
      • There will be no video output by RefindPlus similar to the default case
• Fixes Forced TextRenderer
  • The TextRenderer feature is forced on in certain circumstances to enable text mode support
  • This appears to have resulted in conflicts on some Macs following a firmware update
  • The firmware update appears to have made changes to screen mode settings
  • The forced activation has been amended to avoid this issue
• Fixes SystemTable Restoration
  • The code was previously not operational
  • This has now been fixed but is now limited to when SupplyUEFI is inactive
• Fixes Major Memory Conflict
  • An item had been wrongly freed and resulted in random crashes when running loaders
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AC (Commit 6ed58c5)
• Fixes DontScanVolumes for Synced APFS Instances
  • Limited to Single Instance APFS Containers
• Fixes Reported LodePNG Name Collisions
  • This apparently affected Docker builds on Linux
• Amends Handling of Inconsistent EFI Versions
  • RefindPlus now disables all functionality involving UEFI element changes when this is detected
  • A detection of inconsistent EFI versions suggests RefindPlus has been chain-loaded
  • This is most likely to be as a result of chain-loading from OpenCore with ForgeUefiSupport set
  • The disabled features can typically also be set in OpenCore
• Improves ProtectNVRAM Implementation
  • RefindPlus classifies UEFI Loaders into one of the following categories:
    • Opencore, Clover, Linux, MacOS, Windows and Others
  • Only security certificates generated by Windows UEFI Loaders were blocked by ProtectNVRAM
  • However, UEFI Windows installers/updaters may fall into the Others category and generate such certificates
  • Hence, certificates generated by UEFI Loaders that fall into the Others category are now also blocked
  • The feature remains only active on Apple firmware and can be disabled by setting the decline_nvramprotect token
• Improves SyncAPFS Implementation
  • The presence of valid VolUUID and PartGUID is now taken into account
  • SyncAPFS is disabled if either has a NULL Guid value
• Improves Screenshot Feature
  • Feedback on success/failure is given via on-screen messages
  • Each press of the F10 key now results in only one image being saved
    • This is subject to the key press not continuing beyond the on-screen message display
• Improves Memory Management
  • Multiple memory management improvements
• Improves Build Process
  • RELEASE builds are further optimised
    • The MDEPKG_NDEBUG EDK2 functionality is leveraged to:
      • Reduce file size
      • Ensure consistent files on different builds
        • EDK2 otherwise only guarantees functional consistency
        • This now enforces additional structural consistency
        • Builds with different file paths will now be the same
  • Calls to ASSERT, and similar, are activated on DEBUG Builds
    • Failed ASSERT calls put RefindPlus into a Deadloop
  • Enables NOOPT Build Target
    • This is a debug build with misc compile time optimisation items disabled
    • Log Level 2 is only exposed on this build target
  • The REFIT_DEBUG define has been converted to a compiler option
    • The constant is no longer defined in global.h and instead set in RefindPlus.inf
    • This change removes the need for compile time edits to set build targets
    • The requirements are now managed transparently by the build process itself
  • The various *.inf files for filesystem drivers etc, have been standardised
    • These now follow a clearer standard format
• Renames the ignore_previous_boot config option as transient_boot
  • This more accurately describes the feature.
    • The current boot selection is not saved, it becomes transient, but any previously saved boot is set as the default

---

1. Added Alt-RefindPlus_x64-001302.AN package. This includes post release fixes for failure to boot on some machines. ↩

v0.13.2.AM

Change 01: 19 Dec 21¹.
Change 02: 23 Dec 21².

---

• Reverts Ported APFS Volume Group Identification
  • Does not appear the APFS Volume Group ID was correctly retrieved
  • This resulted in Mac OS volume instance conflicts
  • NOTE: Multi-Instance APFS Container restrictions now apply again
• Refer to v0.13.2.AK and v0.13.2.AL for Other Relevant Changes

---

1. Updated attached files to include post release fix for REL build crashes in some instances ↩

2. Updated attached files with cleaned up version ↩

v0.13.2.AL

• Adds "ExternalHiddenIcons" Feature
  • Sets RefindPlus to also scan external volumes for ".VolumeIcon" icons
  • This is a port of the downstream "AllHiddenIcons" feature by GitHub user @joevt
  • Amended and renamed to reflect the target disk kind
• Improves "ScreenRGB" Feature
  • The handling of the embedded title banner has been improved by leveraging transparency
  • This significantly reduces the overall file size and ensures backgrounds are fully matched
  • This is a port of the downstream implementation by GitHub user @joevt
• Fixes 'BootKicker' and 'CleanNvram' Amongst Others
  • Misc memory management defects had disabled both
• Fixes for 'BTRFS' and 'NTFS' Filesystem Drivers from GitHub user @joevt
  • BTRFS: Fixes file creation date bug
  • NTFS: Fixes file creation date bug
  • NTFS: Fixed "attribute_sparse" and "attribute_encrypted" which were not testing some flags correctly
    • The field is a USHORT (Unsigned 16-bit integer) but was handled as BYTE (Unsigned 8-bit integer)
  • NTFS: Fixes a bug where "read_attribute_direct" could write outside the attribute destination buffer.
    • "olen" can become negative and could be passed to "CopyMem", which requires an unsigned length.
• Improves 'SyncAPFS'
  • APFS Volume Groups can now be identified along with the earlier identified 'Disk Roles'
  • This significantly improves determination of APFS Volume Types/Roles
  • Restrictions limiting some features to setups with only one APFS instance per container are now removed
  • This is a port of the downstream implementation by GitHub user @joevt
• Amends Log Levels
  • LogLevel 0 remains as a native summary format
  • The previous upstream based four (4) log levels have been compressed to two (2) levels
  • LogLevel 4, which was not exposed by default, is now LogLevel 2, which is also not exposed by default.
  • LogLevel 2 is exposed when the "REFIT_DEBUG" build flag is set to two (2) at compilation time.
    • Set this in "BootMaster/globalExtra-DBG.txt" if using the RefindPlusUDK build script
  • Unless LogLevel 2 is exposed when compiling, selected levels above one (1) will be capped at LogLevel 1
  • When LogLevel 2 is exposed, selected levels above two (2) will be capped at LogLevel 2
• Initial activation of fixes on Mac Recovery For Mac OS 11 (Big Sur) and Later
  • IMPORTANT:
    • This implementation is still a work in progress ... feedback required/welcome
• Refer to v0.13.2.AK for Other Relevant Changes

v0.13.2.AK

• Adds "SupplyNVME" Feature
  • A built in NvmExpress driver is loaded by default to provide NVMe support if required
  • This functionality can be disabled by setting the 'decline_nvmeload' token
  • With this feature, in addition to SupplyAPFS, firmware patching is no longer required on MacPro3,1 and XServe2,1
• Adds "ScreenRGB" Feature
  • Allows overriding the default background colour selection process
  • Users can now specify RGB values to be used instead
• Fixes Display of Mac Recovery Tool Name in RELEASE builds
  • The variable holding the Mac Recovery tool name was wrapped in "Debug" tags
  • Hence the tool name was not displayed in RELEASE builds
• Initial fixes on Mac Recovery For Mac OS 11 (Big Sur) and Later
  • The Mac Recovery implementation inherited by RefindPlus was designed for the HFS+ filesystem
  • Hence, it does not recognise recovery volumes of Mac OS versions with full APFS implementation
    • Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra) to Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina) have partial/transitional APFS implementations
    • Mac OS 11 (Big Sur) and newer have full APFS implementations
  • ADDITIONAL NOTES:
    • This implementation does not support setups with more than one APFS instance in a single container
    • This implementation is still a work in progress
• Fixes Compilation Issue on Recent GNU-EFI Versions
  • Synced with upstream update as well as an existing issue with 'REFIT_CALL_X_WRAPPER'
  • GNU-EFI compilation of RefindPlus is likely broken overall
• Fixes 'TagsHelp' Feature
  • Was inverted ... active when decline_tagshelp was set and vice versa after renaming the feature
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AH (Commit 1b043c3)
• Fixes Failure to Set Volume Badges and .VolumeIcon files on APFS Volumes
  • The items were skipped by optimisation meant to only skip such on APFS System Volumes for SyncAPFS
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AH (Commit d87d3fb)
• Fixes Memory Management
  • The 'MyFreePool' function implementation did not actually free items passed
  • Similarly, the 'ReleasePtr' function that called this was non operational
  • This affected the operation of various elements across the board
  • Both functions have now been consolidated into a new 'MY_FREE_POOL' macro
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AD (Commit 65e5083)
• Fix BTRFS Filesystem Driver Build
  • The BTRFS filesystem driver had been excluded from RefindPlus builds from the start of the project
  • This was due to inherited issues with EDK2 builds of the driver ... rEFInd Build Notes
  • The build issues were resolved by GitHub User "joevt" and have been incorporated into RefindPlus
• Improves Time Bound Primed Buffer Mitigation
  • Mitigates against RefindPlus spontaneously running default items
  • Intervention is now based on a minumum 1.25 second interval between load and run attempt
  • Extended scope now covers Mac OS again (previously removed)
• Improves 'ProtectNVRAM' Implementation
  • Now ensures this is reset on each loop through the RefindPlus Main Loop
  • This ensures the filtering is not on if UEFI Windows boot fails
  • Only has cosmetic relevance but best practice
• Improves 'Manage Firmware Boot Order' Implementation
  • Now confirms selected action before execution to minimise the chances of making unwanted changes
• Amends 'ScaleUI' Implementation
  • Now checks the resolution of the longest and shortest sides for automatic scaling
  • Previously only checked the vertical resolution
  • This allows rotated screens to be properly accounted for
  • Some rare monitors, such as the 30" Apple Cinema Display, may be wrongly identified as HiDPI
  • This is because EDID information is not used at this time
  • However, the more common WQHD monitors are correctly identified as not being HiDPI monitors
  • Laptops with 'Retina' screens should be correctly identified as having HiDPI monitors
• Amends Log Levels
  • The previous upstream based four (4) log levels have been compressed to three (3) levels
  • LogLevel 5, which was not exposed by default, is now LogLevel 4, which is not exposed by default.
  • LogLevel 4 is exposed when the "REFIT_DEBUG" build flag is set to two (2) at compilation time.
    • Set this in "BootMaster/globalExtra-DBG.txt" if using the RefindPlusUDK build script
  • Unless LogLevel 4 is exposed when compiling, selected levels above three (3) will be capped at LogLevel 3
  • When LogLevel 4 is exposed, selected levels above four (4) will be capped at LogLevel 4

v0.13.2.AJ

• Fixes 'PreBoot' Volume Filtering in REL Builds
• Deactivates Log Level 5
• Refer to v0.13.2.AH for Other Relevant Changes

v0.13.2.AH

• Adds "PreferHiddenIcons" Feature
  • This functionality allows prioritising the use of ".VolumeIcon" image icons for loaders
• Adds Non-Standard UEFI 2.x Implementation Resilience
  • Some UEFI 2.x implementations may be incomplete with some functionality missing
  • This is typically due to customisation of the firmware as on Late Intel Macs such as the MacMini8,1
  • This affected running the DEBUG build on such units
  • RefindPlus now accommodates this situation.
• Adds Forced Shutdown on Secure Boot Setup Failure
  • RefindPlus will now shutdown if meant to use secure boot but this could not be set up
• Fixes Failure to Detect Linux Partitions
  • Linux partitions were not detected and therefore, could not be booted by RefindPlus
• Fixes Implicit Casting of Some Config Integers
  • Some config tokens that could take negative values such as "screensaver" were handled as Unsigned Integers
  • These are now correctly handled as Signed Integers
• Fixes Driver Loading from User Defined Folders
  • Drivers in folders defined by the 'scan_driver_dirs' configuration token were not loaded in some instances
  • This was because the routine expected the defined paths to not include the installation folder path
  • This expectation was not specified however, meaning some users included the path in 'scan_driver_dirs'
  • This expectation has now been removed and the installation folder path may or may not be included
• Fixes Switching External Screens to Text Mode
  • External screens switched to text mode were functional but elements, such as the header, were missing
  • This has now been fixed along with properly disabling the cursor
• Fixes Hang on Runtime Pauses
  • RefindPlus hung on runtime pauses initiated before the main menu was loaded
  • This was due to an absence of the Event Waitlist in such situations
  • The Waitlist is now always generated on runtime pauses if not present
• Fixes Static 'PreviousBoot' Setup
  • The actually booted loader was not recorded if a tool had been run beforehand
  • Such previously set tools could only be changed by manually deleting the NVRAM entry
  • The intented outcome of having a static setup could not be realised as envisaged
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AG (Commit add53ba)
• Fixes Failure to set 'PreviousBoot' on Text Mode Boots
  • The 'PreviousBoot' variable was not saved when running loaders in text mode
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AA (Commit 74d70fb) and exposed in v0.13.2.AG (Commit 4590047)
• Fixes Graphics Mode Selection in Multi-GPU Setups
  • When more than one GPU is present, RefindPlus always tried to use the GOP instance from the last processed GPU
  • The GPU with a GOP instance having the highest resolution is now selected instead (as intended)
  • NB: RefindPlus does not check whether a GPU is actually connected to a display
    • Hence, a blank display will result if the highest resolution GPU is not connected
  • This bug was introduced in v0.12.0.AN (Commit 62e6fe8)
• Mitigates Text Mode Selected Menu Item Display
  • The selected item in text mode menus was not displayed
  • The selections had to be toggled to display the item
  • RefindPlus now works around this issue by automatically toggling such menu items
  • This toggling may however not happen on some units
• Improves Mac Recovery Tool Identification
  • RefindPlus now attempts to associate Apple Mac Recovery Tool instances to specific Mac OS Volumes
  • The same generic name was previously used for all instances
  • This had made it difficult to know which volume a specific recovery instance applied to
• Improves Keystroke Flushing
  • Device errors are returned when attempting to read keystrokes under some conditions
  • This appears to typically only happen on UEFI PC
  • RefindPlus now further attempts to ensure the read takes place and/or mitigate the impact
• Improves APFS Volume Role Identification
  • APFS volume roles are now identified by their predefined 'Disk Roles' when possible
  • Additionally, the 'SyncAPFS' feature has been optimised for faster completion
• Improves APFS Partition Type Detection
  • RefindPlus Primarily used the Partition Type Guid to identify APFS Partitions
  • Some UEFI PC may however not provide a Partition Type Guid for APFS volumes
  • This affected the operation of the SyncAPFS feature which had to be disabled on such units
  • RefindPlus can now determine APFS partitions when the Partition Type Guid is not present
• Improves 'PreviousBoot' Implementation
  • Only Loaders (Row 1 Items) are now saved as 'PreviousBoot' when this is configured to be saved
  • Such Loaders are only saved after verification (not regardless as was the case)
• Improves 'IgnorePreviousBoot' Implementation
  • This token is now enforced everywhere when set
  • Setting '+' under the 'default_selection' token will therefore have no effect in such cases
  • NB: Setting 'default_selection "+"' remains equivalent to commenting that token out
    • This default setting will continue to function as before
• Improves NVRAM Management
  • NVRAM Entries (Emulated and Hardware) are fully cleared before new entries are made
• Improves Graphics Mode Selection
  • Eliminates unnecessary iteration over UGA/GOP modes when only one UGA/GOP instance exists
  • This improves loading speed.
• Extends Memory Management Fixes
  • Additional memory management improvements
• Renames Misc Configuration Tokens
  • 'ignore_volume_icns' to 'ignore_hidden_icons'
  • The 'decline_XYZ' format is now used for options to disable divergent defaults
    • 'scan_other_esp' to 'decline_espfilter'
    • 'ignore_tag_help' to 'decline_tagshelp'
    • 'sync_apfs' to 'decline_apfssync' ('SyncAPFS' is now active by default)
    • 'supply_apfs' to 'decline_apfsload' ('SupplyAPFS' is now active by default)
    • 'silence_apfs' to 'decline_apfsmute' ('SilenceAPFS' is now active by default)
    • 'protect_nvram' to 'decline_nvramprotect' ('ProtectNVRAM' is now active by default)
    • 'reload_gop' to 'decline_reloadgop' ('ReloadGOP' is now active by default)

v0.13.2.AG

• Adds 'TagHelp' Feature
  • Ensures HiddenTags can always be unhidden
  • This feature is active by default but can be disabled with the "disable_tag_help" token
• Fixes Banner Flicker During Load Sequence
  • Rationalises freeing the screen background image to reduce flickering at load time
  • Provides improved UX
• Fixes Filtering of Windows Secure Boot Certificates on Apple Firmware
  • Reverts Extension to Legacy Windows
  • This appeared to be linked to negative impacts on some Macs
• Fixes 'IgnoreVolumeICNS' and 'HideUI Badges' Implementation
  • Now extended to cover other volume types apart from 'internal' volumes
• Fixes Handling of "FirmwareBootNum" Entries
  • These were not loaded as expected
• Fixes Hangs Resulting from Changed Device Handles
  • RefindPlus hung on return from third party tools that change device handles, such as GDisk
  • RefindPlus now manages this situation
• Fixes Invalid 'Command Line Option Error' Notice on UEFI PC
  • Some UEFI PC appear to spontaneously generate invalid load options
  • These result in a halt and require one or more key presses to proceed
  • This bug was introduced in v0.12.0.AQ (Commit f5c438f)
• Fixes Booting into Legacy (BIOS) OS on UEFI PC
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AE (Commit b80f508)
• Fixes Hang When Selecting SubScreen Options
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AF (Commit 57280c3)
• Improves Volume Scanning Implementation
  • Improves speed generally by cutting self volume identification short once identified
  • Fixes Specific Implementation on UEFI PC
• Improves Tool Path Definitions
  • Extends fixes applied in v0.13.2.AF
• Improves 'Sync_APFS' Implementation
  • Fixes memory allocation issues with 'PreBoot' volume object separation
• Improves Mac OS Volume Type Identification on UEFI PC
  • Several Mac OS volume types, such as APFS, are now identified correctly on UEFI PC
  • These were previously "Unknown"
• Reduces Excessive Tool Validation Loops
  • Tools are now only checked for validity if they actually exist on disk
• Extends Manual Stanza Handling Fixes
  • Enhancements to "menuentry" sections applied to "submenuentry" sections
• Adopts Multiple Fixes and Enhancements from a Fork by GitHub User "joevt"
  • Mainly related to memory management
  • https://github.com/joevt/RefindPlus
• Amends 'ActiveCSR' Implementation
  • Now only run when booting into Mac OS, OpenCore or Clover
• Amends 'ScanDelay' Implementation
  • Now immediately implemented after 'SetupScreen' to allow for improved UX

v0.13.2.AF

• Fixes Tool Path Definitions
  • Styling had introduced unwanted whitespace into tool paths
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AD (Commit 75d8357)
• Fixes Fix Manual Stanza Handling
  • Linux and "Firmware Reboot" stanzas were not handled properly
  • Fix applied to v0.13.2.AE did not fully resolve the issue
• Fixes BootKicker and CleanNvram Tool Loading
  • These tools were not loaded when located in some valid directories
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AE (Commit af1150d)
• Reverts HiddenItem Fix for Upstream Consistency
  • Prioritising consistency for upstream interoperability

v0.13.2.AE

• Adds 'NormaliseCSR' Feature
  • Filters out the 'CSR_ALLOW_APPLE_INTERNAL' bit on Macs (for consumer use)
  • This facilitates "Over The Air" (OTA) updates when running Mac OS v11.x (Big Sur)
  • This filtering works on earlier versions of Mac OS which function as usual
• Improves Handling of CSR Policy Toggling
  • Adds option to clear CSR to facilitate "Over The Air" updates on Mac OS v11.x (Big Sur)
  • Activated by entering "0" in place of "10" for the option to enable SIP
  • This setting is also valid when used on earlier versions of Mac OS
• Improves Upstream Logging Format
  • Formatted for clarity
• Improves Handling of Manual Stanza Icons
  • Optimises search for associated icons to speed loading times up
  • Only undertakes a second search scan when required
• Improves Selection Image Handling
  • Only calls scaling function when required
• Improves Embedded Image Creation Script
  • Previously updated for Python 3
  • Now updated to be run from any directory
• Updates Default Banner Background Colour
  • Now set at 191,191,191 RGB to better match the default grey
• Aligns Driver and Tools Folders with Upstream
  • Drops '{ARCH}_drivers' and '{ARCH}_tools' folders for upstream consistency
• Fixes Fix Default Opaque Setting
  • Images meant to default to "opaque" were set to "transparent" instead.
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AD (Commit 0edf341)
• Fixes Windows Boot EFI Variable Handling
  • Windows Boot EFI Variables were not handled properly on Apple firmware
  • This resulted in an inability to boot into Windows on Macs
• Fixes Manual Stanza Handling
  • Linux and "Firmware Reboot" stanzas were not handled properly
• Fixes HiddenItem Handling
  • Hidden items could not be created or managed
• Changes Token Name for Internal Consistency
  • 'suppress_verbose_apfs' to 'silence_apfs'

v0.13.2.AD

• Fixes Memory Management Issues
  • Misc issues mainly introduced in v0.13.2.AA
  • Passes 'MyFreePool' pointer params by reference to ensure they can be set to a NULL value
• Fixes HiddenLegacy Handling
  • HiddenLegacy tags were not being handled when scanning for bootloaders
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AA (Commit bda56bf)
• Fixes "DisplaySimpleMessage"
  • Messages were not actually being displayed
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AA (Commit 183e83e)
• Fixes *.icns Transparency
  • The Alpha Channel was defaulting to opaque black
  • This bug was introduced in v0.13.2.AA (Commit de49af5)
• Improves Upstream Logging Format and Coverage
  • Formatted for better readability and incorporates more key items from the native format
• Improves "ReloadGOP" Implementation
  • Generally updated and optimised
• Improves Volume Type Identification
  • Optical disc drives identified and assumption for network volumes
• Improves Detection of Previously Set NVRAM Variables
  • This helps further reduce unnecessary NVRAM writes
• Adds 'IgnoreVolumeICNS' Feature
  • Speeds booting up by not scanning for '.VolumeIcons.icns' files (not typically used)