Magic Overlayfs is an innovative solution designed to address the limitations of read-write access on system partitions in Android devices, especially those using dynamic partitions. It utilizes OverlayFS, a union mount filesystem implementation for Linux, to combine multiple underlying mount points into a single directory structure. This allows for modifications to the system partition without affecting the original files, making it easier to manage and revert changes if necessary.
Developed by HuskyDG, Magic Overlayfs is particularly useful for devices running Android 10 and above, where remounting system partitions as read-write has become increasingly challenging. The module ensures that most parts of the system partition, such as /system, /vendor, /product, /system_ext, /odm, /odm_dlkm, and /vendor_dlkm, become read-write, using /data storage for the upper directory of OverlayFS mounts.
For users with rooted devices and Magisk or KernelSU installed, Magic Overlayfs offers a straightforward way to maintain the integrity of their system while still allowing for the flexibility of modifications. It’s important to note that a kernel supporting OverlayFS is required, which most modern kernels do.
The project is open-source and available on GitHub, inviting contributions from the community. Users can download the latest version, report issues, or suggest improvements through the repository.