Optimize bundle size by downloading DeveloperDiskImage on demand

[jensstigaard]

The bundle size of the UFADE application are huge, primarily due to the fact that all DeveloperDiskImage's in .dmg format are included covering all iOS versions (between 4.2 and 16.7). It basically adds up to ~98 % of the bundle size.

One solution could be to have a local "cache" directory located under the application directory.
The subdirectory is empty on installation, and then upon iDevices connection and requires a .dmg, the programs first checks in the cache whether it is downloaded already, otherwise it will be downloaded "on demand".

[prosch88]

The current approach allows the bundle to be used entirely offline, as no additional data needs to be downloaded at a later time. For iOS 17 and later, no DeveloperDiskImage is required for the available options - so no additional ones are added.

There are far more iOS versions than available DeveloperDiskImages, and UFADE attempts to use multiple images in succession to find the right one. Often, simply reloading one image is not enough.

When using the Python version (git clone), the ufade-developer submodule can simply be omitted. If necessary, the dmgs can be added later.

Perhaps a “UFADE light” bundle version could be offered that does not include any DMGs. In that case, the images could also be added to the correct locations later.

[jensstigaard]

Yeah of course the suggested chance is not suitable in an offline environment. The current implementation is the simplest one to support offline environments. KISS.
My frustration was simply that the app took a while to download, and with a little digging I explored that all these .dmgs are included, which I find a bit bloated for most use.