kavishdevar
TECHNICAL DEBT- Suggestions to help the project
Hi,
I've had some thoughts about this brilliant project. It must have been really difficult to hack the code together. Obviously, nothing is ever perfect, and getting a working solution has been a great achievement. I was thinking about longer term stability, and asked AI to help refine my ideas, and to add formatting. I hope this helps. If it does, I'm happy to break it out into separate issues.
Just trying to help.
Chris
As the project grows, the complexity naturally increases, and I wanted to open a friendly issue that highlights areas where technical debt has accumulated — not as criticism, but as a starting point for structured improvements.
This issue may also serve as a parent issue / tracking issue, with space to link future issues or PRs that address specific items.
✅ Overview
Below are categories of technical debt currently visible in the project, each with specific action items. Every item includes a checkbox for tracking progress and a space to link related issues/PRs if they get created.
- Architecture & Abstraction Debt
LibrePods mixes multiple platforms, languages, and system integrations, which makes maintenance harder as features expand.
⬜ 1.1 Separate core AirPods protocol logic from platform-specific code
Core logic (AAP parsing, L2CAP behaviour, vendor-ID logic, etc.) could benefit from clearer isolation from:
Android root/Xposed hooks
Linux-specific Bluetooth layer
SystemUI patches
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 1.2 Define a modular architecture document
A high-level view of:
modules
their responsibilities
which parts are stable vs experimental
known fragile integration points
Related issues/PRs: none yet
- Testing & Stability Debt
Given the hardware-dependent nature of this project, a lack of automated tests increases regression risk.
⬜ 2.1 Introduce unit tests for protocol-level features
Examples:
packet parsing
feature negotiation logic
state machine transitions
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 2.2 Add integration tests where possible
Even mocked Bluetooth layers would help catch regressions.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 2.3 Add CI workflows (Android build, Linux build, core tests)
This greatly increases confidence when merging PRs.
Related issues/PRs:
#___ (if already raised)
- Platform-Specific Hack / Root-Dependency Debt
Many behaviours rely on root patches, Xposed/Magisk modules, or vendor-specific quirks.
⬜ 3.1 Document where root is required vs optional
Clearer feature-tier descriptions reduce user support burden.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 3.2 Identify and isolate brittle “hack-paths” in the code
E.g., vendor-ID spoofing, Bluetooth stack patches, SystemUI hooks.
Aim: make them easier to replace or update when Android/Linux changes.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
- Maintainability & Code-Quality Debt
Different languages and environments make the repo harder to contribute to.
⬜ 4.1 Add linting / formatting tools across languages
(e.g., ktlint, Android Lint, clang-format, flake8/pylint)
Related issues/PRs:
#___ (for the static analysis issue)
⬜ 4.2 Introduce a CONTRIBUTING.md
Include coding style, branch workflow, test expectations.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 4.3 Improve internal documentation for contributors
Examples:
dev setup instructions
how to build root module
how to build Linux client
how to test patched Bluetooth stack safely
Related issues/PRs: none yet
- Error Handling & Diagnostics Debt
Several issues report vague failures (e.g. L2CAP errors, connection drops) without clear debugging paths.
⬜ 5.1 Expand structured logging and diagnostics
Including:
debug modes
warnings when vendor-ID spoofing fails
detailed Bluetooth error messages
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 5.2 Add troubleshooting guide in the docs
Common device/OS-specific issues and how to workaround them.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
- Release & Upgrade Process Debt
Some releases require re-flashing or break certain OEM SystemUI integrations.
⬜ 6.1 Define a stable release cycle (e.g. stable vs experimental)
Document which releases are intended to be safe for most users.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
⬜ 6.2 Add migration notes for breaking changes
Especially important for root module or Bluetooth stack changes.
Related issues/PRs: none yet
Closing Thoughts
I’m opening this issue in the spirit of helping the project scale sustainably. LibrePods has already achieved something quite remarkable — addressing this technical debt will strengthen the foundation, make contributions easier, and ensure long-term stability as more devices and OS versions roll out.
Thanks again for maintaining such an ambitious and technically impressive project!
