Rufus++ v0.2.0

Rufus++ 0.2.0 adds bundled NTFS creation for Windows USBs on macOS/Linux,
Windows legacy BIOS and dual-mode boot support, and faster quick writes that
skip unallocated space. It also fixes persistence consistency and improves
write safety, progress reporting and preflight estimates.

Added

• Bundle the direct NTFS library and private formatter for standard Windows ISO
  staging on macOS/Linux. No macFUSE, filesystem mount or host ntfs-3g installation
  is required for that route; original large installation files remain intact.
• Create supported Windows NTFS media as MBR + BIOS or MBR + BIOS/UEFI, including
  primary and backup BOOTMGR boot code. GPT remains UEFI-only.
• Show the current write stage, percentage, bytes processed and elapsed time
  in a separate progress readout that stays visible on macOS.
• Add writer fault-injection, native file-I/O, direct NTFS and guarded manual
  device-test tooling, with documented field-test procedures.

Fixed

• Quick FAT32 and macOS/Linux NTFS writes now copy formatter-authored initialized
  ranges, including required zero metadata and backup structures, while skipping
  free space. Full formats and ordinary DD writes retain dense semantics.
• Correct ext2 persistence allocation counters and add a UUID-pinned Casper
  shutdown hook so normal live-system shutdown finalizes the backing filesystem.
• Correct FAT32 root-parent directory entries and reserve/handle trailing
  partition metadata without overwriting persistence or GPT backup structures.
• Tighten device identity revalidation, short-I/O handling, partial-write failure
  reporting and completion reporting after flush/finalization.
• Share NTFS temporary-space estimates between preflight and the backend,
  account for both macOS/Linux staging files, and defer quick-write totals until
  preparation knows the allocated ranges. Receipts retain actual outcome counts.

Validation and scope

• The local macOS arm64 build passes all 25 CTest entries, including NTFS files
  larger than 4 GiB and preflight/receipt regression checks.
• Physical Kingston USB tests covered Ubuntu DD readback, MBR/GPT persistence,
  reconnect retention and BIOS → UEFI → BIOS persistence.
• GUI-created Windows NTFS media reached Windows Setup through QEMU UEFI and
  BIOS using the same physical MBR dual-mode USB. Windows guest writes used
  local overlays and the physical backing remained read-only.
• This remains a field-testing preview. Actual PC firmware, Secure Boot, a full
  Windows installation and broad hardware qualification remain outstanding.
  Standalone NTFS formatting and Windows To Go retain separate dependencies.

See the write-test record
for reproduction steps and coverage limits.

Packages built and tested from commit 248de9f.

The macOS DMGs are explicitly unsigned-root development builds for controlled field testing. They run in restricted mode normally and enable physical-device operations only when their bundle executable is launched with sudo. They are not signed or notarized distribution builds.