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Update problem

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May 4, 2008 - 9:41am
#1
SwampCat
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Update problem

Hi Guys,

I just downloaded and install the Standard Pack.
First I found that many if not all Apps are quite outdated despite yesterday download. But that is not a major problem.
The real issue as I see it is: When you go "Check for update..." from within Apps. it brings you to download pages of a Full versions of program(s) - not the portable ones (???).
Now I know and sure can use links on a respective pages for Portable Apps.
But why any given portable App itself does not provide that correct link?

Thanks in advance
Regards

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May 4, 2008 - 10:05am
Bruce Pascoe
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...

It's because all the apps released here are just somebody else's apps repackaged with a launcher that makes them work correctly in a portable scenario. Changing the update mechanism for the apps would require modifying the app source itself, which we don't do.

@John
I'm really starting to think the Suite is a bad idea. It's a maintenance nightmare to keep it up to date, and if not, then you're giving people outdated software that the average user (who the Suite is designed for) probably won't know they have to update. Meaning you could be leaving security holes in the wild. Sad

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May 4, 2008 - 11:57am
(Reply to #2)
Tim Clark
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@Bruce

Bruce,

You make a valid point Sad

New comer downloads latest suite: 07/01/08 on 11/31/08.
Sees several apps are out of date (FFP, TBP, etc]
Intuitively uses apps check for update function.
Gets screwed.

Unless we updated the Suite every 2 or 3 months this would be a recurring event.

Not sure what to do about it,

Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

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May 4, 2008 - 3:11pm
(Reply to #3)
haustin
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Confused...

I'm not sure why it would be difficult to keep the Suite up-to-date since it's currently just a SFX archive (or installer equivalent). If the "release" host had a PortableApps directory of fresh-install official apps, the installer could be updated daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever a suite app got updated. Different suite packages could be easily handled with a directory structure like:

\\ReleaseHost\
   ...\
      Suite\
         portableappssuite.ini
         ALL_APPS\
            PortableApps\
            StandardFiles\
            SpecialFiles\
               Special-1\
         SuitePackages\
            Standard\
              PortableApps\
            Lite\
               PortableApps\
            Special-1\
               PortableApps\

and a portableappssuite.ini something like:

[SuitePackages]
1=Standard
2=Lite
3=Special-1

[Standard]
App1=PortableAppsMenu
App2=PortableAppsBackup
App3=FirefoxPortable

[Lite]
App1=...

[Special-1]
App1=...

So, when FFP gets released, for example, the following would make sure the suite packages were all up to date.

  1. Delete Suite\ALL_APPS\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable;
  2. Run FFP installer for the ALL_APPS location;
  3. Run a trivial script that:
    1. removes all SuitePackages\* subdirectories
    2. reads the Suite\portableappssuite.ini and creates all defined SuitePackages subdirectories, preloading them with files and directories (e.g., StartPortableApps.exe, Documents) from StandardFiles, or from SpecialFiles if a matching package directory exists
    3. copies each app directory named in portableappssuite.ini from ALL_APPS to the PortableApps subdirectory in the corresponding packages
    4. creates an SFX archive or installer for each suite package
  4. Upload modified archives/installers to SourceForge.

The script could be written to modify only those packages that include apps that have been modified (by comparing AppPortable directory timestamps), but it would be somewhat less trivial. Smile

What am I missing? -hea

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May 4, 2008 - 3:52pm
(Reply to #4)
Tim Clark
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Harold, Technically you

Harold,

Technically you responded to my comment and I don't want you to think I am ignoring you.

While I am a moderator in this group I am not a developer.

I am totally unqualified to address these issues.
I'm sure someone will be along to reply to your ideas.

"Run a trivial script that ..." Eeeck!! Shock
"What am I missing?" Uhhhh Pardon

Tim
-

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

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May 5, 2008 - 4:34am
(Reply to #5)
SwampCat
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Hi Guys, The Forum structure

Hi Guys,

The Forum structure is way too weird! Actually I cannot see whom I'm replying to ??? and there are posts kinda belonging to different topic. Current thread has no no structure what soever ...Anyway...
Bruce,
Thanks for reply regarding Update. I am sure that many people were screwed up already by downloading whole Applications instead of Portables. But with some experience after making such mistakes all may settle down :-).
It would be nice to put some Bold Red Add on a FrontPage: "Do not use update from within applications. Always go to respective App. Page"...kinda

Cheers

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May 5, 2008 - 9:43pm
(Reply to #6)
Bruce Pascoe
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It's threaded.

When you click Reply, look which box the Reply link is in. That's who you're replying to, so your post will show below that one and inset.

I prefer flat threads (bulletin board style), myself.

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May 5, 2008 - 7:46am
(Reply to #7)
solanus
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Is it possible to have this alternative?

Instead of having the apps for the suite packed into a single honkin' file, is there some way to have a form with check boxes, that will automatically download the apps in series from the links to the latest ones? The user would then have to individually install them, but that wouldn't be so bad.
Using that, we could allow users to download their own collections more easily. We could also easily set up targeted collections, like an "office" collection, an "artist" collection, a "developer" collection, etc.

I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.

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May 5, 2008 - 1:54pm
(Reply to #8)
chevrolet.racing252
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PortableApps Updater

Once the PortableApps updater is out of beta, why not simply include that on all of the suites and make a note on the suite download page that in order to have the most up-to-date apps, once the suite is installed, the user needs to run the PortableApps Updater to ensure that they have the latest version of all the apps included in the suite.

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May 5, 2008 - 5:36pm
(Reply to #9)
haustin
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Yup.

And the suite installer should offer to run the updater upon completion...

My suggestion was simply addressing the age of the base suite prior to the [auto] update, but would have been better suited to a development forum. Smile

-hea

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