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Ilja · Apr 28, 2003, 09:19 AM

I think it's time for apple to provide a software updater for third party apps. It's such a pain in the ass to keep track of all the new updates that are coming out of your installed applications.

I know that there were some attempts to create such an app allready, but I think that when apple will build such a thing into Mac OSX it will be widely supported and most apps will make use of it.

RevEvs · Apr 28, 2003, 09:40 AM

yup agreed. Ive always thought that SU should be able to see what apps you ahve on your computer, then update them. Obviously the apps would have to support this.

revs

mitchell_pgh · Apr 28, 2003, 09:56 AM

I agree and disagree...

I think this would be great, but what applications should they support and which shouldn't they support. They would be walking on eggshells with some of the DVD and MP3 applications out there. (the "evil ones" that the MPAA doesn't like) I would rather see the money go towards OS X updates...

I also think it would have to be an OPTION that is NOT turned on by default.

ShotgunEd · Apr 28, 2003, 10:04 AM

I'd find it kind of pointless.

versiontracker.com for 3rd party apps, SU for Apple apps.

RevEvs · Apr 28, 2003, 10:04 AM

My idea is that each app has a bit of info in them telling SU where to get the update from. SU simply scans the Applications folder, and gets this info for each app you ahev installed. It then goes and gets the update from wherever the app info tells it to.

revs

Ilja · Apr 28, 2003, 10:05 AM

I think they shouldn't support a software package themselves. They should provide the tooling/framework for other software vendors to make use of.

Concrete I was thinking about some xml-format like information file which vendors could put on the web somewhere. This file would contain the information about the software, the version history, the latest version, changelog and installation information etc... The url to this xml-file could be added in this SU. The SU would periodalically walk through all those xml-files to check wheter an update came out.

So apple wouldn't be responsible for certain apps that make use of this tool, they just provide the tool. The tool just scans the web for updates.

Makes sense?

Ilja · Apr 28, 2003, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by ShotgunEd:
I'd find it kind of pointless.

versiontracker.com for 3rd party apps, SU for Apple apps.

well, but still you have to track all those applications yourselves manually. It would make our life somewhat easier

My idea is that each app has a bit of info in them telling SU where to get the update from. SU simply scans the Applications folder, and gets this info for each app you ahev installed. It then goes and gets the update from wherever the app info tells it to.

exactly!

gorickey · Apr 28, 2003, 10:11 AM

Give this thread a shot, somebody has done this I believe...

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...oftware+update

Enjoy!

Ilja · Apr 28, 2003, 10:19 AM

yeah, I've seen renew, but I think it won't be used extensively if it's not officially supported by apple. Such an app only works if software developers use it to let people know a new version came out.

Just coming to think of this. Maybe another idea would be to provide standard cocoa-functionality for SW-developers to build in a version-tracking notification type of utility.

gorickey · Apr 28, 2003, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by Ilja:
Such an app only works if software developers use it to let people know a new version came out.

Actually, that's not true. Renew points to a server (currently the authors own server I believe); however, can also link to MacUpdate and more then likely Versiontracker in the future. So once it's posted on-line, it will show up via Renew, the developers just need to make sure they post the update to either of those sites.

Ilja · Apr 28, 2003, 10:39 AM

yeah that would be great, but if I read the thread you pointed to me it seems the developer didn't reach an agreement with macupdate. He know has his own form for developers to let kow of a new version on his site. But I agree: if versiontracker would be supported it would be great

BuonRotto · Apr 28, 2003, 10:43 AM

Most of my apps can check their software makers' sites for updates within the apps. Stone Design, the former Caffeine software, Karelia, Adobe (Acrobat at least), etc. all do this.

ReefHobbyist · Apr 28, 2003, 10:49 AM

I use UpdateRadar which uses MacUpdate to get it's info. There have been a few apps that don't show up on MacUpdate and there have been a few apps that do but the verion numbers on MacUpdate don't match what is found by UpdateRadar in the app itself.

I don't think Apple should create an app for third party software, but it would be nice if they created a standard way of setting the verion numbers within an application package.

An example would be Virex 7.2.1. You would think that the version extracted by UpdateRadar would be 7.2.1 but it's 1.1. The MacUpdate web page says 7.2.1 so this app is always being listed as out of date.

This is just one example where some standards may help.

Scott

eevyl · Apr 28, 2003, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by ReefHobbyist:
I don't think Apple should create an app for third party software, but it would be nice if they created a standard way of setting the verion numbers within an application package.

There already exists that standard way, that info is stored in the "Info.plist" file inside every application package (or inside the resource fork if it is a Classic app). Sometimes developers do not follow the guidelines, so...

ReefHobbyist · Apr 28, 2003, 02:22 PM

Originally posted by eevyl:
There already exists that standard way, that info is stored in the "Info.plist" file inside every application package (or inside the resource fork if it is a Classic app). Sometimes developers do not follow the guidelines, so...

Good point. Enforcing standards is always the hard part about having standards.

Scott

libraryguy · Apr 28, 2003, 02:53 PM

I remember reading on a some rumor site that this was a planned feature of 10.3...but who knows if it's true. Guess we'll have to wait until June 23 to find out.

Leonard · Apr 28, 2003, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by Ilja:
well, but still you have to track all those applications yourselves manually.

Not that I use it, but isn't that what Versiontracker PRO/PLUS do. Don't they automate this.