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Update the README file.

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* Re-organize the sections into a more logical order.
 * Tidy-up the wording of the introduction.
 * Add more details to the section on customizing the updater
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Robert Knight 2011-09-04 12:26:39 +01:00
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README
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@ -2,55 +2,52 @@ This tool is a component of a cross-platform auto-update system.
It is responsible for performing the installation of an update after It is responsible for performing the installation of an update after
the necessary files have been downloaded to a temporary directory. the necessary files have been downloaded to a temporary directory.
This tool is responsible for: It was originally written for use with Mendeley Desktop (see www.mendeley.com)
* Reading an XML file specifying the contents of an update. The tool consists of a single small binary which performs update installation,
an XML file format describing the contents of an update (an 'update script')
* Extracting and installing updated files from one or more compressed packages. and a tool to create update scripts from a directory containing an installed application.
* Removing any files which are no longer needed in the new version of the application.
* Requesting elevated priviledges if required to install the update.
* Displaying a simple updater UI and re-launching the main application
once the update is installed.
The tool consists of a single small binary which depends only on libraries
that are part of the base system.
The external dependencies of the updater binary are:
* The C/C++ runtime libraries (Linux, Mac),
* pthreads (Linux, Mac),
* zlib (Linux, Mac)
* native UI library (Win32 API on Windows, Cocoa on Mac, GTK on Linux if available)
To perform an update, the application (or another separate tool) needs to download To perform an update, the application (or another separate tool) needs to download
the updater binary, an XML file describing the update and one or more zip packages the updater binary, an update script and one or more compressed packages
containing the files for the update to a temporary directory. It then needs containing the files for the update to a temporary directory. It then needs
to invoke the updater, specifying the installation directory, temporary package to invoke the updater, specifying the location where the application is installed,
directory and path to the update script file. The updater then installs the the location of the compressed packages and the path to the update script.
update and restarts the application when done.
Once the updater has been started, it:
1. Waits for the application to exit
2. Acquires the necessary priviledges to install the updates, prompting
the user if necessary.
3. Installs the updates, displaying progress to the user in a small dialog
4. Performs cleanup and any additional actions required as part of the update
5. Starts the new version of the main application.
In the event of a failure during the update, the installation is rolled back
to its previous state and a message is presented to the user.
Building the Updater Building the Updater
==================== ====================
Create a new directory for the build and from that directory run: Create a new directory for the build and from that directory run:
cmake <path to source directory> cmake <path to source directory>
make make
Customizing the Updater The updater binary will be built in the src/ directory.
=======================
To customize the application name, organization and messages displayed by the updater, You should also run the tests in src/tests to verify that the updater is
edit the AppInfo class and the icons in src/resources functioning correctly.
Preparing an Update Preparing an Update
=================== ===================
1. Create a directory containing your application's files, 1. Create a directory containing your application's files,
laid out and with the same permissions as they would be when installed. laid out in the same way and with the same permissions as they would be when installed.
2. Create a config file specifying how the application's files should be 2. Create a config file specifying how the application's files should be
partitioned into packages - see tools/config-template.json partitioned into packages - see tools/config-template.json
@ -65,14 +62,63 @@ Preparing an Update
relevant packages, file_list.xml file and updater binary to a temporary relevant packages, file_list.xml file and updater binary to a temporary
directory and invoke the updater. directory and invoke the updater.
Delta Updates Invoking the Updater
============= ====================
The simplest possible auto-update implementation is for existing installs Once the application has downloaded an update, it needs to invoke it. The syntax is:
updater --install-dir <install-dir> --package-dir <package-dir> --script <script file>
Where <install-dir> is the directory which the application is installed into,
<package-dir> is the directory containing the packages required for the update
and <script> is the file_list.xml file describing the update.
Once the updater has run, it will launch the file specified in the file_list.xml file
as being the main application binary.
See the updater test in src/tests/test-update.rb for an example
of how to invoke the updater.
You should design the process used to download and launch the updater so that new
versions of the updater itself can be delivered as part of the update if necessary.
Customizing the Updater
=======================
To customize the application name, organization and messages displayed by the updater:
1. Edit the AppInfo class (in AppInfo.h, AppInfo.cpp) to set the name
of the application and associated organization.
2. Replace the icons in src/resources
3. Change the product name and organization in src/resources/updater.rc
4. If you are building the updater on Windows and have a suitable Authenticode
certificate, use it to sign the Windows binary. This will make the application
show a less scary UAC prompt if administrator permissions are required
to complete the installation.
Updater Dependencies
====================
The external dependencies of the updater binary are:
* The C/C++ runtime libraries (Linux, Mac),
* pthreads (Linux, Mac),
* zlib (Linux, Mac)
* native UI library (Win32 API on Windows, Cocoa on Mac, GTK on Linux if available)
Full and Delta Updates
======================
The simplest auto-update implementation is for existing installs
to download a complete copy of the new version and install it. This is to download a complete copy of the new version and install it. This is
appropriate if a full download and install will not take a long time for most users appropriate if a full download and install will not take a long time for most users
(eg. if the application is small or they have a fast internet connection). (eg. if the application is small or they have a fast internet connection).
With this tool, a full-update involves putting all files in a build of
the application into a single package.
To reduce the download size, delta updates can be created which only include To reduce the download size, delta updates can be created which only include
the necessary files or components to update from the old to the new version. the necessary files or components to update from the old to the new version.