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Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

github.com

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Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#52

Post by marcellus23 »

watk wrote: post #4

This looks great. What would be the equivalent of this on Windows? It feels like everyone just invents their own.

There's a version of Sparkle for Windows. I have no idea why apps don't adopt it.

I am constantly amazed and frustrated at how many apps I use on Windows have the following update process:

1. Pops up an alert telling me an update is available

2. I click a link in the alert opening my browser, taking me to a webpage full of links for different OSes and different architectures, which I have to search through to find Windows Intel x64

3. Wait to download the new version and then open it up

4. Spend 30 seconds clicking through a Windows Installer

Absolutely bonkers, especially considering some of these apps seem to release on an agile biweekly schedule. I usually procrastinate downloading updates because it's such a pain in the ass -- and that's not what you want your users to be doing.

Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#53

Post by kergonath »

whalesalad wrote: post #48
stevoski wrote: post #46

This makes me somewhat nostalgic for the days when I would regularly encounter software that used Sparkle for updates. The days when I’d mostly use downloadable native software for my Mac. The days when most of the software I regularly used had a somewhat consistent UX.

I miss Adium.

Indeed. That thing was a gem.

Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#55

Post by snorremd »

TheAceOfHearts wrote: post #22

Nowadays I just run `brew update; brew upgrade` and everything gets updated, including casks.

Exactly. It is so simple to do `brew install figma` or whatever App you want. Most bigger apps have ready casks to install. Then I have a startup job that does `brew bundle dump --file=- > $ICLOUD/Brewfile`. That way I get a backup list of all software installed with brew so it is simple to install again if I migrate to a new machine (without restoring a Time Machine backup).

Edit: Obviously for users not familiar with command line programs brew isn't that "easy". But for command line people this setup is quite nice.

Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#56

Post by bartekpacia »

Brajeshwar wrote: post #26
TheAceOfHearts wrote: post #22

Nowadays I just run `brew update; brew upgrade` and everything gets updated, including casks.

You might want to cleanup and call the doctor just in case. :-) brew update; brew upgrade; brew cleanup; brew doctor

I always do:

brew update && brew upgrade && brew cleanup && brew autoremove

Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#57

Post by accoil »

watk wrote: post #4

This looks great. What would be the equivalent of this on Windows? It feels like everyone just invents their own.

I sometimes see Squirrel[^1] used in Windows apps. Looks like it's used by Electron[^2], so maybe that's why.

[1]: https://github.com/Squirrel/Squirrel.Windows/tree/develop/do...

[2]: https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/main/docs/api/auto...

Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#58

Post by notpushkin »

whalesalad wrote: post #42
freedomben wrote: post #36

[flagged]

You cannot possibly be serious? This is absolutely brilliant if it is sarcasm. Sparkle has been around for what feels like decades. It was around long before the app store even existed. It has been the defacto way to update apps for a long time. You have probably used it a half dozen times without realizing it.

I've almost downvoted but yeah, this can't possibly be a serious post.

Not yet.

Re: Sparkle: A software update framework for macOS

#59

Post by daveoc64 »

marcellus23 wrote: post #52
watk wrote: post #4

This looks great. What would be the equivalent of this on Windows? It feels like everyone just invents their own.

There's a version of Sparkle for Windows. I have no idea why apps don't adopt it. I am constantly amazed and frustrated at how many apps I use on Windows have the following update process: 1. Pops up an alert telling me an update is available 2. I click a link in the alert opening my browser, taking me to a webpage full of links for different OSes and different architectures, which I have to search through to find Wi…

I tried looking for something like Sparkle on Windows a few weeks ago.

Now I know it exists - thanks!

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