Auto-update function

[ldolse]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

The original poster 8 months ago may have meant this but I hope the poster that reactivated this thread actually read the thread and understood a auto update wasn't going to happen. It would be nice to have the download start when you click the notification (for install at a later time at your convenience) or a button to check for updates for those that choose to turn off auto notification.

Yeah, I think the original poster was asking for something more complicated - it's the two new guys that I was referring to. Agree it would be nice to have, not sure that will motivate anyone to do it. I run from source, so that basically gives you incremental updates every day.

I also didn't realize that disabling the pop-up would still leave the status bar update - will be jumping on that bandwagon.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't feel the pop-up is that big a deal. It happens only once a week and takes a whole second to get rid of. And it does let me know an update is available. More times than not, I go ahead and check to see what's new right then rather than just delete it.

[Perkin]

I don't get the 'I don't want to Interrupt workflow' argument, when if they clicked update and the new version downloaded and started the installer, they'd have to close calibre for the new version to install properly. That's interrupted workflow anyway.

[Backdraft]

Apologies, I thought what OP meant was an automatic, background auto-update feature ala Steam where there is no user interaction needed.

What I meant was still a update notification, either pop-up or in statusbar, but when downloading it would do it in-app.

[chyron8472]

It's a convenience issue.

tbh, I find having to manually browse through the site and download the whole program every time cumbersome and annoying. Sure, I'll deal with it. Yes Calibre is the best. It still would be nice to have the software set up to update itself, and perhaps to even download only the files that need updating and not those that don't. Most other software does this, I don't see why it's a bother to request it.

You guys make it sound like just because we'd really appreciate the convenience, it makes us whiny babies for not appreciating what we already have and should shut up about it.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

What's not intuitive is the concept that if you turn off notification you still get notified.

+1

if I wanted notify OFF, then I'd want OFF to mean OFF

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by chyron8472

It still would be nice to have the software set up to update itself, and perhaps to even download only the files that need updating and not those that don't. Most other software does this, I don't see why it's a bother to request it.

I remember Kovid saying something along the lines of having to implement a system like that independently for all three supported operation systems would be too much of a bother for him.

[cybmole]

given that updates are released weekly, It should be possible to create a weekly scheduled task in windows task manager to go to site, download , latest, install it.... - for those you object to having to do it manually.... don't ask me how but I bet it can be done!

[Archon]

Yeah, cause clicking that "Download" button on the Calibre page is wearing out my finger.

It is sooooooooooo much work........I am sooooooooooo tired...........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I would rather Kovid and the team put effort into enhancements that are more useful to me. I can click the button for the update, go to the update page and click download and manually install it myself.

It is not that much work.

Happy Friday Eve

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by cybmole

+1

if I wanted notify OFF, then I'd want OFF to mean OFF

I thought that turning it off turns off the popup, and only displays it at the bottom ("new version found 0.7.xx" or whatever it says) instead, which doesn't seem obtrusive to me. Am I wrong about that?

[cybmole]

i side with those who hate self-updating software. esp when the update brings new bugs to the party.

anyone who has pc games linked with microsoft GFWL , which forces updates upon you, will sympathize.

I much prefer to be given the option to update, & then to let other brave souls lead the way.

if it ain't broke don't fix/update should be the golden rule. read the changes log & update only if you want what is new.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by Manichean

I remember Kovid saying something along the lines of having to implement a system like that independently for all three supported operation systems would be too much of a bother for him.

That's what I recall. I suspect it's not that hard for some OS systems, but hard for others. Once you move outside the Calibre environment, supporting multiple OS's becomes much more difficult. It's reasonable to decide on developing a feature based on the total effort to write/support that feature for all OS's, not just the easiest. To the extent possible, Calibre tries to support all its platforms equally.

That said, it is true that repetitive annoyances tend to become more noticeable over time - even when they are pretty tiny. Computers are supposed to be good at doing repetitive tasks and it's a bother to manually do the same thing every time you upgrade ... it's just not enough of a bother for me to do anything about it for myself, even though I'm pretty sure I could automate some aspects of the upgrade process on my platform

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by Backdraft

Apologies, I thought what OP meant was an automatic, background auto-update feature ala Steam where there is no user interaction needed.

.

The STEAM program itself has the worst kind of auto update.

1, it decides to run whether you like it or not.
2. in order to complete update it restarts itself - bye bye workflow
3. there is no rollback to earlier version

all it needs is the final Microsoft style icing on the cake ( as seen on xbox live ) where the program says - OK you can decline to update me but then I'm not going to let you play anymore.
STEAM updates games whether you want it to or not, usually a good thing but not always as games publishers release bugged updates.

another horror story example: I own a program called guitarpro which lost a feature a really liked, a few updates back. ( color printing) - there is no rollback; the tech support say sorry but that feature has gone forever, and the software has limited activations so I cannot easily uninstall + reinstall to go back to the original non-updated version that I liked ( I have it on a backup PC, luckily, but it is inconvenient to have to print from there every time

now calibre's updates are good quality but even so an occasional bug slips through. so please let's not enforce updates

[Archon]

Fight the evil empire cybmole, don't give them your hard earned cash.

"I fight for the users" - Tron

Free the Bits!

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

I thought that turning it off turns off the popup, and only displays it at the bottom ("new version found 0.7.xx" or whatever it says) instead, which doesn't seem obtrusive to me. Am I wrong about that?

This is correct.