[AmberV]

I don't think that is mandatory, Roel. Some applications have asked for a password, others have not. I just updated CSSEdit a few minutes ago with Sparkle, and it never asked for my password.

[Ward]

I have LOTS of practice managing updates ... on my schedule.

Although I use OmniWeb for 99% of my browsing, I have Firefox handy for uncooperative sites. I find auto-update in Firefox to be its least attractive feature, with an uncanny knack for disrupting the task at hand.

If auto-update finds its way into OmniFocus (or other OmniApps), please let me turn it off.

[soundsgoodtome]

Originally Posted by AmberV

Actually, it isn't "automatic" in the Windows sense of the word. Applications with Sparkle just pop up an alert saying a new version is available (much as it does already). The only difference is that if you want the update, you click "Install" and it downloads everything and updates the program while you run it. A simple restart at the end of the process and it's all done. So really the main difference for the user is that you don't have to go to a web site, download a DMG, mount it, drag it to Applications, and run the program. I think it is also more efficient too, since it only needs to update the parts that have changed as opposed to getting the whole thing every time. I could be wrong on that last one though.

If you don't want the update, you just skip it.

AmberV is totally correct. Every update is completely optional. Those of you who are suspicious about Sparkle have simply never used it. It is absolutely amazing, such a time-saver, and a real pleasure to use. But the user is still in control. If you choose to update, it usually takes about 20 seconds (depending upon the size of the update), then you're right back in your brand-new (updated) app.

(A slight modification to AmberV's post; it wouldn't actually require a "restart"; just a quick relaunch of OmniFocus.) :-)

[AmberV]

Thanks for the clarification. Of course, one needn't reboot their computer. :) Only the Safari 3 beta requires a reboot after installation. And Ward, as described in the other post I made: This is no more intrusive than a dialogue box popping up and letting you know an update is available on some web site. I don't understand what is so bad about Firefox's update anyway? For me, it has always downloaded in the background without me even noticing. Then I get a tiny icon letting me know there is an update, and the severity of the update depending on the colour of the icon. Updates are done at my own convenience.

[mithras.the.prophet]

I'd love Sparkle-type updating, in OmniFocus and all Omni apps. I usually ignore the new version notifications, just because I'm that lazy that I don't want to do the "download, unpack, quit app, replace, relaunch" rigamarole.

[Schlaefer]

Another vote for Sparkle

[BwanaZulia]

Can I vote again? :)

BZ

[Ken Case]

Sparkle provides a feature we'd all really like, automatic updates. But it doesn't include some of the functionality that our software update framework already provides: for example, we still want to collect our crash and system statistics (so we can continue to graph our hours per crash, for example). We've looked at Sparkle several times, and each time we've concluded that it would be simpler and easier to add auto-updating to our software update framework than it would be to try to add our features to Sparkle.

But more to the point, we'd need to have someone drop what they're doing now to work on integrating it, slowing down our progress on the application's core features. We don't want to slow down progress on our core features, so automatic updates end up on the back burner (with us taking some baby steps here and there, like the appcast RSS feed we've added for our current round of sneaky peek builds). It's not that we don't want to do it, we just want some time machines and/or clones so that we can do that at the same time as we make progress on the app itself...

(And yes, we realize that by saving ourselves some engineering time we're causing manual downloading time for all of you. I assume you'd all like to have the app's core features finished as soon as possible also, though I could be wrong about that!)

[Ken Case]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

And yes, we realize that by saving ourselves some engineering time we're causing manual downloading time for all of you.

P.S. — Actually, you can save yourself that time right now (without waiting for us to implement auto-updating) by trying luomat's get-omnifocus.sh script.

[dhm2006]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

(And yes, we realize that by saving ourselves some engineering time we're causing manual downloading time for all of you. I assume you'd all like to have the app's core features finished as soon as possible also, though I could be wrong about that!)

I vote for your working on the app's core features -- until you get the time machine and/or the clones.