284597 - allow updates to be downloaded then installed at a later time

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Description

[Chase Phillips]

Allow the user to download updates and queue them up for installation later at
the user's behest.  If multiple updates have been downloaded and queued, default
to having all of them selected for installation and allow them to be deselected
for a customizable installation experience.

Comment 1

[stupendo44]

Can I ask why you would want to do that? You're already required to restart
firefox before they are updated, so it's not like it interrupts your work...

Just wondering where you're coming from...

Comment 2

[Darin Fisher]

Not going to happen for Firefox 1.5 IMO.  Pushing out into the future bucket.

Comment 3

[Jez]

CCing myself.

For those asking why this might be warranted, I suggest you read my summary for bug #335798.  I've tried to provide a very comprehensive explanation there as I know a lot of the team want to shove updates down users' throats, for understandable reasons.  But I'm an experienced user and at least provide me with the option to postpone install until a time of my choosing, if I'm testing code on an older version.

Comment 4

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Hey Jeremy, I've read your comments in other bugs regarding having an update get applied without you knowing there was one queued and have experienced it myself. I'd like to come up with a decent solution to that problem but I really don't think what this bug is about is the right solution to that problem. I agree that experienced users should be able to choose but it shouldn't get in the way of inexperienced users which this would. Also, if this was pref'd off by default you would end up in the same situation where you forget to turn auto-update off... I hear you, it happens to me at least weekly.

I also don't like having ui with multiple updates queued as far as user experience goes and I'm tempted to wontfix this bug.

Comment 5

[Jez]

(In reply to comment #4)
> Hey Jeremy, I've read your comments in other bugs regarding having an update
> get applied without you knowing there was one queued and have experienced it
> myself. I'd like to come up with a decent solution to that problem but I really
> don't think what this bug is about is the right solution to that problem. I

I agree, I think my solution in #335798 would be the best compromise.  If you want to reopen that, go right ahead.

> agree that experienced users should be able to choose but it shouldn't get in
> the way of inexperienced users which this would. Also, if this was pref'd off
> by default you would end up in the same situation where you forget to turn
> auto-update off... I hear you, it happens to me at least weekly.

So what's your solution?

Comment 6

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

The only thing that has come to mind so far is adding a countdown button for canceling to the updater ui... I'm strongly leaning against adding such a button atm especially since there have been a couple of people that want to make the update process faster.

Comment 7

[Jez]

How about keeping things similar to how they are now, EXCEPT that when you go for 'restart later', you can then go to tools | options | advanced | update | show update history, and something there would show the pending update and allow you not to install it?  Firefox would keep checking and popping up the update dialogs, of course, so you'd want to then immediately go and uncheck the 'firefox' box for 'check for new updates to...'

Comment 8

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

That may very well be doable. There is already at least one bug for canceling an update before it being applied as well. It wouldn't stop a minor update when there are no new incompatible add-ons since it doesn't notify in that instance unless the restart notification is seen but this would be better.

Comment 9

[Jez]

Actually, maybe I forgot how things work now... doesn't it go ahead and install it, then tell you on load that it has installed it?  You'd need to first go back to a dialog BEFORE installation telling you that the update was about to happen, and asking whether to restart now or later.

Comment 10

[Jez]

(In reply to comment #8)
> It wouldn't stop a minor update when
> there are no new incompatible add-ons since it doesn't notify in that instance
> unless the restart notification is seen

I've always vehemently disagreed with this approach, not only because it doesn't let me cancel the update, but because when it modifies Firefox, it may modify the binary, which will cause my software firewall to popup a warning saying the binary has changed.  I can't even tell the difference between a silent update and a virus changing the binary.

Comment 11

[alanjstr]

Is this bug still needed?

Comment 12

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

This isn't something we are ever going to get around to doing.