649703 - Update channel setting not available from the preferences dialog "Update" page

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Settings UI, defect)

Description

[Benjamin Smedberg]

The preferences dialog has an "Update" page. Several people at the platform workweek have tried to find the new update-channel settings from the preferences dialog, but it's not there. I really think we should at least make it accessible from the preferences panel, to avoid confusion of having "update settings" in one place and the "channel settings" in an entirely different dialog.

Comment 1

[:Margaret Leibovic]

I think this makes sense. However, right now when the user switches to a
different channel in the about dialog, we kick off a check for updates, and the
user sees the existing updater progress UI in the about dialog. If we add a way
to change channels in the preferences dialog, we will need to decide what to do
about the update experience.

As a first approach we could just change the desiredChannel pref, and then the
user will get a build from the new channel the next time an update is
downloaded and applied, but that seems like it would be unsatisfying if the
user wants to immediately get on a different build.

Comment 2

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Oh, I just wanted a link/button/whatever for "if you were actually looking for the channel switch, press this" and it would open the about/channel-switching dialog.

Comment 3

[:Margaret Leibovic]

In that case, we could add the same line that we have in the about dialog ("You are on the [foo] update channel.") followed by a "Change" button that opens the channel switcher UI in the about dialog.

Limi, what do you think of this? Do you have a better idea?