Looking for system to patch a program over the Internet

TeRmInAlCrAzY · 12-09-2002 1:19pm #1

Hi,

I deal with a company in the US that updates a fairly large program over the internet. The market for the program is very non-technical. They have a neat-o update system that downloads the next version of the program, ends the current run, swaps and renames stuff, and restarts.

All well and good, no hands on required from the user.

It's just that it is a large and painful download.

I want to move them towards a patch solution, where only the differences are downloaded, and patched against the existing code.

I've looked into gnu diff/patch, but that raises all sorts of licensing issues, and I don't want to go there. This is a commercial program, and I doubt they'd be willing to go that route.

Anybody know of any solutions?

rgds

Alan

Hobbes · 12-09-2002 3:02pm

Symantic live update?

gnu diff/patch should be ok to use as long as your not using the sources in your program? Calling to a compiled diff/patch should be fine?

And that you supply the gnu diff/patch sources with your software? Read the license agreement. Might not be as restrictive as you believe.

TeRmInAlCrAzY · 12-09-2002 3:19pm

Hmm, Symantec Live Update available for third parties?

/me looks interested....

Let's toddle along to the site and look.

Arg.

Can't seem to find any mention of it.

/me shrugs

lynchie · 12-09-2002 3:32pm

The only other program I know of that would do the job is rsync I have used it multiple times on projects and it is used on production systems for a large multinational bank that im currently working for. It is GNU but it is highly effective and efficient. Its worth looking into.

TeRmInAlCrAzY · 12-09-2002 4:56pm

Hmm, thanks

/me takes a gander.

I don't think that's gonna do it, though. It's for synchronising/backing up unix filesystems, rather than the application I am thinking of.

Our program is a win32 app btw.

'sfunny, just can't find anything anywhere.

Click Help -> update program
It downloads the patch file
exits the program
applies the patch
restarts

You'd think it was simple.

grump

Inspector Gadget · 12-09-2002 5:36pm

A game update I installed recently (Black and White, I think) used something called RTPatch, which appears to be from Pocket Soft Inc.... otherwise, there's always GNU Patch, as Hobbes said, which would probably work out a touch cheaper...?

Gadget

TeRmInAlCrAzY · 12-09-2002 5:50pm

Thats the job, rtpatch.

Coolies

Thanks

TeRmInAlCrAzY · 12-09-2002 6:06pm

Of course, now that I have been shown one solution to my problem, I come across another. :rolleyes:

Sheesh.

The internet KNOWS when you're looking for something, and fluffing HIDES it! Under a flippin mat somewhere, probably! :mad:

Anyway, if anyone else is interested, here you go:

Visual Patch
http://www.indigorose.com/products/visual_patch1.php

True Update
http://www.indigorose.com/products/true_update1.php

Ah well, I found what I was looking for. Yay!

Looking for system to patch a program over the Internet

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