New version (phone home) check

PaulStoffregen

PaulStoffregen

Well-known member
I designed the Teensyduino installer to be completely stand-alone without any network communication. Same for Teensy Loader and every other part of the software. I personally don't like programs that "phone home". But I've been considering adding a version check, where it would do a network name lookup to discover if a newer version has been published.

I've also been debating whether a new version message ought to appear early, or do it only on "demand" when some error occurs. Also up for debate is whether to nag the user, or only show it when the installer can't recognize the folder or when compiling fails on any library or other files that aren't part of the user's sketch.

This won't happen anytime soon... but perhaps after Teensy 3.5 & 3.6 are shipping and libraries like Ethernet and USB Host are working....

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on this? Is phoning home something we pretty much accept software does these days? Is it worthwhile, if users can be given more relevant error messages advising them a new version is available which might address their issue?
 
I don't mind as long as it is configurable, and it fails gracefully. I might have a good reason why I haven't updated (testing, avoid a new bug, wanting to limit surprises, or even PJRC.com might be down, etc.). I could imagine being in a secure environment that external stuff is tracked and/or forbidden. I also might not have a functioning external network. So:

  • A configuration option on whether to do the check or not (and whether to check PJRC and/or Arduino);
  • Also add a configuration option whether I want to look for beta releases, or just regular releases;
  • Allow the user to say no and it will not lock things up;
  • Allow the user to just do the download, but not do the install;
  • Add an option to check for new Teensydunio and/or Arduino releases, and either download them or install them;
  • Don't lock the mouse when asking for a choice -- I find the new Arduino prompt saying various AVR stuff, libraries, are out of date annoying, because I have to click on the X before I can use the IDE again (and because it pops up sometime after I start the IDE -- but with network latencies, I'm not sure I want the IDE frozen while it tries to phone home).
 
Last edited:
Michael,
Not sure if this is the same thing (libraries etc. out of date) but in preferences.txt there's an entry you can use to turn off the update check:
Code: 
update.check=false

Pete
P.S. as long as the phone home doesn't nag I have no problem with it :)
 
I'm ok with it, as long as it's not annoying.

That said, I usually won't perform an update because I'm afraid of breaking something, and it's harder to troubleshoot stuff when you don't have a version that is working. So, maybe an update that migrates your stuff to a new directory and updates the new directory?

I'm not found of the arduino library update checker, as it annoyingly takes the focus while you are working on something else.
 
It would be nice to perhaps see just a 'check for new version' hyperlink to a landing page where changelog and current version could be downloaded. If you don't click it - it is just another link you ignore.

The link might have current version embedded so when the page shows it can tell you - current or "what's New"
 
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