Headless Update / Install when Application is Started
In an enterprise environment it is good to have control over the software that users run to avoid problems such as not all users running the latest approved version of the software or having all the extra features installed. To help with this AVIX can be configured to install and update software from update sites that are controlled centrally.
The functions are setup with settings in the preference file, the same preference file that organizations that use floating licenses usually send out anyway prefilled with floating license server information and maybe some license usage restrictions.
Basically there are three areas of control that can be applied with these settings:
- Control of available update sites
- Automatic installation of new features
- Automatic update of existing features
They can be applied individually, but are designed to work together. Installation and/or update on application start makes less sense if no form of control is also applied on the available update sites as it is from those that new and updated features are collected.
UPDATE SITE CONTROL
Update sites can be controlled via the settings
- avix.update.updatesites
- avix.update.updatesiterootfolders
- avix.update.clearexistingupdatesitesonstartup
For more detailed information about the settings and how they work see the chapters Customization of the installation and Updating settings.
There are options available that allow control of the available update sites without having to do it manually inside AVIX.
An example of setting values when update sites are maintained in a shared folder “Z:/public/AVIX/Current Version” and some extra features are added from a local folder “C:/AVIX/updates under review”. Any other existing update sites should be cleared on startup.avix.update.clearexistingupdatesitesonstartup=trueavix.update.updatesiterootfolders=Z:/public/AVIX/Current Version;C:/AVIX/updates under review
All update sites added directly inside those two folders will automatically be available for use inside AVIX and will be refreshed each time AVIX is started.
AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION AND UPDATE ON APPLICATION START
When enabled new features can be installed and existing features updated (including AVIX itself) when the application is started. These functions are enabled via the settings
- avix.update.updateonstartup
- avix.update.installonstartup
If either or both of these are enabled all enabled update sites are checked for new features and updates. If “update on startup” is enabled existing features will be updated to the latest version found among the update sites. If “install on startup” is enabled the latest available version of all features found among the update sites that are not yet installed will be installed.
While the update sites are checked for updates and new features and during the installation/update procedure users are shown a dialog with a progress bar and they can cancel the operation if they so choose. If features are digitally unsigned or signed with a currently not trusted certificate a security warning/certificate trust dialog will be shown for those features as they are installed/updated. If the user accepts the content the installation/update continues. If any of those dialogs are shown and the user does not select to continue, the installation is aborted leaving the application unchanged.
Example of setting values that enable both update and install of features on application start:
avix.update.updateonstartup=true
avix.update.installonstartup=true
Here is an example video that shows a headless application update setup and use.
It shows setup and an application update cycle.
How to use AVIX automatic update (video)
[Missing video]