XF 2.4 Add-on update notifications

Welcome to the first "Have you seen...?" post for XenForo 2.4! As we discussed a couple of months ago, XenForo 2.4 will focus mainly on quality-of-life improvements for admins, moderators and users, and today's first look at our next version absolutely ticks that box.

Occasionally the inspiration for new features doesn't solely come from the suggestions forum and at times we sit up and take notice of what is popular in the Resource Manager. In this particular case, the Add-on update notifier by @mazzly caught our attention as not only being widely sought after but also currently one of the highest rated resources so it appears to fill a need for enough of you that we decided to bring it to everyone.

Once we roll out XenForo 2.4 here, resource authors will find that we have added a new field to resources in add-on categories that will allow you to fill in your add-on ID. When you install XenForo 2.4 on your own forums, your forum will now periodically call back to XF.com with a list of your installed add-ons and their versions and report back with the latest version available in the Resource Manager. Where there is an update available, as demonstrated above, this will be indicated in your add-ons list.

Update checking can be enabled under "Basic board options".

Subject to time constraints, we are looking to add the following additional functionality either before or shortly after the release of XenForo 2.4:

• Improved notifications
• Custom update checking URLs for developers to populate in their addon.json file so if the canonical source of your add-on is on your own website, we can request version details from there rather than our resource manager
• One-click install of upgrades (for free add-ons)

We hope you've enjoyed this first look at improvements to managing your add-ons in XenForo 2.4. As ever, please create a new suggestion if you have any specific ideas for improvements beyond what is mentioned above.

To reiterate our previous comments, the release of these "Have you seen...?" posts will be somewhat sporadic over the coming weeks. We're aiming to get these updates out to you as they happen rather than waiting for the majority of XenForo 2.4 to be complete. But, as it happens, the next one isn't too far away

 

[Arantor]

Can lead people to text, can’t make them read it.

 

[smallwheels]

Can lead people to text, can’t make them read it.

That's the problem with the audience/userbase of forum software. With forum software the spread between "I can barely use my computer and have absolutely no clue of and interest in basic concepts and best practices of running a server" and "I am a professional admin or developer, when I sleep my dreams show up as assembler code and communicating with other people is basically a process of syn-ack, even in real life" (and everything in between these two extremes) is probably wider spread than with most other server software and with a not ignorable part belonging somewhat in direction of the first cohort. One can see this pretty well in the support requests in the forum.

For the first cohort, XF cloud or other managed offerings are probably the best solution and therefor it's good that those exists. If you are hosting yourself you have more possibilities for customization and integration (if you need them), but in any case you should know what you are doing - you have to have way more knowledge, way more complexity to deal with and way more possibilities to shoot yourself in the foot.

In comparison to other server software XF is pretty easy to handle, at least that's my perspective. Which clearly is a benefit but may lead some people to overestimate their abilities or not to be aware of the hidden treasures of self hosting and the responsibilities and risks tied to running a server that is exposed publicly on the internet. Those may have to learn the hard way.

 

[otto]

maybe have some way to display the update text prior to it being installed?

Nice idea, but please only as a option I can disable.
I have to update 3 forums with in every forum around 30-100 addons and often the same - so I am doesnt interested in reading three times the same text.

Can lead people to text, can’t make them read it.

And you think you read more text if you first call the resource manager here on Xenforo for every add-on? Come on - keep dreaming. ;-)

Just ignore the new feature and upgrade to the old method - then everything will be fine for you and also fine for those people who have less time for the old long method.

@smallwheels
And what does that have to do with the announced function? Especially since it has been freely available as an add-on for a while now and nobody has killed their forum with it yet.

You are a forum admin and don't like it - fine, just don't use it. It can be that simple.

You are an add-on developer and are afraid that your users are too stupid? Then don't tie yourself to the RM here on Xenforo.com or make a better Job.

All others can save many time and have a much more up to date system.
It can be that simple.

Or should we still sit in caves and make fires instead of living in houses and preparing food on an induction stove? I'm just saying: with an induction stove you can't see the heat from far away like you can at a campfire... Should we therefore let beginners make fires?

I see reality a little differently - the reality is that updates are more frequent if you use such a convenient update function than if you had to check for each of your add-ons individually to see if there is an update. I therefore see the new function as a plus in terms of saving time and also in terms of the security of the forums.

After all, there are backups for stupid things that are overlooked (hopefully) and if not, then maybe a learning process can begin.

 

[Opus X]

Can lead people to text, can’t make them read it.

if it is forced viewing prior to the upgrade then it is on them if it poops all over their boots.

 

[Arantor]

if it is forced viewing prior to the upgrade then it is on them if it poops all over their boots.

There is a valid case for not doing it because it can be inconvenient if you have several sites.

 

[Opus X]

There is a valid case for not doing it because it can be inconvenient if you have several sites.

if it simply displayed in a pop-up you are talking a few seconds to read most of them.
if someone doesn't have that patience then that is an issue for them.
i am not talking about kicking them to the xf site.
but a simple note prior to progressing with the upgrade.