Plan for Updates (Was: [Gtkradiant] mo' bullshit)

[Hydra]

> feedback welcome obviously :)

Ok, here's my thoughts on what we should do:

first, castrate newbies who bitch and moan :)

second, sort the releases out like this:

Stable Full Release (Everything!)
+ the editor binaries, support files manual
+ common tools and support files (q3map)
+ common plugins and support files (bobtoolz, gensurf, etc.)
+ Quake3 binaries, support files, media, q3 specific manuals.
+ Wolf binaries, support files, media, Wolf specific manuals.
+ and so on for each game we support.

Stable Full Release (Quake3)
+ editor binaries, support files manual
+ Quake3 binaries, support files, media, q3 specific manuals.

Stable Full Release (Wolf)
+ editor binaries, support files manual
+ Wolf binaries, support files, media, Wolf specific manuals.

and so on for each game we support.

Then for updates:

Update Release (Editor)
+ editor binaries and and *NEW* support files, etc.

Update Release (Tools)
+ common tools (q3map)
+ plugins and their support files/manuals. (bobtoolz, gensurf, etc.)

Update Release (Quake)
+ quake3 binaries and any *NEW* Quake3 support files, media, menuals. etc.

Update Release (Wolf)
+ quake3 binaries and any *NEW* Quake3 support files, media, menuals. etc.

and so on for each game we support.

For nightlies:

+ Have an automated procedure that generates a new "full (everything)"
release
+ Have an automated procedure that generates a new release for each update.


Here's the reasons:

Full Releases

1. i don't want to download an "everything" full release, ever, because
there's
   no way i'll ever be mapping for all the games that radiant will support.

2. makes a download smaller for modem users.

Updates

1. We can't release a new editor along with a game update.

   take for example this scenario:

   User downloads an everything release, 1/may
   User downloads a Quake3 update that contained q3radiant.exe dated
1/august on 1/september
   User downloads a Wolf update that contained q3radiant.exe dated 1/june on
10/september

   user would end up with old media + latest quake3 media and modules +
latest
   wolf media and modules, but an old q3radiant.exe (from 1/june)

2. makes downloads smaller

3. lets us release new editor, tools and game updates without having to wait
for anything.


>From a new users point of view, they just download the latest of each thing
and you put a message saying "if you don't know what you need, get the
Stable_Full_Release_(Everything!).zip"

If you're updating from an old version, you skip the full releases (unless
you want to map for a game that you don't have the media for) and just
select the updates that you require.

Now, this is a thought, and I can't seeing it being too difficult, but you
could actually create a web form with drop down boxes that let the user
choose what they want to do:

example:

Please tick games that you wish to map for:
[ ] quake3
[ ] wolf
[ ] halflife
[ ] ...

Would you like experimental releases ? <more info>
[ ] yes
[ ] no

What kind of installation ?
[ ] New install
[ ] Update

<SUBMIT>

User Selected Update Install:
ask the user what games they currently map for and if the new list of games
they want to map for doesn't match up with the old list of games they mapped
for direct them to a Full-Everything release + updates. (or the nightly
full-everything
if they selected "experimental releases")
If the list of games was the same then just direct them to the updates.
(or the nightly update releases if they selected "experimental releases")

User selectes new install:
Direct them to either the Full-Everything + updates
(or the nightly full-everything and nightly update releases if they selected
"experimental releases")

Easy enough right ?

We should stay away from automatic updaters that acutally download and
install
a new version, as ttimo says that's too much work.  However, there's nothing
wrong with a built-in automated weekly check that tells you if there are
updates
(obviously the user must be able to disable this from prefs, and there must
be
a "Help/Check for updates" feature).

Ok, this e-mail is getting a bit long now, comments...

Hydra