Improvement requests :
K-Meleon Web Browser Forum
It would be really cool if you could just press an "Auto-Update K-Meleon" button like in the other browsers... Not that it'll really be needed later when people don't use the feature anymore, but in the early stages of development where people will be constantly downloading the newest version, that could save us time instead of downloading a whole (large) file of K-Meleon updates again.
Umm, was what I said confusing?
It wasn't confusing to me but its implementation is tricky on multi-user systems (Windows NT and 2000) because not all users can modify the executable they're using. I suggest such a button should only be available (i.e., non-ghosted, pressable) for users that can write to the application directory in such a way that the app could be updated. Self-updating is one of the things some applications get wrong (RealPlayer, QuickTime Player, and others). If Windows NT/2000 had *nix's setgid this wouldn't be a problem.
Oh... are you saying that some users don't know how to update the executable file? Then perhaps you can use a zip file that can overwrite the executable in its location. Well, that's what I think, though (I'm not really a genius in this browser stuff).
No, perhaps I misunderstood your request. I was under the impression there should be a button that would update K-Meleon for you (checking what you've got and downloading the appropriate updates then installing them for you). If that is what you meant, my multi-user warning applies. Such a button doesn't require great skill to implement but it does require knowledge of the pitfalls for multi-user installations. This in turn requires a plan so there's a graceful way to tell the user who pushes the auto-update button: "Due to permission settings on your K-Meleon installation, I can't update it." (or words to that effect). There are other clever things the application could do depending on what situation it comes up against.
If all you want is a button to take the user to a site that carried an archive of updates (perhaps a zip file of the latest source and binary) then that's completely different. Such a feature is essentially a built-in bookmark with a different UI (instead of a list choice or a menu pick, you're saying there should be a button). Something like this already exists in the help menu.
Use this forum to talk about a feature you're missing.
Auto-update K-meleon feature.
Posted by:
Wan Zafran
Date: June 03, 2001 10:03AM
It would be really cool if you could just press an "Auto-Update K-Meleon" button like in the other browsers... Not that it'll really be needed later when people don't use the feature anymore, but in the early stages of development where people will be constantly downloading the newest version, that could save us time instead of downloading a whole (large) file of K-Meleon updates again.
Umm, was what I said confusing?
Re: Auto-update K-meleon feature.
Posted by:
J.B. Nicholson-Owens
Date: June 05, 2001 10:24PM
It wasn't confusing to me but its implementation is tricky on multi-user systems (Windows NT and 2000) because not all users can modify the executable they're using. I suggest such a button should only be available (i.e., non-ghosted, pressable) for users that can write to the application directory in such a way that the app could be updated. Self-updating is one of the things some applications get wrong (RealPlayer, QuickTime Player, and others). If Windows NT/2000 had *nix's setgid this wouldn't be a problem.
Re: Auto-update K-meleon feature.
Posted by:
Wan Zafran
Date: June 06, 2001 01:54PM
Oh... are you saying that some users don't know how to update the executable file? Then perhaps you can use a zip file that can overwrite the executable in its location. Well, that's what I think, though (I'm not really a genius in this browser stuff).
Re: Auto-update K-meleon feature.
Posted by:
J.B. Nicholson-Owens
Date: June 07, 2001 02:16AM
No, perhaps I misunderstood your request. I was under the impression there should be a button that would update K-Meleon for you (checking what you've got and downloading the appropriate updates then installing them for you). If that is what you meant, my multi-user warning applies. Such a button doesn't require great skill to implement but it does require knowledge of the pitfalls for multi-user installations. This in turn requires a plan so there's a graceful way to tell the user who pushes the auto-update button: "Due to permission settings on your K-Meleon installation, I can't update it." (or words to that effect). There are other clever things the application could do depending on what situation it comes up against.
If all you want is a button to take the user to a site that carried an archive of updates (perhaps a zip file of the latest source and binary) then that's completely different. Such a feature is essentially a built-in bookmark with a different UI (instead of a list choice or a menu pick, you're saying there should be a button). Something like this already exists in the help menu.
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