Updaters Support

FaynoSync is designed as a universal platform for application management and updates. The updaters feature allows FaynoSync to work with different update mechanisms and adapt its response or workflow to ensure smooth and proper client application updates.

Overview

Different applications use various update mechanisms, each with their own protocols and expected server responses. FaynoSync's updaters system allows you to configure how the platform responds to update requests based on the specific updater type being used.

Supported Updaters

Updater Type	Description	Use Case	Generates Files	Special Requirements
manual	Standard FaynoSync update flow	Default updater, works with custom update logic	No	None
squirrel_darwin	Squirrel macOS update mechanism	Applications using Squirrel for macOS updates	No	None
squirrel_windows	Squirrel Windows update mechanism	Applications using Squirrel for Windows updates	Yes (RELEASES)	None
electron-builder	Electron Builder update mechanism	Electron applications using electron-builder	Yes (*.yml)	None
tauri	Tauri update mechanism	Tauri applications with built-in updater	No	Requires signature field

info

More updaters will be added as FaynoSync continues to evolve as a universal update platform.

Platform Configuration

Updaters are configured at the platform level. Each platform can have multiple updaters configured, with one designated as the default.

Updater Configuration Structure

{
  "type": "updater_type",
  "default": boolean
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
type	string	✅	The updater type (manual, squirrel_darwin, squirrel_windows, electron-builder, tauri)
default	boolean	❌	Whether this updater is the default for the platform (only one can be default)

Example Platform Configuration

{
  "id": "689f076f9ed9e38071926986",
  "platform": "darwin",
  "updaters": [
    { "type": "manual", "default": true },
    { "type": "squirrel_darwin", "default": false },
    { "type": "electron-builder" },
    { "type": "tauri" }
  ]
}

warning

Only one updater can be set as default per platform. If no updaters are specified during platform creation, manual will be automatically set as default.

Updater-Specific Behaviors

Manual Updater (Default)

The standard FaynoSync update flow with custom update logic.

Response Format:

• Standard JSON response with update_url_(extension) field
• Compatible with custom update mechanisms

Squirrel Darwin (macOS)

Returns only ZIP archive links for macOS Squirrel updates.

Key Changes:

• Response contains url field instead of update_url_zip
• Only ZIP archive links are returned
• Optimized for Squirrel macOS update mechanism

Squirrel Windows

Uses URL-based routing instead of query parameters for Windows Squirrel updates.

URL Format:

GET /update/{owner}/{app_name}/{channel}/{platform}/{arch}/{version}/

Example:

curl --location 'http://localhost:9000/update/admin/secondapp/stable/windows/amd64/0.0.0.1/'

note

Squirrel Windows automatically appends RELEASES to the end of the URL and checks for updates.

Electron Builder

Returns YAML content required for electron-builder updates.

Response Format:

• YAML configuration files
• Compatible with electron-builder update mechanism

Tauri

Supports Tauri applications with built-in updater functionality.

Key Features:

• Compatible with Tauri's built-in updater
• Supports cryptographic signature verification
• Returns standard JSON response format
• Requires signature field for security validation

Signature Requirement: Tauri updater requires cryptographic signatures for update verification. When uploading Tauri applications, you must include a signature field in the upload request. This signature is generated by Tauri's build process and ensures update integrity and authenticity.

Response Format:

• Standard JSON response with download URLs
• Includes signature information for update verification
• Compatible with Tauri updater API expectations

File Generation and Artifact Isolation

Some updaters generate special files that contain package names and update information:

Updaters That Generate Files

Updater	Generated Files	Purpose
squirrel_windows	RELEASES	Contains package names and metadata for Squirrel Windows updates
electron-builder	*.yml	Contains package information and update metadata for electron-builder

Upload with Updater Parameter

When uploading applications for updaters that generate files, you can specify the updater parameter in the upload request. This ensures that all uploaded files are placed in an isolated folder specific to that updater.

Upload Request with Updater (Squirrel Windows):

curl -X POST --location 'http://localhost:9000/upload' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <jwt_token>' \
--form 'file=@"/path_to_file/myapp.exe"' \
--form 'file=@"/path_to_file/RELEASES"' \
--form 'data="{\"app_name\":\"myapp\",\"version\":\"0.0.1\",\"channel\":\"stable\",\"publish\":true,\"platform\":\"windows\",\"arch\":\"amd64\",\"updater\":\"squirrel_windows\",\"changelog\":\"### Changelog\\n\\n- Added new feature X\\n- Fixed bug Y\"}"'

Upload Request with Updater (Tauri):

curl -X POST --location 'http://localhost:9000/upload' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <jwt_token>' \
--form 'file=@"/path_to_file/myapp.app.tar.gz"' \
--form 'data="{\"app_name\":\"myapp\",\"version\":\"1.0.0\",\"channel\":\"stable\",\"publish\":true,\"platform\":\"darwin\",\"arch\":\"amd64\",\"updater\":\"tauri\",\"signature\":\"dW50cnVzdGVkIGNvbW1lbnQ6IHNpZ25hdHVyZSBmcm9tIHRhdXJpIHNlY3JldCBrZXkKUlVUUzIzUGJLcHpQNHdCVEJzTXJjbWFhUUdUVEtaUGRLdGhWdGZJZkF2VmM0TzJGMkdPQUk4V1hzYWJuUUhWbWI2cTFWTkhEZE9lbkVwUERCQmhRPT0K\",\"changelog\":\"### Changelog\\n\\n- Added new feature X\\n- Fixed bug Y\"}"'

Benefits of Updater-Specific Uploads:

1. Isolated Artifacts: Files are stored in separate folders for each updater type
2. Clean Organization: Prevents conflicts between different updater file formats
3. Proper File Structure: Ensures generated files (RELEASES, *.yml) are properly organized
4. Update Compatibility: Guarantees that update mechanisms receive the correct file structure

File Structure Example

When using updater-specific uploads, files are organized as follows:

/updater/myapp/stable/windows/amd64/0.0.1/
├── myapp.exe
├── RELEASES (for squirrel_windows)
└── latest.yml (for electron-builder)

Using Updaters in API Calls

Check Latest Version with Specific Updater

To get a response in a specific updater format, add the updater parameter to your request:

# Standard request (uses default updater)
curl -X GET 'http://localhost:9000/checkVersion?app_name=myapp&version=1.0.0&channel=stable&platform=windows&arch=amd64&owner=admin'

# Request with specific updater (Electron Builder)
curl -X GET 'http://localhost:9000/checkVersion?app_name=myapp&version=1.0.0&channel=stable&platform=windows&arch=amd64&owner=admin&updater=electron-builder'

# Request with Tauri updater
curl -X GET 'http://localhost:9000/checkVersion?app_name=myapp&version=1.0.0&channel=stable&platform=darwin&arch=amd64&owner=admin&updater=tauri'

Frontend Dashboard

The FaynoSync frontend dashboard provides a user-friendly interface for configuring updaters:

• Platform Management: Configure updaters when creating or updating platforms
• Visual Configuration: Easy-to-use interface for setting default updaters
• Real-time Testing: Test different updater configurations

tip

While the API provides full control, the frontend dashboard is recommended for easier management of updater configurations.

Best Practices

1. Choose Appropriate Updaters: Select updaters that match your application's update mechanism
2. Set Default Updater: Always designate one updater as default for each platform
3. Use Updater Parameter for Uploads: When uploading files for updaters that generate special files, always include the updater parameter
4. Test Configurations: Verify that your updater configuration works with your client applications
5. Monitor Updates: Use the dashboard to monitor update success rates for different updaters
6. File Organization: Keep generated files (RELEASES, *.yml) organized by using updater-specific uploads