CI & Automatic Updates

[the0neyouseek]

This issue is to simplify the debug and release process :

• [ ] Add a ci service to compile and deploy the new releases to github.
• [ ] Add an auto-update feature (with options to enable/disable the auto check for new releases) with something like @macmade/GitHubUpdates

[JoniVR]

I think an auto-update feature would be awesome! I can look into implementing this if you want.

I'd suggest the following things to be in there:

• Automatically look for updates on app launch
• Add a button "Check for updates..." to the menulet
• Add a setting to enable/disable checking for updates on launch

Is there a specific CI service you'd prefer? I'm personally only experienced with TravisCI but I'm fine with whatever.

[the0neyouseek]

@JoniVR Hi, I've used CircleCI which works great with macOS/iOS but anything is fine for me (We could also add a bagde to the readme)

For automatic updates I've found this :

• https://github.com/macmade/GitHubUpdates
• https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle

[JoniVR]

I've used CircleCI which works great with macOS/iOS but anything is fine for me

CircleCI seems to be the more populair choice these days yes. I'm fine with that.

(We could also add a badge to the readme)

Yup, would be useful.

For automatic updates I've found this :

• https://github.com/macmade/GitHubUpdates
• https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle

I wasn't aware of GitHubUpdates before, I've seen Sparkle before. I think Sparkle is generally more used and more supported, however, it looks like GitHubUpdates is a lot easier to implement. So I'm not sure, I found a nice article on using sparkle with github though.

[the0neyouseek]

I also think that Sparkle is the safe bet here as GithubUpdates doesn't seem maintained 👍

[JoniVR]

For the CI part, if/when we get to it, Github CI seems to be pretty good now from my experience, maybe that would be a better option now?

[the0neyouseek]

💯% agree with that

Le jeu. 2 avr. 2020 à 14:53, Joni Van Roost [email protected] a écrit :

For the CI part, if/when we get to it, Github CI seems to be pretty good now from my experience, maybe that would be a better option now?

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[waydabber]

I added sparkle 2 for updates.

[the0neyouseek]

@waydabber Did you find a way to auto-generate the AppCast xml file ?

[waydabber]

Nope, I just added the app side of the things but did not work on automation at all so there is room for improvement. :)

[waydabber]

But as far as I see the appcast xml can easily be edited manually so we could put together a script that automates everything from signing to publishing. But since I could not even apply for an Apple developer membership (somehow my application failed instantly after I enrolled and I should 'contact Apple' but the form offered is broken), I can't even sign or notarize the app so I have hard time trying out the whole process. I hope you or @JoniVR will help. It would be nice if 4.0.0 betas and then stable versions could auto-update (I recommend having a separate beta and stable appcast channel).

[the0neyouseek]

@waydabber I was planning on adapting this script I found : https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/blob/master/scripts/update_appcast.sh

For signing @JoniVR could you invite @waydabber and I to your development team in App Store Connect ? This would allow us to sign and notarize the app I think

[waydabber]

Nice, a script like that would work nicely with the appcast. It would be really great if there were be a simple scripted process to build and publish the app, both as pre-release and release!

[the0neyouseek]

We could use Fastlane for that

[JoniVR]

For signing @JoniVR could you invite @waydabber and I to your development team in App Store Connect ? This would allow us to sign and notarize the app I think

IIRC from my work place, an organisational account requires a D.U.N.S number, which requires a legal entity, not sure though. See: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/

I'd be happy to help with everything else. I agree Sparkle is pretty important.

[the0neyouseek]

@JoniVR Can you not add users to your personal account (if that's what you use to sign) and restrict access using roles ?

[JoniVR]

I think I might be able to do it through App Store connect, judging by: https://help.apple.com/developer-account/#/dev3e8818774

That would require registering the bundle identifier in App Store Connect though. I'll look into it.

[JoniVR]

Reopened because I want to keep this visible until we get it all up-and-running if you don't mind.

[JoniVR]

Nice, a script like that would work nicely with the appcast. It would be really great if there were be a simple scripted process to build and publish the app, both as pre-release and release!

Theoretically, We should be able to create a Github workflow that will be triggered when creating a tag, and then make it create a release based on that, updating appcast etc, but that might be quite a lot of work. Good news is that Apple created a better tool for notarising this year, still have to look into that too.

[waydabber]

Reopened because I want to keep this visible until we get it all up-and-running if you don't mind.

Yes of course, I just bulk closed all with the done tag.

[waydabber]

sidenote - here are some ideas and existing solutions to make Sparkle work from GitHub:

https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle/issues/648

[JoniVR]

Notes on current sparkle to-do (for tracking purposes, step-by-step):

• [x] Manual implementation using appcast.xml inside /docs folder[^1]
• [ ] Automation of appcast update through ci workflow (detect when release is created and update appcast.xml through CI) -> store version etc in xcconfig file.
• [ ] Add different Sparkle channels (stable/beta) along with a toggle in preferences.
• [ ] Automation of the rest of the signing, notarisation & deployment process, trigger through git tag?
• [ ] See if members can be added to my developer account for signing etc.

[^1]: This is using the github-pages branch, don't remove this branch for now as we'll use it to update the appcast.xml without Pull Requests for releases.

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