[FEATURE REQUEST] Add version‑difference filter/sort in update panel

[SuSuSoo]

Please confirm these before moving forward.

• [x] I have searched for my feature proposal and have not found a work-in-progress/duplicate/resolved/discarded issue.
• [x] This proposal is a completely new feature. If you want to suggest an improvement or an enhancement, please use this template.

Describe the new feature

I propose adding a filter and sorting function in the UniGetUI “Updates” panel based on version differences — specifically major, minor, and patch version jumps. Currently, the panel simply shows which applications or packages have updates, but doesn’t distinguish how significant the update is.

Here are the detailed points of how I envision it working:

• Filtering:

  • Filter for major version jumps ≥ 1 (for example, from 1.2.3 → 2.0.0).
  • Filter for minor version jumps ≥ N (configurable threshold, e.g. ≥ 3), which may indicate software hasn’t been updated in a long time.
  • (Optional) Filter for patch version jumps ≥ M.

• Sorting:

  • Sort the update list by how large the version difference is. Packages with larger version jumps should appear first.
  • Provide sorting strategies (e.g. “prioritize major updates”, “prioritize large minor jumps”, “patches last”).

• User settings / Default strategy:

  • Let users choose a strategy: e.g. “only show major updates”, or “show updates where minor version increased by ≥ N”, or “show all updates”.
  • Persist the user’s filter/sort settings across sessions.

• Version‑difference indication:

  • In the update notification or list, clearly display how big the version difference is, e.g. “Current: 1.2.3 → Latest: 2.0.0 (major +1)”.
  • Optionally allow skipping certain levels (for example, skip all patch-level updates until a major or sufficiently large minor upgrade is available).

Describe how this new feature could help users

• For users who have many installed apps or packages (possibly hundreds or even thousands), this feature will help manage updates more efficiently. Instead of being overwhelmed by all available updates, they can focus on the more important ones (major or large minor jumps).
• It helps avoid unnecessary frequent small updates (patches) that may not be urgent, reducing interruptions or system restarts.
• At the same time, it ensures that important or potentially breaking updates (major versions) are not ignored, which is especially useful for critical tools or production environments.
• It gives users more control over their update policy, making UniGetUI more valuable as a tool for large-scale software management.

[mrixner]

It helps avoid unnecessary frequent small updates (patches) that may not be urgent, reducing interruptions or system restarts.

I know this is a separate feature request, but this one at least is already doable with the "skip minor versions" installation option.

[SuSuSoo]

It helps avoid unnecessary frequent small updates (patches) that may not be urgent, reducing interruptions or system restarts.

I know this is a separate feature request, but this one at least is already doable with the "skip minor versions" installation option.

Hi @mrixner — thanks a lot for pointing that out! You’re absolutely right that the “skip minor versions” option exists, and it does provide some control. I really appreciate you reminding me of it.

However, I feel that this option is quite limited and not very user‑friendly in the context of managing hundreds or even thousands of packages:

For every package, I’d need to right‑click → open install options → unlock → check “skip minor versions” → save, and then repeat that dozens or hundreds of times.

After a while (a week or a few weeks), if I want to disable “skip minor versions” to apply updates, I have to go through all those steps again.

It is usable, but not efficient or scalable when managing a large number of apps.

The granularity is too coarse: “skip minor versions” is a binary / global‑level toggle per‑package, but what I really want is a way to quickly filter or sort packages in the update panel by how big the version jump is (major / minor / patch), so I can prioritize big updates when needed.

In short: the existing feature helps, but I don’t think it scales well for large‑scale update management. That’s why I think a dedicated filter / sort feature (based on version difference) would make UniGetUI much more powerful and convenient for power users like me.

Thanks again for your insight — really great to have this kind of discussion!