samuel12321/autoupdatecomponent

A library for enabling automatic updates for sideloaded UWP apps

Dwrandaz.AutoUpdateComponent

This is an auto-update mechanism for UWP apps, it uses a background task to update the package.

How to use

1. Install the nuget package: Dwrandaz.AutoUpdateComponent
2. Set minimum version of the app to 1803
3. Open the package manifest .appmanifest file of the main app and declare an app service:
   • Name: The default values is Dwrandaz.AutoUpdate. However, you can change it to any name you like but you should note that this name is important and it should be passed to AutoUpdateManager.TryToUpdateAsync if you don't use the default name.
   • Entry point: Dwrandaz.AutoUpdateComponent.UpdateTask
4. Right click on the package manifest .appmanifest file and click on View Code.
5. Add this namespace declaration: xmlns:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities"
6. Add rescap to the IgnorableNamespaces, for example: IgnorableNamespaces="uap mp rescap"
7. Inside the Package tag, make sure these elements exist:

<Capabilities>
    <Capability Name="internetClient" />
    <rescap:Capability Name="packageManagement" />
</Capabilities>

For more information, take a look at the sample apps manifest file.

8. Example usage:

var path = "http://localhost:5000/install/AwesomeApp.appinstaller";
var info = await AutoUpdateManager.CheckForUpdatesAsync(path);
if (!info.Succeeded)
{
    // There was an error in getting the update information from the server
    // use info.ErrorMessage to get the error message
    return;
}

if (!info.ShouldUpdate)
{
    // The app is already up-to-date :)
    return;
}

// You can use info.MainBundleVersion to get the update version

var result = await AutoUpdateManager.TryToUpdateAsync(info);
if (!result.Succeeded)
{
    // There was an error in updating the app
    // use result.ErrorMessage to get the error message
    return;
}

// Success! The app was updated, it will restart soon!

See the Sample app for a concrete example.

Creating update packages

1. Make sure you select the Release configuration
2. Right click on the main app project and click Store > Create App Packages...
3. Select I want to create packages for sideloading.And check the Enable automatic updates checkbox
4. Click on Next
5. Check the Automatically Incremenent checkbox under version.
6. Select Always under Generate App bundle
7. Click on Next
8. Write the update location path and Select Check every 1 Week or more so that the native auto-update mechanism doesn't mess with our auto-update mechanism
9. Click on Create

Configuring the IIS server

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/packaging/web-install-iis

Troubleshooting

• Before using the library, make sure your web app (that's serving the update package) works correctly. To do this, try to manually update the app by going to your web app and clicking on install and then clicking on update. This will help you avoid a lot of head ache.
• Configuring your web app can take quite some time. Instead use a free Azure Web App and upload your package via FTP. Azure Blob Storage works great too. It's also much faster than Azure App Service.
• Kiosk Mode Problems: take a look at #2. If you have any other tips, let me know or better yet send a pull request :)

More information

• https://mazeez.dev/posts/update-sideloaded-uwp

• https://mazeez.dev/posts/uwp-devops

• https://mazeez.dev/posts/update-sideloaded-uwp-2

• https://matthijs.hoekstraonline.net/2016/09/27/auto-updater-for-my-side-loaded-uwp-apps/

• http://blog.infernored.com/how-to-push-updates-to-raspberry-pi-uwp-apps-in-prod

• https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Inside-Windows-Platform/Exposing-and-Calling-App-Services-from-your-UWP-app

• https://github.com/AutomatedArchitecture/sirenofshame-uwp/blob/develop/SirenOfShame.Uwp.Maintenance/Services/BundleService.cs