update-electron-app
A drop-in module that adds autoUpdating capabilities to Electron apps
Powered by the free and open-source update.electronjs.org service.
Requirements
Before using this module, make sure your Electron app meets these criteria:
- Your app runs on macOS or Windows
- Your app has a public GitHub repository
- Your builds are published to GitHub Releases
- Your builds are code signed
Installation
npm i update-electron-app
Usage
Drop this anywhere in your main process:
require('update-electron-app')()
That's it! Here's what happens by default:
- Repository URL is found in your app's
package.jsonfile. - Your app will check for updates at startup, then every ten minutes. This interval is configurable.
- No need to wait for your app's
readyevent; the module figures that out. - If an update is found, it will automatically be downloaded in the background.
- When an update is finished downloading, a dialog is displayed allowing the user to restart the app now or later.
You can also specify custom options:
require('update-electron-app')({
repo: 'github-user/repo',
updateInterval: '1 hour',
logger: require('electron-log')
})
API
update(options)
Options:
repoString (optional) - A GitHub repository in the formatowner/repo. Defaults to yourpackage.json's"repository"fieldhostString (optional) - Defaults tohttps://update.electronjs.orgupdateIntervalString (optional) - How frequently to check for updates. Defaults to10 minutes. Minimum allowed interval is5 minutes.loggerObject (optional) - A custom logger object that defines alogfunction. Defaults toconsole. See electron-log, a module that aggregates logs from main and renderer processes into a single file.notifyUserBoolean (optional) - Defaults totrue. When enabled the user will be
prompted to apply the update immediately after download.
FAQ
What kinds of assets do I need to build?
For macOS, you'll need to build a .zip file and include it in your GitHub Release.
Use electron-forge or electron-installer-zip to package your app as a zip.
For Windows, you'll need to build a .exe file and include it in your GitHub Release.
Why is my app launching multiple times?
Windows apps have an update process that requires multiple application restarts.
You can use the electron-squirrel-startup module to improve this
behavior.
Can I use this module by uploading my private app's builds to a public GitHub repository?
Yes :)
License
MIT
See Also
If your app is packaged with electron-builder, you may not need this module.
Builder has its own built-in mechanism for updating apps. Find out more at
electron.build/auto-update.