Google releases open-source Mac updater software
Google has released an open-source software project called Update Engine that programmers can use to keep their Mac OS X software up to date.
"Update Engine can update all the usual suspects, like Cocoa apps, preference panes, and screensavers. But it can also update oddballs like arbitrary files, and even things that require root--like kernel extensions. On top of that, it can update multiple products as easily as it can update one," Greg Miller, a programmer on the update engine team, said in a blog posting Monday.
The Update Engine project is hosted at Google's open-source site.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 





Thank you for your contribute.
but, see, linux has had this for years...
WU only updates Windows components, adds options OS-specific components (e.g. .Net framework), and does a very limited amount of optional apps (IE7, WMP), security patches - and that's it.
This new Google creature can update existing apps (OSX or not) on your Mac. Kinda neat, like (as mentioned earlier) Sparkle does.
Meanwhile... YUM (RedHat), apt-get(Ubuntu, Debian), up2date(RHEL, old-style, replaced by YUM), YaST (SuSE) and Ports (*BSD) can install any of thousands of new apps entirely, manage/patch existing apps, delete any you don't need, manages system and library dependencies (to avoid the *nix version of ".dll Hell"), and much, much more. On top of that, Ports (again, in *BSD) will download the source code for the apps you add (if the option is present, which in most cases it is) and compile them on the spot for optimum performance.
We're talking Oranges to "Fruit Salad" comparisons here. ;)
/P
- by Gennx30 October 18, 2008 12:23 PM PDT
- and just WHO thinks this a good idea?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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