Disable auto-update in Joplin? (Important feature is missing)

Wimvan · 2021-11-20T09:08:29.535Z

Welcome!

-> Application
-> Disable "Automatically update the application"

Enjoy Joplin!

imhere · 2021-11-20T10:13:26.029Z

Hi! Thanks for your reply.
But in applications I don't see any such option to disable 'auto-update"

The only options I can see are

Show tray icon
Start application minimized in the tray icon
Get pre-releases when checking for updates
Those are only available options

I'm also attaching a screenshot for reference.

joplin question1329×700 43.7 KB

Why can't I see 'Auto disable' option ?

Thanks in advance!

dpoulton · 2021-11-20T11:02:12.564Z

Running Joplin on Linux?

It seems that this may be important here as I have the v2.5.12 AppImage running on Kubuntu and the Linux client displays the same application settings as your screenshot.

The v2.5.12 Windows client has the "Automatically update the application" option.

Joplin - Options939×339 27.7 KB

This is not something I have paid much attention to. I do not know if it has always been like this or the reasoning behind it.

dpoulton · 2021-11-20T11:32:01.534Z

Out of interest I just downloaded a few AppImages for versions back to 2.0.11 and ran them on Kubuntu 21.10. None actually notified me of an available update so I guess the option is not needed as it does not check.

It's just a guess but the auto-update feature does not actually auto-update; it shows a notification with a download link. This is not that useful for Linux which uses a separate download & update script.

imhere · 2021-11-20T11:42:44.243Z

Hello!,
Yes, it is Linux (app image) - v2.5.12(latest)

IDK what's wrong here, but I've seen the option to disable 'auto update' in Windows OS.
I'm using Joplin on Linux, but I'm unable to disable the auto - update.

Is there any way to this ?

imhere · 2021-11-20T12:00:12.686Z

image998×105 6.17 KB

In the privacy policy, it is mentioned that auto-update is enabled by default.
It also says that 'It can disabled', but I cannot do the same.
It's not mentioned that 'auto-update cannot be disabled in Linux. I want to disable it, but there is no option to do so

There are about 614,972 downloads on linux so far (Source)
I'm sure that many of them will try to disable auto-update (which connects to GitHub) even the privacy policy states that it can be disabled. I want to know where I can disable it.

@ Team, Hello team!, I'm new to this forum, so not sure who I should tag for this.
Anyway, I'm not telling that somethings wrong, I want to know how to disable 'auto update' on Joplin (please refer to above messages also). And also let me know, If I misunderstood something here.

(Btw, this forum says that "Sorry, new users can't mention other users". Does this make any sense ? I'm new to this forum, but I just want to tag the required team members. But this forum is not allowing me to do so )

Anyways, Can anyone please tag the team members so they can see this post ?
Thanks in advance!

whitewall · 2021-11-20T13:04:01.889Z

The inability of new users to @ other users is a spam prevention method. The limitation disappears very soon. It's a pain, but spam is a bigger pain.

I think @laurent or @tessus would be the ones to notify.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, even in Windows having the Automatically update the application option ticked doesn't actually automatically update the application. It should really say something like "Automatically check for updates" if I'm not mistaken. You always have to choose to update, at least in Windows. Are you actually having the updates happen without your approval in Linux?

Daeraxa · 2021-11-20T14:16:43.902Z

imhere:

@ Team, Hello team!, I'm new to this forum, so not sure who I should tag for this.

imhere:

Anyways, Can anyone please tag the team members so they can see this post ?

You don't need to tag anybody for something like this, if it is important then one of the team will very likely see it and reply. The community is very knowledgeable, if the issue is a genuine problem then it will be naturally brought to the attention of the team.

As @whitewall and @dpoulton have mentioned, it isn't actually forcing an auto update, it merely checks for the latest published version and prompts you to download it.

If you check the actual settings code:

autoUpdateEnabled: { value: true, type: SettingItemType.Bool, storage: SettingStorage.File, section: 'application', public: platform !== 'linux', appTypes: [AppType.Desktop], label: () => _('Automatically update the application') },

You can see that it only applies when the platform is not Linux, as @dpoulton mentions, the preferred way is via the script:

On Linux , the recommended way is to use the following installation script as it will handle the desktop icon too:

As the recommended option it therefore makes sense on Linux to not prompt you to download a new appimage.

CalebJohn · 2021-11-20T15:56:41.315Z

Hi @imhere, it looks like you've installed the flat pack or snap version of Joplin. This issue has come up before and at the time there was no (complete) resolution for it.

Essentially, the problem is that Linux desktops have many competing package formats, and Joplin only uses one (AppImage). There are a few packages created by third parties, so they have control over things like auto update.

If you share how you installed the Joplin app, then someone on the forum might be able to help you. But in general the third party packages are not supported by the Joplin team, and you'll need to talk to the packager to get help.

dpoulton · 2021-11-20T16:02:52.292Z

imhere:

Yes, it is Linux (app image) - v2.5.12(latest)

The OP has mentioned that it is the AppImage.

james-carroll · 2021-11-20T16:04:49.584Z

I'm skipping the 2.5.12 release of the snap (it's currently on 2.5.10), so it's certainly not that. If it was though, the answer to stop auto updates would be to download the snap directly (snap download joplin-desktop) and install it with the --dangerous flag, (sudo snap install joplin-desktop_local_file.snap --dangerous), avoiding importing the .ack file that has signature verification that ties it to the Snap Store. Such a snap wouldn't ever automatically update and they'd need to keep downloading and installing like this on their own terms.

I don't think Flatpaks automatically update at all by default.

I'm also very much under the impression that the AppImage just lacks the capability to do automatic update checking at all. There's no UI for turning it off because there's no functionality to do it to begin with, see #4102 and #4096 in v1.4.12

imhere · 2021-11-20T17:04:36.251Z

oh yes, I just forgot that app images cannot be updated. So, that's why there is no such option.
I've one last question,

Will Joplin connect to GitHub 'periodically' to 'check for updates'. It doesn't need to auto-update. Will it do that just to let users know... like, "There is a new version, download the new app image".
If yes, how to disable that ?

tessus · 2021-11-20T20:29:13.117Z

whitewall:

It should really say something like "Automatically check for updates" if I'm not mistaken.

Yes, it should say that. I think the reason why Laurent hasn't ok'ed the change is that all of the translations would have to be re-done.

None of the apps do automatic updates due to some issues with the electron framework doing a reliable update.

tessus · 2021-11-20T20:30:10.045Z

imhere:

Will Joplin connect to GitHub 'periodically' to 'check for updates'. It doesn't need to auto-update. Will it do that just to let users know... like, "There is a new version, download the new app image".
If yes, how to disable that ?

Yes.

To disable uncheck Automatically update the application

Update: on Linux it is missing, so if it is still checking and notfy you of new versions it is a bug.

The entire logic around this is wrong IMO. e.g. on linux there's still the setting to check for pre-releases. This is highly confusing.

What has to be done is to rename the setting and make it available to all OS.

@laurent ^^^

imhere · 2021-11-22T05:06:56.004Z

tessus:

Update: on Linux it is missing, so if it is still checking and notfy you of new versions it is a bug.

Yes, that's why I created this post.

Appimages cannot be updated, but it can check for updates by connecting to GitHub 'periodically' to notify the user to say something like .. 'there is a new version, download the latest app image now'

If it does not check for updates at all, then how can it check for pre-release ? If that is possible, this is also possible.

imhere:

In the privacy policy, it is mentioned that auto-update is enabled by default.
It also says that 'It can disabled', but I cannot do the same.
It's not mentioned that 'auto-update cannot be disabled in Linux. I want to disable it, but there is no option to do so

Also read this message. It states that it can be disabled (checking for update not auto-update).
but there is not such option to disable this, which is opposite of what the privacy policy states.

tessus:

What has to be done is to rename the setting and make it available to all OS.

Yes, exactly.
or another solution is to completely disable 'checking for updates' feature in linux. (if adding the disable option is not possible).

Or, as @tessus said the option to disable the 'auto-update-check' must be made available to app images on linux as well (as mentioned in privacy policy)

What do others think about this ?
Thanks in advance.

imhere · 2021-11-25T11:23:00.761Z

Does anyone have a solution for this ? @team

Daeraxa · 2021-11-25T11:28:44.502Z

Please do not just tag people, particularly not the entire team just to get attention.

What solution are you even after?

imhere · 2021-11-25T12:04:14.483Z

Daeraxa:

What solution are you even after?

Please read the above post and replies.
Refer to the latest reply. It's all clearly mentioned in the replies above.

Daeraxa · 2021-11-25T12:12:50.048Z

I have, which is why I'm asking what is yet to be resolved or explained.

Auto update is not enabled on Linux

Daeraxa:

If you check the actual settings code:
autoUpdateEnabled: { value: true, type: SettingItemType.Bool, storage: SettingStorage.File, section: 'application', public: platform !== 'linux', appTypes: [AppType.Desktop], label: () => _('Automatically update the application') },
You can see that it only applies when the platform is not Linux

IF a linux client is automatically checking for updates, it is a bug

tessus:

Update: on Linux it is missing, so if it is still checking and notfy you of new versions it is a bug

Basically as has been explained, it does not check online automatically, if it did then it is a bug and evidence would need to be provided.
Even the versions that do check online do not automatically update, they only prompt a new download and link to the website.
The "get pre-releases" check box only applies on Linux when manually performing an update check via Help > Check for updates

system · 2021-12-25T12:13:08.196Z

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.