desktop_updater

Highlights

• Fixed duplicate macOS Dock tiles after updates by relaunching app bundles through LaunchServices. Thanks to @hobleyd (David Hobley) for the fix in #75!
• Added a bundled-app regression test covering process exit, executable replacement, and a single LaunchServices registration after relaunch.
• Hardened Windows protected update authorization, installer staging, durable recovery, and relaunch verification, including helper diagnostic completion.
• Improved Windows and Linux end-to-end coverage and added a manual Windows production-signing candidate workflow for Microsoft Artifact Signing and public CA certificates.

Windows Inno compatibility changes

This release includes incompatible changes for Windows Inno users:

• Inno updates require privilegesRequired: admin, requiresElevation: always, and Authenticode verification against an explicit certificate SHA-256 allowlist. Unsupported silent arguments and unsafe paths are rejected.
• ReleaseInnoInstall now requires installedExecutableRelativePath and installedExecutableSha256. The release publisher records these values automatically. Manually authored descriptors and direct constructor calls must supply them.

See the Windows Inno installer guide for the required configuration.

Full changelog: v3.1.6...v3.2.0

Highlights

• Hardened cross-platform release publishing with strict hosted-artifact
  validation, bounded transport behavior, and release-surface contract tests.
• Added credentialed macOS publish evidence for Developer ID signing,
  notarization, stapling, hardened runtime, nested target entitlements, strict
  signatures, Gatekeeper assessment, and final hosted artifact auditing.
• Made the macOS notarization keychain optional when the configured
  general-notary profile is available in the user's global keychain search
  list, while preserving explicit keychain support.

Thanks to @Nicoeevee for the production findings and detailed reports that
informed this work. We'd love to keep developing these improvements together
in the upstream repository; maintaining a separate fork is not necessary for
future fixes, and pull requests are always welcome.

Validated with the merged PR's full CI run and a credentialed local macOS
notarized publish smoke using the existing Developer ID identity and
general-notary profile.

Release desktop_updater 3.1.5

Release desktop_updater 3.1.4

Release desktop_updater 3.1.3

Release desktop_updater 3.1.2

Release desktop_updater 3.1.1

• Breaking: remove the 3.0 direct environment/file release-signing command path. release publish, release sign, and release validate now use only the feed-bound desktop_updater.keys.json profile or --key-profile.

• Breaking: make standalone verify profile-backed and remove its direct public-key environment input.

• Breaking: make keys adopt migration-only. It accepts one strict JSON input, preserves the existing key ID, writes a profile, and exports an encrypted bundle; plaintext adoption input must be deleted afterward.

• Add the 3.0 to 3.1 release-key guide.

• Added automatic Ed25519 release-key profiles with fingerprint-derived key IDs and idempotent release keygen setup.

• Added protected local-key storage on macOS/Linux and Windows DPAPI storage without plaintext Windows fallback.

• Added encrypted key export/import, public-only export, existing 3.0 key adoption, and two-phase pending-key rotation.

• Added profile-backed publish, sign, and validate flows; the direct environment/file signing contract from 3.0 was removed in 3.1.0.

• Breaking: require signed release metadata, pinned public keys, expected package identity, and an app-owned durable recovery store.
• Breaking: replace implicit native scheduling and generated transaction IDs with explicit prepare, commit-after-exit, cancel, query, and recovery operations.
• Breaking: publish the ABI2 Windows native and runtime surfaces, remove caller-controlled diagnostics/target policy inputs, and keep the old ABI1 prepare export only as a rejecting tombstone.
• Breaking: remove Linux legacy target proof and require source-first explicit transaction requests bound to the running executable and identity marker.
• Add the 2.x to 3.0 migration guide and a version-aware desktop_updater:migrate --from 1|2 command.

• Added production macOS DMG and PKG artifact publishing, validation, and local smoke evidence flows while preserving direct .app.zip whole-bundle update behavior.
• Added a macOS move-to-Applications prompt for apps launched from disk images.
• Added DMG update staging that mounts a verified DMG, copies the contained .app, and hands off to the existing whole-bundle replacement helper.
• Added PKG update staging that verifies signed, notarized installer packages and hands them to Installer.app without silent privileged installation.
• Added full Windows Inno installer update mode, including installer descriptors, installer staging without zip extraction, Windows helper execution, Authenticode policy checks, release CLI publish support, and documentation for generated and custom Inno scripts.
• Fixed Windows Inno release publishing so custom installer output names stay consistent across the generated script, local artifact, release descriptor, publish manifest, hooks, upload, and validation.
• Documented macOS DMG first-install, DMG update, PKG installer update, and Windows Inno installer support boundaries.

• Preserved Inno Setup uninstall artifacts named unins###.exe, unins###.dat, and unins###.msg during Windows direct zip wholeDirectoryReplace updates.
• Retried Windows staging cleanup after a successful payload copy without rolling back the already-installed update when cleanup still fails.
• Added conservative Dart cleanup for old desktop_updater_stage_* directories before creating a new staging directory.
• Documented the Inno-compatible direct zip update boundary and clarified that the updater still does not download or execute Inno .exe installers.

• Fixed macOS release publish metadata so release.json preserves the top-level .app bundle name while generated artifact zip filenames keep the existing extension-stripped format.
• Added regression coverage for macOS bundle-name staging metadata and cross-platform zip packaging behavior.

• Previewed a Windows protected-directory install fix that treats C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86) app directories as requiring UAC elevation when the app is launched by a non-admin user, even if a simple write probe can create a temporary file there.
• Documented the updated Windows UAC decision path for protected install roots, writable per-user installs, and helper diagnostics.
• Updated the pub.dev description and topics to better position desktop_updater as a Sparkle-style updater for Flutter desktop apps.

• Extended requestHeadersProvider to hosted release notes loaded through releaseNotesUrl, so private update hosts can use the same runtime-owned headers for update metadata, artifacts, and release notes.

• Added customizable support-policy date formatting for localized ready-made UI, with a default YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm UTC display.
• Documented explicit locale loading such as tr_TR, including bundled locale fallback and app-owned date formatting overrides.
• Removed the default macOS CI runner from push/PR checks while keeping the notarized macOS publish smoke as an opt-in workflow.

• Added ready-made updater UI localization loading from bundled package JSON, app-owned JSON assets, direct string overrides, and app-owned resolver callbacks.
• Added bundled starter translations, automatic locale fallback, runtime localization switching, and RTL text direction support for locales such as Arabic and Hebrew.
• Documented i18n setup with JSON schema guidance and screenshots for Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Cyrillic examples.

• Added release publish additionalFiles support for packaging app-owned manuals, language packs, and other external files before platform signing, notarization, pre-package hooks, and zip descriptor generation.
• Added a packaged update policy guide and README summary for optional, mandatory, support-policy, and fresh-install update modes.

• Exported DesktopUpdaterController and core public update result/version types from package:desktop_updater/desktop_updater.dart so README quick start examples work with a single package import.

• Added requestHeadersProvider so apps can attach runtime-owned HTTP headers to private update host requests for app-archive.json, release.json, and update artifact downloads.
• Documented private update host authentication with a short README pointer and detailed publishing guide coverage.

• Added MandatoryReadyToInstallBehavior for dialog-based mandatory update flows so apps can choose the default Save first prompt or restart without an extra confirmation.
• Fixed UpdateDialogListener mandatory Save first handling so it dismisses the modal update flow and lets the user return to the app to save work.

• Added mandatory ready-to-install UX that preserves mandatory state after staging and shows Save first plus Restart.
• Added supportPolicy for minimum supported app versions with warning-before-deadline and blocking-after-deadline ready-made UI.
• Added freshInstall metadata, ready-made fresh-install UI, external download launching, and release publish flags.
• Added release publish help and validation for support-policy and fresh-install flags.

• Fixed Linux zip staging so Unix permission bits are restored from the update archive, preserving executable bundle files before native relaunch.
• Added a Linux native helper fallback that restores the target executable bit after replacement and rolls back if relaunch would be impossible.
• Documented Linux zip permission expectations for apps that produce update artifacts outside release publish.

• Added release publish --dart-define support so build-time Dart environment values are forwarded to flutter build.

• Added optional release notes support for update UIs through releaseNotesUrl, releaseNotesLoader, releaseNotesState, and loadReleaseNotes().
• Added public release notes models that keep the simple { "data": [{ "type", "message" }] } format supported while allowing richer sections, summaries, and item metadata.
• Added a built-in Material release notes bottom sheet and wired the ready-made update card to show a release notes action when notes are available.
• Added example custom release notes UIs for inline panels, side sheets, and changelog pages.
• Fixed the release notes bottom sheet so its first load starts after the route has built, avoiding build-time listener notifications.

• Added opt-in update diagnostics sinks with redacted log formatting for app-owned lifecycle logs.
• Added app-owned install recovery markers and post-relaunch failure reports for native install handoff.
• Added explicit native helper diagnostics log paths for macOS, Windows, and Linux helper events.
• Added Windows and Linux CI smoke diagnostics artifacts for failed or explicitly requested diagnostics runs.
• Documented the native helper diagnostics and recovery support flow in the README and product docs.

• Added release publish --mandatory so generated app-archive.json items can mark updates as mandatory while keeping the default optional.
• Fixed Windows staged updates to refresh the uninstall display version metadata after installation.

• Fixed Windows release publish builds so the CLI invokes flutter build windows --release through shell-aware process resolution.

• Fixed notarized macOS release publish so nested Flutter frameworks are signed before the outer .app, then verified through notary, stapler, and Gatekeeper before packaging.
• Added user-facing release publish smoke coverage for Windows, Linux, and opt-in notarized macOS CI so release smoke tests exercise the same publish command users run.

• Hardened update selection so app-archive.json entries must match the downloaded release.json version, build number, platform, and channel.
• Hardened release validate to reject hosted descriptor identity mismatches before accepting a published update.
• Rejected top-level staged macOS .app symlinks and rechecked the staged app inside the native install helper before replacement.
• Pruned Windows and Linux whole-directory targets before copying the staged update, preventing stale files from surviving replacement.

• Added the high-level dart run desktop_updater:release publish flow for building, packaging, manifest generation, manual upload packages, provider upload, and hosted validation.
• Added dart run desktop_updater:release validate to simulate an older installed version, select an update, fetch release.json, download the artifact, and verify length and SHA-256.
• Added release publish upload providers for manual, S3-compatible storage, SFTP, FTP, and custom commands.
• Added ready-made update UI surfaces, manual update check result helpers, and screenshots for the stock card, sliver, dialog, and custom state-driven UI.
• Added explicit macOS notarization opt-in for release publish --platform macos --notarize and macos.notarize: true.
• Added publishing documentation for minimum setup, provider config, macOS production trust, and Windows/Linux production release options.

Adds dart run desktop_updater:migrate for 1.x to 2.0 migration previews, safe edits, CI check mode, and manual findings. Documents the automated migration flow in the README and migration guide.

• Promoted the zip-first 2.0 release contract: app-archive.json points to release.json, and release.json points to one verified zip artifact.
• Added shared Dart update checks, artifact verification, safe staging, typed update state, and zip-first package/verify CLI entrypoints.
• Added native install scheduling for macOS whole-app replacement, Windows locked-file replacement, and Linux directory replacement with rollback-focused smoke coverage.
• Added macOS hosted update smoke hooks, explicit unsigned macOS release-mechanics opt-out, and documentation separating release mechanics from production-trusted publisher gates.
• Added Windows and Linux Release CI gates for build, native tests, integration tests, and update smoke.
• Made 2.0 buildNumber metadata optional in release indexes, release descriptors, and the zip-first package CLI.

• Fixed version comparison so archive build metadata is not treated as newer when the installed app does not expose a build number.
• Added explicit allowUnsignedMacOSUpdates opt-out for owners who need unsigned macOS Release update mechanics while keeping signed, notarized, stapled updates as the default production-trusted path.
• Made 2.0 buildNumber metadata optional in release indexes, release descriptors, and the zip-first package CLI.

• Added skipInitialVersionCheck to DesktopUpdaterController so apps can initialize the controller without immediately checking for updates.
• Kept skipCheckVersion as a deprecated alias for the same behavior.

• Added support for Flutter versions without build metadata in update checks and release tooling.
• Kept build-number based ordering for existing archives while allowing semantic version fallback when shortVersion is omitted.
• Fixed Windows ProductVersion parsing so versions like 1.2.3 no longer throw, while malformed values like 1.2.3+ still fail.

• Added macOS release manifests, content-addressed gzip payloads, and ditto full ZIP fallback archives for .app bundles.
• Added macOS staged app verification for SHA-256 hashes, file modes, symlinks, unexpected files, bundle identifiers, Team IDs, code signatures, Gatekeeper, and stapler validation.
• Changed macOS releases to publish artifact directories instead of raw .app trees or ZIP-only updates.
• Reworked the update pipeline around verified temporary staging directories.
• Added native macOS and Windows install helpers that wait for the app to exit before replacing files.
• Added hash/length verification for downloaded files and normalized archive paths for Windows-hosted files.
• Added support for removing files that no longer exist in the target version.

• Revert fix macOS issues, sorry for the inconvenience, do not use 1.2.0 for macOS

• Fix macOS issues (thanks to @TheFilyng)

• Fix download and skip this version localization and add colors

• Fix alert dialog skip condition

• Add alert dialog option

• Add custom direct widget for theme colors

• Fix mandotory skip issue

• Lower macOS platform requirement to 10.14
• Add DesktopUpdateSliver widget
• Update version to 1.0.2

• Add repository link to pubspec.yaml
• Add example visual to README.md

• First version of plugin