Updater not showing up..

[RSilber]

I've just updated to 8.1 on both my PowerBook (non-Intel) and my Mac Pro (Intel). When I select Accordance from the menu bar on the Mac Pro, there is not an option for the Updater, which does show on the PowerBook.

 

I've tried reinstalling 8.1 on the Mac Pro, to no avail.

 

Is the Updater not installed on Intel Macs? If it does, why isn't mine showing? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

-Robert

[Joel Brown]

Do you have full permissions in your Accordance folder? If your user on the Mac Pro is not an administrator, it is possible you don't have permission to write to the folder. In these cases, we disable the updates routine. Try either giving yourself full access to the entire Accordance folder (via the Get Info window) or logging in as an administrator.

 

 

EDIT: Adjusted wording

[Rod Decker]

Hmmm. If the Accord Update feature is requiring Admin privileges, then it's doomed. The average user should not be running in Admin mode. An updater must work in normal user mode to be functional. (Plenty of other software does this, so Admin is not necessary for this purpose if it's programmed right; see Mars Edit or CyberDuck as two exs. where updater works just fine in non-Admin mode.)

 

And if the crashes Bill describes are common, think I'll wait for 8.1.1 shortly... (I've DL'd 8.1, but not installed yet as I track user response to it.)

[Joel Brown]

Thanks for your reply, Rod.

 

Regarding the admin issue, its more a matter of read/write privileges. Most non-admin users cannot write any changes to the Application folder in general. How then would they be able to change any file inside to update or upgrade it? However, we do not necessarily require an administrator-level account to use the updater - just write permission inside the Accordance folder. Due to technical limitations, however, presenting the user with a permissions-requesting dialog for the download and installation process is at this time not possible. I would, however, personally disagree with your statement that the average user should not be running in Admin mode. Unlike our friends in the Windows side, having your main user be an administrator does not open you up to additional security vulnerabilities. For anything potentially dangerous to the system, a password still has to be entered, admin-user or not. This, combined with the numerous problems people often have if they do not have /Applications/ permission, leads me to not recommend people create a separate, non-admin account for use.

 

Regarding the crash, I am in contact with Bill to address the cause and severity of the crash. At this point, no internal testing nor beta testing revealed it, so it is my hope that it is not a widespread problem. Time will tell, of course.

 

Joel

[Rod Decker]

... Most non-admin users cannot write any changes to the Application folder in general. How then would they be able to change any file inside to update or upgrade it? However, we do not necessarily require an administrator-level account to use the updater - just write permission inside the Accordance folder. Due to technical limitations, however, presenting the user with a permissions-requesting dialog for the download and installation process is at this time not possible. ...

 

Why not? All the other software that I use that enables some form of updater do exactly that. They check for a newer version at launch (or a specified period) and if a newer version is found, they throw up a dialog with that info. If the user says "update now," then the download proceeds with a system permissions dialog at some point before the install. Some include the permissions before downloading, others afterward but before the install. So it certainly can be done. There are no "technical limitations" at the system level.

[Joel Brown]

Currently, the framework of Accordance does not allow for it easily. I do agree, though, that the permissions dialog is an ideal solution, and as such it is something that we will continue to look into.

[RSilber]

Do you have full permissions in your Accordance folder? If your user on the Mac Pro is not an administrator, it is possible you don't have permission to write to the folder. In these cases, we disable the updates routine. Try either giving yourself full access to the entire Accordance folder (via the Get Info window) or logging in as an administrator.

 

 

EDIT: Adjusted wording

 

I just checked and yes, that folder has Admin permissions.

[Joel Brown]

I just checked and yes, that folder has Admin permissions.

 

OK, do you keep your modules inside the Accordance folder, as we recommend? If so, make sure that all of the enclosed folders also have full read/write access for you. If you are on leopard, you can set that with the following steps:

 

1) Get Info (command-I) on the Accordance folder itself.

1a) Ensure the 'Sharing & Permissions' area is visible by clicking the disclosure triangle.

2) Click the padlock in the bottom right, entering in your administrator information to unlock the sharing and permissions fields.

3) Ensure the name with the '(Me)' has the setting of 'Read & Write'

4) Click on the gear menu at the bottom, selecting the menu option 'Apply to enclosed items'.

 

Let me know if this helps at all.

[RSilber]

That was the fix...the 'Apply to enclosed items' did the trick. Thanks!

 

Robert