[wpkg-users] Howto monitor software upates

[Falko Trojahn]

Hello Ralf,


> I'm looking for a way to get informed about available updates for client
> software (like VLC, TortoiseSVN, ...)​ because not every website has an
> option to get notified via email, RSS feed or whatever way.

up to now I've been using "Update Scanner" Firefox plugin which is
checking for changes on web sites. But this is somewhat unreliable -
false positives (e.g. click count numbers changed) etc.

> 
> How do other people do this? Simple visit from time to time all needed
> websites and see if there is an update available?
> 
So now there's another approach:

We use GLPI and FusionInventory for software and hardware inventory.

Atm we are developing a plugin for GLPI which works the following way:

a)
- show a list of software (based on groups) where a newer or older version
  for this software exists in the database and

- look if there is a newer version at updatestar.com


So I want to know if someone has installed a newer version (or: use 
autoupdate function on a reference client), and on which client's
is an older version installed (or fusion inventory did not sent 
updated informations).


b) for each "Software" item there is an "Updatecheck" tab
   When showing this tab:

- search in a table for regex entries which match the software item name

- if one matches, show the regex together with links to updatestar.com, 
  and optionally to the original software producer

- if there's no match, search for the software name at updatestar.com

- compare the software versions and show "Update available" or "Newest 
  version installed" accordingly

- if found, show link(s) to matching software at updatestar.com

- now, you can create an entry in the updatecheck table with matching
regex 
  and links

The regex thing is needed cause we have several softwares which change
their name in the database on every update.


Let's take an example:

- in GLPI under Inventory -> Software search for "java"

- lot's of versions show up there:
  Java 7 Update 11, Java 7 Update 13 (64-bit), Java Auto Updater, Java SE
Development Kit 7 Update 5 (64-bit) etc. pp

- in the Software list,  clicking on "Java 7 Update 9" and 
  going to "Updatecheck" we see:

  search regex: java [0-9]+ update.+[0-9]+$   
  
  producer link:  http://www.java.com/de/download/manual.jsp

  updatestar link:   http://java-update.updatestar.com/de

  "New update available" => clicking on "to the Update" 
  opens the producer link in new browser tab


- in the Software list, clicking on "Java 7 Update 13 (64-bit)"
  we get:

  search: java [0-9]+ update [0-9]+ \(64-bit\)$
  
  producer link:  http://www.java.com/de/download/manual.jsp

  updatestar link:   http://java-update.updatestar.com/de

  "Version is up to date"

another Example without version number in the software name:
- in the Software list, search for "Notepad++" and click on
  this item:

  search: Notepad++
  producer link: http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/
  updatestar link: http://notepad.updatestar.com/de


It is planned to make the plugin extendable using other services
instead of updatestar.com.


I'm interested in beta testers who use GLPI with fusion inventory
and like to try the plugin. We use the plugin with GLPI 0.80.7 
and 0.83.31 at the moment.

Feel free to drop me a mail if you like to give it a try. We
are in the process of refactoring of the plugin, perhaps at the
end of next week we could give you a version for testing.


Best regards,
Falko



-- 
Your's sincerely - Mit freundlichen Grüßen -
Reçevez mes salutations distinguées

Falko Trojahn 
http://www.trojahn.de