velopack_flutter

A Flutter implementation of Velopack using flutter_rust_bridge for automated desktop app updates.

Why Velopack?

Flutter currently lacks a robust solution for distributing auto-updates for desktop applications, aside from the Microsoft and Mac App Stores. Velopack addresses this gap by providing a cross-platform installation and auto-update framework for desktop applications.

Learn more about Velopack at https://velopack.io/

This project leverages flutter_rust_bridge to interface with the Rust implementation of Velopack.

Getting Started

1. Add the velopack_flutter dependency to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  velopack_flutter: ^0.0.1

2. Import the package, initialize the Rust library and handle Velopack app hooks in your main.dart:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:velopack_flutter/velopack_flutter.dart';

Future<void> main() async {
  await RustLib.init();
  
  final veloCommands = ['--veloapp-install', '--veloapp-updated', '--veloapp-obsolete', '--veloapp-uninstall'];
  if (veloCommands.any((cmd) => args.contains(cmd))) {
    exit(0);
  }
  
  runApp(const MyApp());
}

API

Function	Description
isUpdateAvailable(String url)	Checks the specified URL for an update and returns a boolean.
updateAndRestart(String url)	Checks for an update, downloads and applies it, then restarts the app.
updateAndExit(String url)	Checks for an update, downloads and applies it, then exits the app.
waitExitThenUpdate(String url)	Checks for an update, downloads it, and applies it after the app has been closed. Will close automatically after 60 seconds.

Packaging

1. Install .NET Core SDK 6.0 and the vpk tool:

dotnet tool update -g vpk

2. Build your Flutter app:

flutter build [windows|macos|linux] --release

3. Navigate to your release build directory:

cd build/windows/x64/runner

4. Package your app using vpk:

vpk pack --packId YourAppId --packVersion 1.0.0 --packDir Release --mainExe YourApp.exe

Your release package will be generated in the Releases directory.

For more information on packaging and distribution, refer to:

• Velopack Packaging Documentation
• Velopack Distribution Documentation

Notes

• The Linux implementation is currently untested. Contributions and feedback from Linux users are welcome.
• The API may differ from Velopack implementations in other languages and is not feature-complete. In the long-term it would make sense to keep these consistent, however I didn't have time for this yet. Feel free to open a PR!

Contributing

If you encounter issues, have suggestions, or want to contribute code, please open an issue or submit a pull request on this GitHub repository.