Auto updating mods

[Reygan]

How i can do in order to my mod automatically updated at the game start, like Base/Core mods for example?

[Dark]

1. it's not a bug, more like suggestion.
2. You can't. For this there must exist central MOD DB and custom launcher that will compare mods with DB.

[Reygan]

1. it's not a bug, more like suggestion.
2. You can't. For this there must exist central MOD DB and custom launcher that will compare mods with DB.

1 - fixed

[ssilk]

moved from bugs -- ssilk

An interesting point!
Because the current state for all the mods is unsatisfactory: you need to look every installed mod, if there was an update, which is sometimes quite difficult, cause everybody has own descriptions, has own formats...

A DB would solve this problem, an automatic update must be implemented in the client, cannot be made by the mods, cause that would be a serious security problem!

[Reygan]

Hm, why? Game just can check only version number instead verifying all files, and then compare it to template-named file (for example "somemod-0.10.4.zip")
About security problems: current lua api in factorio (as i know) dont have such function to cause any harm to user.

[ssilk]

If a mods would be able to overwrite itself it would also be able to install other things, which are not part of the mod.
And no, I don't explain now, why those mechanisms are generally a security problem. It has a reason, why a app from AppStore, a plugin in Mozilla and so on cannot update themselves. There is a reason, why windows update need to be confirmed if you don't want to make automatic updates...

[Reygan]

If a mods would be able to overwrite itself it would also be able to install other things, which are not part of the mod.
And no, I don't explain now, why those mechanisms are generally a security problem. It has a reason, why a app from AppStore, a plugin in Mozilla and so on cannot update themselves. There is a reason, why windows update need to be confirmed if you don't want to make automatic updates...

Understood, thank you.

[kovarex]

But yes, some way to let mods to be updatable automatically would be nice. I think it would go along the official mod database, where people could browse, rate and download the mods.

[SHiRKiT]

Although it would be really good, it also open door to security breaches from all kinds. Only way to solve is:
- Disclaimer on mods that they may contain potential harm to their computers. (which actually may be already true)
- A DB that holds up everything and manages things from there, which can still contain viruses.

In the client one can always restrict what mods can do in the scope of internet connections. Can only read pages and download PK files. Could also not allow to mods extract their zips, and not control which file are they. But as always, that's just delaying the breach.

[SilverWarior]

Should the mods be available for automatic downloading and updating?
Yes if these mods are uplioaded to Factorio server and undergo through some verification process during which it is confirmed that they don't don't contain any harmful content.
No if they must be downloaded from some third party servers and they haven't gone through some verification process.

Now alowing moders to uploade their mods to Factorio servers will definitly bring bigger expenses to Factorio team (more hosting space and bandwich required).
Also forming a team of specialized tester which have enough knowledge to find potentionaly harmfull code in these mods won't be an easy task.
Also I doubt many pepole would be prepared to spend hours testing of varios mods to confirm they are perfectly safe just for free. You have to know that such testing won't just require testers to simply play game with all these mods but actually check and analize the mods code and files.

But developers could implement a simle notification system to tel the players that there is a new mod avialable. For implementing of such system I recomend using next approach:
Give Factorio to to any url and transfer a simple XML fire from there.
This XML file will should contain information about last and several previously available versions of specific mod. For each mod version there should be information about with which Factorio version is this mod compatible with.
This would alow pepole having older version of Factorio to get notification about mod updates if they are compatible with that specific Factorio version. You could even notify user that there is newer mod version available but it does require updating of Factorio first.
And with clever design you might even include inforamtion about compatiblitily with some other mods.