[Bennylava]

I've got a Samsung galaxy S running android 2.2. I have many of the typical small apps, but when I go to update them, the size of what it is downloading is often the same size as the app, or even larger. What the hell? Is this one of those crappy aspects of linux or something? Can't you just download and install a small patch or do you have to redownload and reinstall the entire app every time?

 

[MrLinky]

It's probably just how the developer of those apps designed it. I imagine it is much easier for him/her to force a total re-install for every new version instead of programming in version checks and separate packages for every possible combination of phone/OS version/app version.

I flash nightly CyanogenMod builds (that's the operating system). I cache the ROM so it only downloads and installs the changed files/settings. Linux is very capable of "knowing" what to download/install, but it's up to the human developer to design it properly.

 

[Bennylava]

I have 17 total apps and they're all this way. IIRC, don't the many Desktop distros do something like that as well? I seem to remember them totally uninstalling, and then reinstalling the new version. Don't really care what the excuse is, you don't see that happening on windows. You just get a patch and run the installer typically. If its more difficult for the developers to do that for some reason, then its still one of the crappy aspects of linux I'm afraid

 

[MrLinky]

Have you ran a Linux install before? It updates just like Windows (even better, in fact, as you don't have to restart with every change).

They reformat when switching distros, but you can do in-place upgrades to the next version without reformatting or loosing files/settings. Most users probably just wipe and do a fresh install regardless to avoid any potential problems. For example, you cannot upgrade XP 64bit to Vista 64bit so I don't see why it's so bad that Linux users do it.

 

[Klue22]

Kinda seems like a weird thing to rage over even if it is true. Each app is only a few MB in size maximum anyway. It's also more efficient from a file standpoint too. Apps are downloaded in the .apk format which is essentially a one-size-fits-all installer for any phone. It's just the easier alternative when download size really isn't the issue. Also, I'm not sure but android market may only allow you to host .apk files, but I wouldn't know.

 

[Bennylava]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrLinky;15306830
Have you ran a Linux install before? It updates just like Windows (even better, in fact, as you don't have to restart with every change).

They reformat when switching distros, but you can do in-place upgrades to the next version without reformatting or loosing files/settings. Most users probably just wipe and do a fresh install regardless to avoid any potential problems. For example, you cannot upgrade XP 64bit to Vista 64bit so I don't see why it's so bad that Linux users do it.

More than most of the people on this site unfortunately. I have to do it regularly work. I'm not really concerned with the OS itself, or how it updates. More what the individual apps do. For some dumb reason they seem to be completely uninstalling the old version, and downloading and installing the new version. Unless I misunderstand what you're saying.. But as for them being small, some of them are not small. I've got some that are 18-30Mb and when you got enough of them it takes plenty of time. That's the only reason I even have a problem with it. I have to sit there and wait and can't use the phone until its done.

 

[Bal3Wolf]

I bet they do this because maybe google requires it and less space taken up by servers even tho space cost alot less the bandwith does. But a 2nd reason would be so users dont get confused you know most users of smartphones are still pretty new and they are still easy to confuse. Can also have somthing to do with way the file system is setup to that it wont let the app overwrite files but it can uninstall and install the app no problem.

 

[Bennylava]

Maybe its something that will change eventually.