Example using electron-updater with `generic` provider.

.gitignore

node_modules
dist/
yarn.lock
wwwroot

README.md

This repo contains the bare minimum code to have an auto-updating Electron app using electron-updater with releases stored on a plain HTTP server.

This example uses localhost as the release server.

1. For macOS, you will need a code-signing certificate.

   Install Xcode (from the App Store), then follow these instructions to make sure you have a "Mac Developer" certificate. If you'd like to export the certificate (for automated building, for instance) you can. You would then follow these instructions.

2. Install necessary dependencies with:

    yarn
   

   or

    npm install
   

3. Build your app with:

    node_modules/.bin/build --win --mac --x64 --ia32
   

4. Copy the files in the dist/ directory to your webserver. Here's how to do it on a Linux system:

    mkdir -p wwwroot
    cp dist/*.json wwwroot/
    cp dist/*.yml wwwroot/
    cp dist/mac/*.zip wwwroot/
    cp dist/mac/*.dmg wwwroot/
    cp dist/*.exe wwwroot/
   

5. Serve wwwroot over HTTP:

    node_modules/.bin/http-server wwwroot/ -p 8080
   

6. Download and install the app from http://127.0.0.1:8080

7. Update the version in package.json.

8. Do steps 3 and 4 again.

9. Open the installed version of the app and see that it updates itself.

main.js

const {app, BrowserWindow, Menu, protocol, ipcMain} = require('electron');
const log = require('electron-log');
const {autoUpdater} = require("electron-updater");

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
// Logging
//
// THIS SECTION IS NOT REQUIRED
//
// This logging setup is not required for auto-updates to work,
// but it sure makes debugging easier :)
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
autoUpdater.logger = log;
autoUpdater.logger.transports.file.level = 'info';
log.info('App starting...');

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
// Define the menu
//
// THIS SECTION IS NOT REQUIRED
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
let template = []
if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
  // OS X
  const name = app.getName();
  template.unshift({
    label: name,
    submenu: [
      {
        label: 'About ' + name,
        role: 'about'
      },
      {
        label: 'Quit',
        accelerator: 'Command+Q',
        click() { app.quit(); }
      },
    ]
  })
}


//-------------------------------------------------------------------
// Open a window that displays the version
//
// THIS SECTION IS NOT REQUIRED
//
// This isn't required for auto-updates to work, but it's easier
// for the app to show a window than to have to click "About" to see
// that updates are working.
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
let win;

function sendStatusToWindow(text) {
  log.info(text);
  win.webContents.send('message', text);
}
function createDefaultWindow() {
  win = new BrowserWindow();
  win.webContents.openDevTools();
  win.on('closed', () => {
    win = null;
  });
  win.loadURL(`file://${__dirname}/version.html#v${app.getVersion()}`);
  return win;
}
autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => {
  sendStatusToWindow('Checking for update...');
})
autoUpdater.on('update-available', (ev, info) => {
  sendStatusToWindow('Update available.');
})
autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', (ev, info) => {
  sendStatusToWindow('Update not available.');
})
autoUpdater.on('error', (ev, err) => {
  sendStatusToWindow('Error in auto-updater.');
})
autoUpdater.on('download-progress', (ev, progressObj) => {
  sendStatusToWindow('Download progress...');
})
autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', (ev, info) => {
  sendStatusToWindow('Update downloaded; will install in 5 seconds');
});
app.on('ready', function() {
  // Create the Menu
  const menu = Menu.buildFromTemplate(template);
  Menu.setApplicationMenu(menu);

  createDefaultWindow();
});
app.on('window-all-closed', () => {
  app.quit();
});

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
// Auto updates
//
// For details about these events, see the Wiki:
// https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/wiki/Auto-Update#events
//
// The app doesn't need to listen to any events except `update-downloaded`
//
// Uncomment any of the below events to listen for them.  Also,
// look in the previous section to see them being used.
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
// autoUpdater.on('checking-for-update', () => {
// })
// autoUpdater.on('update-available', (ev, info) => {
// })
// autoUpdater.on('update-not-available', (ev, info) => {
// })
// autoUpdater.on('error', (ev, err) => {
// })
// autoUpdater.on('download-progress', (ev, progressObj) => {
// })
autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', (ev, info) => {
  // Wait 5 seconds, then quit and install
  // In your application, you don't need to wait 5 seconds.
  // You could call autoUpdater.quitAndInstall(); immediately
  setTimeout(function() {
    autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();  
  }, 5000)
})

app.on('ready', function()  {
  autoUpdater.checkForUpdates();
});

package.json

{
  "name": "electron-updater-generic-example",
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "main": "main.js",
  "description": "electron-updater generic example project",
  "author": "Matt Haggard",
  "devDependencies": {
    "electron": "^1.4.15",
    "electron-builder": "^12.3.1",
    "http-server": "^0.9.0"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "electron-log": "^1.3.0",
    "electron-updater": "^1.4.2"
  },
  "build": {
    "publish": [
      {
        "provider": "generic",
        "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8080/"
      }
    ],
    "appId": "com.github.iffy.electronupdatergenericexample",
    "mac": {
      "category": "your.app.category.type",
      "target": [
        "zip",
        "dmg"
      ]
    },
    "nsis": {
      "perMachine": true
    }
  }
}

version.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Electron Updater Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  Current version: <span id="version">vX.Y.Z</span>
  <div id="messages"></div>
<script>
// Display the current version
let version = window.location.hash.substring(1);
document.getElementById('version').innerText = version;

// Listen for messages
const {ipcRenderer} = require('electron');
ipcRenderer.on('message', function(event, text) {
  var container = document.getElementById('messages');
  var message = document.createElement('div');
  message.innerHTML = text;
  container.appendChild(message);
})
</script>
</body>
</html>

I'm not familiar with the "electron:build" and use "build" myself. I don't if that matters as they could be aliases.

Regardless Error: No published versions on GitHub is thrown when the GitHub provider is selected. In your package you've set

"publish": [
  {
    "provider": "generic", <<--
    "url": "http://localhost:8080/"
  }
]

which implies this setting is not taking effect.

manage to resolve, but in another way. now it's working. a vue-config.js was created, in that file it was put all the configuration of the build. thank you very much for your attention.

I'll leave the link to the code, in case any future doubt.

https://github.com/brennomarques/skeleton-vue-electron-update

With a newer electron and electron-updater versions, the http-server is not queried anymore.

Any idea how to make it work?

{
  "name": "electron-updater-generic-example",
  "version": "3.0.0",
  "main": "main.js",
  "description": "electron-updater generic example project",
  "author": "Matt Haggard",
  "license": "MIT",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "electron .",
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1",
    "build": "electron-builder build --win --x64",
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "electron": "^9.0.3",
    "electron-builder": "^22.7.0",
    "http-server": "^0.9.0"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "electron-log": "^1.3.0",
    "electron-updater": "^4.3.1"
  },
  "build": {
    "publish": [
      {
        "provider": "generic",
        "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8080/"
      }
    ],
    "appId": "test",
    "nsis": {
      "perMachine": true
    }
  }
}

Hello, I have a skeleton that can help you, follow the link, it's running on Windows, Linux, Mac.

https://github.com/brennomarques/electron-update

Hi.

What would I need on my website to make it work?
I put the .exe for windows but I don't think that's it.

I understand it was with a .zip but what would be in the zip?

Thank you in advance!

Hello.

You can do this in a few ways ... I in particular use vue-cli-plugin-electron-builder, electron with vuejs, but you can use only electron first to understand how it works. I am leaving a link that I did this working well, however some details are missing, I am here to help you get noticed.
https://github.com/brennomarques/electron-update.

*https://github.com/nklayman/vue-cli-plugin-electron-builder
*https://github.com/brennomarques/electron-update
*https://www.electron.build/

@brennomarques

Appreciate the sample app, everything works perfectly.