Google Update goes open source

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 14 April 2009 12:55

Business IT - Technology

The paranoid will probably still wonder whether the compiled version of Google Update really matches the Omaha code, but with any luck some technically astute sleuths will investigate that point.

Google's trying to put a more positive spin on the decision, pointing to the way it can help other developers.

"We know that keeping software updated is both important and hard, and so by open-sourcing this project, our hope is that perhaps we can help others solve this problem," said Google officials.

Omaha's features include avoiding checking for updates as soon as the computer starts up (that already takes long enough on most Windows systems) or when an application is launched (users normally run a program because there's something they need to do, not to update it).

"Use of Omaha allows us to add features seamlessly and address any bugs or security problems, all without concern that these updates will disrupt our users," according to Jordan and Smith.

"Omaha allowed us to ship 12 versions of Chrome beta in 4 months, without requiring Chrome users to work hard to keep their browsers up to date. Such behavior is very useful for new features, but essential for security vulnerabilities," they added.

Google has previously open-sourced its Update Engine framework for Mac OS X.