feat(auto-updater, ui): implement update notification and installation prompt in desktop application

surfsense_desktop/src/ipc/channels.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ export const IPC_CHANNELS = {
   OPEN_EXTERNAL: 'open-external',
   GET_APP_VERSION: 'get-app-version',
   DEEP_LINK: 'deep-link',
+  UPDATE_DOWNLOADED: 'update:downloaded',
+  UPDATE_INSTALL_NOW: 'update:install-now',
   QUICK_ASK_TEXT: 'quick-ask-text',
   SET_QUICK_ASK_MODE: 'set-quick-ask-mode',
   GET_QUICK_ASK_MODE: 'get-quick-ask-mode',

surfsense_desktop/src/ipc/handlers.ts

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import {
   stopAgentFilesystemTreeWatch,
   type AgentFilesystemTreeWatchOptions,
 } from '../modules/agent-filesystem-tree-watcher';
+import { installDownloadedUpdate } from '../modules/auto-updater';
 
 let authTokens: { bearer: string; refresh: string } | null = null;
 
@@ -70,6 +71,10 @@ export function registerIpcHandlers(): void {
     return app.getVersion();
   });
 
+  ipcMain.handle(IPC_CHANNELS.UPDATE_INSTALL_NOW, () => {
+    installDownloadedUpdate();
+  });
+
   ipcMain.handle(IPC_CHANNELS.GET_PERMISSIONS_STATUS, () => {
     return getPermissionsStatus();
   });

surfsense_desktop/src/modules/auto-updater.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { app, dialog } from 'electron';
+import { app, BrowserWindow, dialog } from 'electron';
+import { IPC_CHANNELS } from '../ipc/channels';
 import { trackEvent } from './analytics';
 
 const SEMVER_RE = /^\d+\.\d+\.\d+/;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ type UpdateInfo = {
 };
 
 let listenersRegistered = false;
+let manualUpdateCheckInProgress = false;
 
 function getAutoUpdater(): AutoUpdater {
   const { autoUpdater } = require('electron-updater');
@@ -45,21 +47,10 @@ function configureAutoUpdater(autoUpdater: AutoUpdater): void {
       current_version: version,
       new_version: info.version,
     });
-    dialog.showMessageBox({
+    if (!manualUpdateCheckInProgress) {
-      type: 'info',
+      notifyRenderersUpdateDownloaded(info);
-      buttons: ['Restart', 'Later'],
-      defaultId: 0,
-      title: 'Update Ready',
-      message: `Version ${info.version} has been downloaded. Restart to apply the update.`,
-    }).then(({ response }: { response: number }) => {
-      if (response === 0) {
-        trackEvent('desktop_update_install_accepted', { new_version: info.version });
-        autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();
-      } else {
-        trackEvent('desktop_update_install_deferred', { new_version: info.version });
     }
   });
-  });
 
   autoUpdater.on('error', (err: Error) => {
     console.log('Auto-updater: update check skipped —', err.message?.split('\n')[0]);
@@ -69,6 +60,39 @@ function configureAutoUpdater(autoUpdater: AutoUpdater): void {
   });
 }
 
+function notifyRenderersUpdateDownloaded(info: UpdateInfo): void {
+  for (const win of BrowserWindow.getAllWindows()) {
+    if (!win.isDestroyed()) {
+      win.webContents.send(IPC_CHANNELS.UPDATE_DOWNLOADED, {
+        version: info.version,
+      });
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+async function showNativeInstallDialog(autoUpdater: AutoUpdater, info: UpdateInfo): Promise<void> {
+  const { response } = await dialog.showMessageBox({
+    type: 'info',
+    buttons: ['Restart', 'Later'],
+    defaultId: 0,
+    title: 'Update Ready',
+    message: `Version ${info.version} has been downloaded. Restart to apply the update.`,
+  });
+
+  if (response === 0) {
+    trackEvent('desktop_update_install_accepted', { new_version: info.version });
+    autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();
+  } else {
+    trackEvent('desktop_update_install_deferred', { new_version: info.version });
+  }
+}
+
+export function installDownloadedUpdate(): void {
+  const autoUpdater = getAutoUpdater();
+  trackEvent('desktop_update_install_accepted', { source: 'renderer_prompt' });
+  autoUpdater.quitAndInstall();
+}
+
 export function setupAutoUpdater(): void {
   if (!app.isPackaged) return;
 
@@ -108,25 +132,31 @@ export async function checkForUpdatesManually(): Promise<void> {
   configureAutoUpdater(autoUpdater);
 
   try {
-    const result = await new Promise<'available' | 'not-available'>((resolve, reject) => {
+    manualUpdateCheckInProgress = true;
+    const result = await new Promise<'not-available' | 'downloaded'>((resolve, reject) => {
       const cleanup = () => {
+        manualUpdateCheckInProgress = false;
         autoUpdater.removeListener('update-available', onAvailable);
         autoUpdater.removeListener('update-not-available', onNotAvailable);
+        autoUpdater.removeListener('update-downloaded', onDownloaded);
         autoUpdater.removeListener('error', onError);
       };
       const onAvailable = (info: UpdateInfo) => {
-        cleanup();
         void dialog.showMessageBox({
           type: 'info',
           title: 'Update Available',
           message: `Version ${info.version} is available and will download in the background.`,
         });
-        resolve('available');
       };
       const onNotAvailable = () => {
         cleanup();
         resolve('not-available');
       };
+      const onDownloaded = (info: UpdateInfo) => {
+        cleanup();
+        void showNativeInstallDialog(autoUpdater, info);
+        resolve('downloaded');
+      };
       const onError = (err: Error) => {
         cleanup();
         reject(err);
@@ -134,6 +164,7 @@ export async function checkForUpdatesManually(): Promise<void> {
 
       autoUpdater.once('update-available', onAvailable);
       autoUpdater.once('update-not-available', onNotAvailable);
+      autoUpdater.once('update-downloaded', onDownloaded);
       autoUpdater.once('error', onError);
       autoUpdater.checkForUpdates().catch((err: Error) => {
         cleanup();
@@ -149,6 +180,7 @@ export async function checkForUpdatesManually(): Promise<void> {
       });
     }
   } catch (err) {
+    manualUpdateCheckInProgress = false;
     await dialog.showMessageBox({
       type: 'error',
       title: 'Update Check Failed',

surfsense_desktop/src/preload.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electronAPI', {
   },
   openExternal: (url: string) => ipcRenderer.send(IPC_CHANNELS.OPEN_EXTERNAL, url),
   getAppVersion: () => ipcRenderer.invoke(IPC_CHANNELS.GET_APP_VERSION),
+  onUpdateDownloaded: (callback: (data: { version: string }) => void) => {
+    const listener = (_event: unknown, data: { version: string }) => callback(data);
+    ipcRenderer.on(IPC_CHANNELS.UPDATE_DOWNLOADED, listener);
+    return () => {
+      ipcRenderer.removeListener(IPC_CHANNELS.UPDATE_DOWNLOADED, listener);
+    };
+  },
+  installUpdateNow: () => ipcRenderer.invoke(IPC_CHANNELS.UPDATE_INSTALL_NOW),
   onDeepLink: (callback: (url: string) => void) => {
     const listener = (_event: unknown, url: string) => callback(url);
     ipcRenderer.on(IPC_CHANNELS.DEEP_LINK, listener);

surfsense_web/app/layout.tsx

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import "./globals.css";
 import { RootProvider } from "fumadocs-ui/provider/next";
 import { Roboto } from "next/font/google";
 import { AnnouncementToastProvider } from "@/components/announcements/AnnouncementToastProvider";
+import { DesktopUpdatePrompt } from "@/components/desktop/DesktopUpdatePrompt";
 import { GlobalLoadingProvider } from "@/components/providers/GlobalLoadingProvider";
 import { I18nProvider } from "@/components/providers/I18nProvider";
 import { PostHogProvider } from "@/components/providers/PostHogProvider";
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ export default function RootLayout({
 												<GlobalLoadingProvider>{children}</GlobalLoadingProvider>
 											</ZeroProvider>
 										</ReactQueryClientProvider>
+										<DesktopUpdatePrompt />
 										<Toaster />
 										<AnnouncementToastProvider />
 									</RootProvider>

surfsense_web/components/desktop/DesktopUpdatePrompt.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { Download, X } from "lucide-react";
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+
+type UpdatePromptState = {
+	version: string;
+};
+
+export function DesktopUpdatePrompt() {
+	const [update, setUpdate] = useState<UpdatePromptState | null>(null);
+
+	useEffect(() => {
+		const api = window.electronAPI;
+		if (!api?.onUpdateDownloaded) return;
+
+		return api.onUpdateDownloaded(({ version }) => {
+			setUpdate({ version });
+		});
+	}, []);
+
+	if (!update) return null;
+
+	const installAndRestart = () => {
+		void window.electronAPI?.installUpdateNow();
+	};
+
+	return (
+		<div className="pointer-events-none fixed bottom-5 right-5 z-[100]">
+			<div
+				className={cn(
+					"pointer-events-auto relative flex w-[360px] max-w-[calc(100vw-2.5rem)] gap-3 rounded-md border border-popover-border",
+					"bg-popover p-4 text-popover-foreground shadow-md"
+				)}
+				aria-live="polite"
+			>
+				<div className="mt-0.5 flex size-7 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full text-muted-foreground">
+					<Download className="size-5" strokeWidth={1.8} />
+				</div>
+
+				<div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
+					<div className="pr-8 text-sm font-semibold tracking-tight">Update available</div>
+					<p className="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-muted-foreground">
+						A new version of SurfSense ({update.version}) is now available to install.
+					</p>
+
+					<div className="mt-3 flex items-center gap-4">
+						<Button
+							type="button"
+							variant="ghost"
+							className="h-auto px-0 text-sm font-semibold hover:bg-transparent hover:text-foreground"
+							onClick={installAndRestart}
+						>
+							Install and restart
+						</Button>
+						<Button
+							type="button"
+							variant="ghost"
+							className="h-auto px-0 text-sm font-semibold text-muted-foreground hover:bg-transparent hover:text-foreground"
+							onClick={() => setUpdate(null)}
+						>
+							Not now
+						</Button>
+					</div>
+				</div>
+
+				<Button
+					type="button"
+					variant="ghost"
+					size="icon"
+					className="absolute right-2 top-2 size-7 text-muted-foreground hover:bg-transparent hover:text-foreground"
+					aria-label="Dismiss update prompt"
+					onClick={() => setUpdate(null)}
+				>
+					<X className="size-4" strokeWidth={1.8} />
+				</Button>
+			</div>
+		</div>
+	);
+}

surfsense_web/types/window.d.ts

@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ interface LocalTextFileResult {
 	error?: string;
 }
 
+interface UpdateDownloadedEvent {
+	version: string;
+}
+
 interface ElectronAPI {
 	versions: {
 		electron: string;
@@ -92,6 +96,8 @@ interface ElectronAPI {
 	};
 	openExternal: (url: string) => void;
 	getAppVersion: () => Promise<string>;
+	onUpdateDownloaded: (callback: (data: UpdateDownloadedEvent) => void) => () => void;
+	installUpdateNow: () => Promise<void>;
 	onDeepLink: (callback: (url: string) => void) => () => void;
 	onChatScreenCapture: (callback: (dataUrl: string) => void) => () => void;
 	getQuickAskText: () => Promise<string>;