Poor release practice for Zotero

bmckinle
Automatic updating to the latest and only (recent) version of Zotero creates an reliability problem for Zotero users. Allow rollbacks and optional upgrades to mitigate the chances of leaving users stranded at a broken version level. 4.0.6 not croaks on create and edit of an in-text citation. Zotero was fantastic, compared to RefWorks, but now it's junk while I'm stuck at 4.0.6. This is linear, not agile, development problem and it is one of the primary reasons I left RefWorks to try to Zotero. As a 30-year software development veteran and architect (15 in Java/JEE), I'm not impressed with this policy, which is easily changed.

Again, allow users to help you improve their own robustness of reliability by allow multiple versions (at least one back) to be available for download and do not automatically force an upgrade to the latest. Ask them first, so that they have the chance to risk into their important work. Zotero is just a software service to those that don't development it.

Regards,
Bryan McKinley
  • adamsmith
    First, it would be great if you could report the actual problem.

    Then, what you say is largely incorrect:
    All old Zotero versions are available for download via the same pattern:
    e.g. the Firefox version version 4.0.5 is available from
    http://download.zotero.org/extension/zotero-4.0.5.xpi
    Same is true for all other components of Zotero.
    Zotero is database compatible down to at least the 3.0 version.

    Zotero for Firefox uses Firefox's update settings, which can be set on a per-add-on basis and don't require auto updates. Afaik Standalone doesn't update without user input, either, but I'm not sure about that, Dan would have to confirm.
  • DWL-SDCA
    I would be really thrilled if in the "about Zotero" box for FF and SA not only would the installed version be indicated (as it is now) but also the version number of the most current version available. A link to "update now" would make this even better. Even better would be an additional link to the changelog.

    Sometimes in the middle of a project a Zotero update would be very useful. Other times the risk (even if the risk is minor) may not be worth taking.
  • bmckinle
    I did report the specific appcrash problem using the built-in facility. Unfortunately, I have had to do this many times after an auto-update has stranded me with appcrashes. This is the release problem I'm referring to, which is tied to finding other releases. I tried checking for an option to turn this off in the standalone app, not the firefox plugin. I can find no back versions for the standalone version at www.zotero.org/download; hence, the problem I'm reporting. If there are back versions of standalone, then perhaps you could direct me to that link. That would be more helpful. I'm using Zotero for fast rapid citing and writing. RefWorks, for example, requires a web hit to do this, which ignores a real-world use case of rapid writing and citing. Can you tell me how to turn off auto-updating for the standalone version? I've checked the firefox plugin preferences and the standalone preferences without success. I've look in all menus but cannot find it.
  • dstillman
    edited April 30, 2013
    I did report the specific appcrash problem using the built-in facility.
    That's not reporting the problem.

    http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs
  • bmckinle
    Are you willing to help me fix my current problem or not? The problem is I need a prior version of the standalone app. Can you direct me to a link or not?
  • bmckinle
    As I told you before, I've already reported the appcrash problem using the facility that provided. It's just cores/windows crash. For the moment, I need another version to solve my (the customer's) problem. Can you understand that? After that, when I have time, I'll be happy to give you more details on debugging the specific problem.
  • bmckinle
    I've used that reporting bugs a time or two, so no problem in using it. Later...after I'm back in business.
  • dstillman
    As I told you before, I've already reported the appcrash problem using the facility that provided.
    I don't know what facility you're referring to, but you haven't reported anything to us.

    adamsmith answered your other question above.
  • bmckinle
    Dan,

    Please understand that I want to help you resolve the specific problem. However, I simply need a prior version at the moment to get stable again. The prior version did not crash, so I'm looking to revert to it. Can I do this? Submitting a bug report is not what I need right now. I don't have time to wait for a fix. Moving to another version is the quickest fix me, not submitting a bug report.

    Bryan McKinley, PhDc
  • bmckinle
    Dan,

    Where do I navigate from here:

    www.zotero.org/download/

    to get a prior version of Zotero standalone? I'll report the circumstances of the crash later this evening.

    Regards,
    Bryan
  • adamsmith
    As I say above, all old versions follow the same URL pattern, you can check the download URL for the current Standalone version (which varies by OS) and use it to construct an old one.

    My Standalone requires users interaction for updates and that should be the default - you can check app.update.silent (which should be turned to false) in the hidden preferences.
    You can also turn off automatic updates altogether by setting
    app.update.enabled to false in the hidden preferences:
    http://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/hidden_preferences
  • bmckinle
    Finally, we are getting somewhere. A hidden preference is what I suspected was buried somewhere and what I really needed. Thank you, Dan! That helps a bunch! Ok, I'll got set those prefs accordingly. However, I'm still stuck with a the currently crashing version. Essentially, when I press Alt+C (cite) or Alt+E (edit citation) after just starting, it crashes immediately. I restart and go to Help-Report Errors to Zotero and pit pops up a Zotero Error Report. I've done this again with the report ID: 1200217116
  • RintzeRintze
    edited April 30, 2013
    The current download link for Zotero Standalone for Windows points to http://download.zotero.org/standalone/4.0.6/Zotero-4.0.6_setup.exe

    E.g. version 4.0.5 can be retrieved from http://download.zotero.org/standalone/4.0.5/Zotero-4.0.5_setup.exe
  • bmckinle
    Thank you! I read the details from the error report I mentioned above and it indicated it had problems with the MS Word doc. I restarted my word doc, as well as Zotero, and this appears to avoid the crash--so far.
  • bmckinle
    I downloaded 4.0.5 just in case the problem returns. For now, if I have a similar symptom after a crash, I'll restart both word and zotero first. Thanks, guys!
  • adamsmith
    Alt+C and Alt+E aren't Zotero shortcuts - where do you press them? If this is in word processing software, does clicking the respective items work?
  • dstillman
    I'm also not sure what you mean by crash—a freeze, or complete quitting of the app—but I doubt there are any differences between 4.0.5 and 4.0.6 that would cause this.
  • bmckinle
    Sorry, they are Word shotcuts associated with Zotero plugin commands. Clicking respective items still causes a Zotero crash--i.e., doesn't matter. This suggests it is not a key binding problem. Word seems fine after I run the Zotero command to pop-up the Zotero citation editor. When I refocus to the Zotero standalone window, it stops responding and eventually crashes.

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