Statistics (Was: Re: Single-file bundles + updates)

[Sébastien Wilmet]

On Sat, Sep 17, 2016 at 04:21:30PM +0200, Bastien Nocera wrote:
> On Sat, 2016-09-17 at 12:10 +0200, Sébastien Wilmet wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > In the "Single-file bundles" section at
> > http://flatpak.org/developer.html
> > 
> > “distributing updates is much more convenient with a hosted
> > repository”
> > 
> > Does that mean that once a single-file bundle is installed, there is
> > no
> > way for users to get automatic updates, e.g. through gnome-software?
> > If
> > it is not yet supported, is it planned?
> 
> I'm pretty sure it's not planned, as it really would have all the
> problems of packages, without any of the benefits of using a
> repository, like reducing update sizes.
> 
> > I prefer to distribute my app as a single-file bundle, to have
> > download
> > statistics (it is hosted on SourceForge). Statistics is important to
> > me.
> 
> There might be a way to process httpd logs to produce those statistics
> on the ostree side.

On SourceForge, I don't have access to httpd logs.

> If there was also a way to install a repo from the initial package, it
> would make the original installation similar to installing an
> application on Windows. For security reasons, you'd probably want the
> user to authorise/enable the auto-update feature themselves.
> 
> Alternatively, you could check the download logs for the repository
> information (.flatpakrepo files).

I may be wrong, but the *.flatpakrepo would be accessed only once per
installation, it would not count updates, since for updates the system
has already the location to the repo and can just pull from it.

> > (Ideally I would also want to know if the app is often launched).
> 
> Fairly certain that would require your application to log that and
> phone home.

But wouldn't it be great if Flatpak had generic support for statistics
like http://popcon.debian.org/ ? As an upstream developer, I would find
really useful to know precisely the number of installations, and whether
the apps I develop are often used. Seeing the number of users growing is
a source of motivation, but it can also be useful for planning a
fundraising. And the statistics could take into account library usage as
well, not just applications.

Of course I know there are plenty of other tasks to do for Flatpak and
its ecosystem, but I think statistics is important (maybe in a few
years).

--
Sébastien