Add manual app update checks

Add a Check for Updates menu item to the macOS app menu and route manual checks through the existing updater flow with explicit no-update and error feedback.

Author: ComputelessComputer

src-tauri/src/lib.rs

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ use speech_models::{
 };
 use tauri::{
     menu::{AboutMetadata, Menu, MenuItem, PredefinedMenuItem, Submenu},
-    Manager, RunEvent, State, WebviewUrl, WebviewWindowBuilder,
+    Emitter, Manager, RunEvent, State, WebviewUrl, WebviewWindowBuilder,
 };
 use tracing::{error, info, warn};
 
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ const SETTINGS_CONFIG_FILE: &str = "settings.json";
 const LEGACY_GENERAL_SETTINGS_FILE: &str = "general-settings.json";
 const LEGACY_MODEL_SETTINGS_FILE: &str = "model-settings.json";
 const LEGACY_DIARIZATION_SETTINGS_FILE: &str = "diarization-settings.json";
+const CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_MENU_ID: &str = "check-for-updates";
+const CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_EVENT: &str = "check-for-updates";
 const OPEN_SETTINGS_MENU_ID: &str = "open-settings";
 const SETTINGS_WINDOW_LABEL: &str = "settings";
 const CHAR_WEBSITE_URL: &str = "https://char.com";
@@ -1072,6 +1074,14 @@ fn build_app_menu<R: tauri::Runtime>(app: &tauri::AppHandle<R>) -> tauri::Result
         true,
         Some("CmdOrCtrl+,"),
     )?;
+    let check_for_updates_item =
+        MenuItem::with_id(
+            app,
+            CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_MENU_ID,
+            "Check for Updates...",
+            true,
+            None::<&str>,
+        )?;
 
     let edit_menu = Submenu::with_items(
         app,
@@ -1118,6 +1128,7 @@ fn build_app_menu<R: tauri::Runtime>(app: &tauri::AppHandle<R>) -> tauri::Result
         true,
         &[
             &PredefinedMenuItem::about(app, Some(&about_label), Some(about_metadata))?,
+            &check_for_updates_item,
             &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
             &settings_item,
             &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
@@ -2480,6 +2491,8 @@ pub fn run() {
         .on_menu_event(|app, event| {
             if event.id() == OPEN_SETTINGS_MENU_ID {
                 let _ = show_settings_window(app, None);
+            } else if event.id() == CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_MENU_ID {
+                let _ = app.emit(CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_EVENT, ());
             }
         })
         .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![

src/updates.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+import { listen } from "@tauri-apps/api/event";
 import { check } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-updater";
 import { relaunch } from "@tauri-apps/plugin-process";
 
+const CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_EVENT = "check-for-updates";
+
 let updaterStarted = false;
+let updateCheckInFlight = false;
 
 function formatUpdateMessage(version: string, notes?: string | null) {
   const normalizedNotes = notes?.trim();
@@ -13,17 +17,33 @@ function formatUpdateMessage(version: string, notes?: string | null) {
   return `unsigned {char} ${version} is available.\n\n${normalizedNotes}\n\nInstall it now?`;
 }
 
-export async function startUpdater() {
-  if (updaterStarted || import.meta.env.DEV || typeof window === "undefined") {
+async function runUpdateCheck(options: { userInitiated: boolean }) {
+  if (import.meta.env.DEV || typeof window === "undefined") {
+    if (options.userInitiated) {
+      window.alert("Update checks are unavailable in development builds.");
+    }
+
     return;
   }
 
-  updaterStarted = true;
+  if (updateCheckInFlight) {
+    if (options.userInitiated) {
+      window.alert("An update check is already in progress.");
+    }
+
+    return;
+  }
+
+  updateCheckInFlight = true;
 
   try {
     const update = await check();
 
     if (!update) {
+      if (options.userInitiated) {
+        window.alert("unsigned {char} is up to date.");
+      }
+
       return;
     }
 
@@ -44,5 +64,25 @@ export async function startUpdater() {
     }
   } catch (error) {
     console.warn("Updater check failed", error);
+
+    if (options.userInitiated) {
+      window.alert("Unable to check for updates right now.");
+    }
+  } finally {
+    updateCheckInFlight = false;
   }
 }
+
+export async function startUpdater() {
+  if (updaterStarted || typeof window === "undefined") {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  updaterStarted = true;
+
+  await listen(CHECK_FOR_UPDATES_EVENT, () => {
+    void runUpdateCheck({ userInitiated: true });
+  });
+
+  void runUpdateCheck({ userInitiated: false });
+}