[updater][bug] `download_and_install` request fails in debug build from installed app

[bicarlsen]

When launching my Tauri app as an installed debug build Update.download_and_install times out.

It works if launched

• As a release build
• As a debug build from the command line
• Using cargo tauri dev

So it seems to be the specific combination of being

1. An installed debug build
2. Not launched from the command line (i.e. from the Start menu, or a shortcut, or by double clicking on the .exe)

Notes

• I have a timeout of 30 seconds set.
• In debug builds I have two endpoints: the first is a localhost server I use for testing, the second is the production server that hosts our releases. The update check succeeds if the local server is running, but fails when it is not, causing Updater.check to ping the production server.
• I've only tested this on a Windows 10 machine.

[FabianLars]

can you share the output of tauri info as well so we know the crate versions etc?

Also, this doesn't seem to be a universal experience, i don't seem to be able to repro this on my end.

[bicarlsen]

@FabianLars, because it's such a specific situation I figured it was a "me" problem, but was hoping for some guidance on how to debug. Perhaps there there is some subtle bug occurring, so I really appreciate the help :)

[✔] Environment
    - OS: Windows 10.0.26100 x86_64 (X64)
    ✔ WebView2: 136.0.3240.76
    ✔ MSVC: Visual Studio Build Tools 2022
    ✔ rustc: 1.89.0-nightly (414482f6a 2025-05-13)
    ✔ cargo: 1.89.0-nightly (056f5f4f3 2025-05-09)
    ✔ rustup: 1.28.2 (e4f3ad6f8 2025-04-28)
    ✔ Rust toolchain: nightly-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc (overridden by environment variable RUSTUP_TOOLCHAIN)
    - node: 22.13.1
    - pnpm: 9.12.3
    - npm: 10.9.2

[-] Packages
    - tauri 🦀: 2.5.1
    - tauri-build 🦀: 2.2.0
    - wry 🦀: 0.51.2
    - tao 🦀: 0.33.0
    - tauri-cli 🦀: 2.2.7
    - @tauri-apps/api : not installed!
    - @tauri-apps/cli : 2.2.7 (outdated, latest: 2.5.0)

[-] Plugins
    - tauri-plugin-fs 🦀: 2.2.1
    - @tauri-apps/plugin-fs : not installed!
    - tauri-plugin-updater 🦀: 2.7.1
    - @tauri-apps/plugin-updater : not installed!
    - tauri-plugin-store 🦀: 2.2.0
    - @tauri-apps/plugin-store : 2.2.0
    - tauri-plugin-dialog 🦀: 2.2.1
    - @tauri-apps/plugin-dialog : 2.2.0 (outdated, latest: 2.2.1)
    - tauri-plugin-shell 🦀: 2.2.1
    - @tauri-apps/plugin-shell : not installed!

[-] App
    - build-type: bundle
    - CSP: unset
    - frontendDist: ../dist
    - devUrl: http://localhost:1420/

[bicarlsen]

Here is the updater function for reference.

async fn check_for_update(app: tauri::AppHandle) {
    use lib::settings::app::UpdateChannel;

    let store = app.store(crate::common::DESKTOP_SETTINGS_FILE).unwrap();
    let update_channel = store
        .get("update_channel")
        .map(|channel| serde_json::from_value::<UpdateChannel>(channel).unwrap())
        .unwrap_or_else(|| {
            if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
                UpdateChannel::Debug
            } else {
                UpdateChannel::Stable
            }
        });

    if matches!(update_channel, UpdateChannel::None) {
        return;
    }

    let endpoints = if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
        tracing::trace!("checking for updates locally, too");
        vec![
            format!(
                "https://my_releases.com/check?system={{{{target}}}}&arch={{{{arch}}}}&version={{{{current_version}}}}&channel={update_channel}",
            ),
            format!(
                "http://localhost:3030/check?system={{{{target}}}}&arch={{{{arch}}}}&version={{{{current_version}}}}&channel={update_channel}",
            ),
        ]
    } else {
        vec![format!(
            "https://my_releases.com/check?system={{{{target}}}}&arch={{{{arch}}}}&version={{{{current_version}}}}&channel={update_channel}"
        )]
    };
    let endpoints = endpoints
        .into_iter()
        .map(|uri| uri.parse().unwrap())
        .collect();

    let update = app
        .updater_builder()
        .timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(UPDATE_CHECK_TIMEOUT))
        .pubkey(TAURI_SIGNING_PUBLIC_KEY)
        .endpoints(endpoints)
        .unwrap()
        .build()
        .unwrap()
        .check()
        .await;

    let update = match update {
        Ok(update) => update,
        Err(err) => {
            tracing::error!("could not retrieve update: {err:?}");
            return;
        }
    };

    if let Some(update) = update {
        tracing::trace!("update available");
        let mut downloaded = 0;
        let response = update
            .download_and_install(
                |chunk_length, content_length| {
                    downloaded += chunk_length;
                    tracing::trace!("downloaded {downloaded} of {content_length:?}");
                },
                || {
                    tracing::trace!("download finished");
                },
            )
            .await;

        if let Err(err) = response {
            tracing::error!("could not download or install new version: {err:?}"); // <-- ERRORS HERE WITH TIMEOUT
        } else {
            tracing::trace!("update installed, restarting app");
            app.restart();
        }
    } else {
        tracing::trace!("no update available");
    }
}

[bicarlsen]

So sorry, I also messed up what was actually failing. I've updated the original post. It is Update.download_and_install that times out, not Updater.check.

[bicarlsen]

It also appears to be flaky. It wasn't working all day, and now (that you showed up and I try to reproduce it :P) it seems to work.