faynoSync is a self-hosted, open-source API server for managing and updating cross-platform desktop applications (Windows, macOS, Linux). It enables automatic and on-demand updates for client software, making it easy to deliver new versions to users through a customizable update workflow.
The server allows developers to upload application builds to S3, set version metadata, and expose a simple REST API for clients to check for updates. When a client queries the API, it receives version information and a download URL if an update is available.
faynoSync supports both background updates and manual update prompts, depending on how the client integrates with the API. This gives developers full control over how and when updates are delivered to end-users.
It’s ideal for managing updates in Electron apps, native desktop applications, or any cross-platform software where you want full control over versioning, distribution, and update channels (e.g. stable, beta, nightly).
| Category | Technology | Description |
|---|---|---|
| API Framework | Go (Golang) | Main application server built with Go |
| Database | MongoDB | Primary database for storing application metadata, users, and configurations |
| Cache & Performance | Redis | Used for performance mode and statistics caching |
| Storage | S3-Compatible | Supports multiple cloud storage providers: |
| AWS S3 | Amazon Web Services Simple Storage Service | |
| MinIO | Self-hosted S3-compatible object storage | |
| Google Cloud Storage | Google Cloud Platform storage service | |
| DigitalOcean Spaces | DigitalOcean's S3-compatible object storage |
- Repository: faynoSync-site - Source code for documentation
- Live Documentation: faynoSync Documentation - Online documentation
- Dashboard Repository: faynoSync-dashboard - Web-based management interface
You can find examples of client applications here.
- Examples Directory: Client Application Examples - Various client implementations
- Postman Collection: faynoSync.postman_collection.json - Ready-to-use API requests
- API Documentation: API.md - Complete API reference
To use this application, you will need to have Golang installed on your machine. You can install it from the official website.
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Install Go: Download and install from golang.org
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Clone Repository: Once you have installed Golang, clone this repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/ku9nov/faynoSync.gitTo configure the faynoSync, you will need to set the following environment variables:
# Storage Configuration
STORAGE_DRIVER (`minio`, `aws`, `gcp` or `digitalocean`)
S3_ACCESS_KEY (Your AWS or Minio access key ID.)
S3_SECRET_KEY (Your AWS or Minio secret access key.)
S3_REGION (The AWS region in which your S3 bucket is located. For Minio this value should be empty.)
S3_BUCKET_NAME_PRIVATE (The name of your private S3 bucket.)
S3_ENDPOINT_PRIVATE (s3 endpoint, check documentation of your cloud provider)
S3_BUCKET_NAME (The name of your public S3 bucket. Artifacts will be uploaded here by default.)
S3_ENDPOINT (The public bucket endpoint for S3. Check the documentation of your cloud provider. Artifacts will be uploaded here by default.)
# Server Configuration
ALLOWED_CORS (urls to allow CORS configuration)
PORT (The port on which the auto updater service will listen. Default: 9000)
# Database Configuration
MONGODB_URL=mongodb://root:MheCk6sSKB1m4xKNw5I@127.0.0.1/cb_faynosync_db?authSource=admin (see docker-compose file)
# Security Configuration
API_KEY (generated by 'openssl rand -base64 16') Used for SignUp
API_URL=(public URL to this API)
# Performance Configuration
PERFORMANCE_MODE (Set to `true` to enable performance mode)
# Redis Configuration
REDIS_HOST (The hostname for the Redis server, default: `localhost`)
REDIS_PORT (The port for the Redis server, default: `6379`)
REDIS_PASSWORD (Password for Redis, leave empty if not set)
REDIS_DB (The Redis database number to use, default: `0`)
# Feature Flags
ENABLE_PRIVATE_APP_DOWNLOADING=false (if enabled, then apps located in private S3 can be downloaded using the public API; if disabled, then download links require authentication)
ENABLE_TELEMETRY (Set to `true` to enable telemetry)You can set these environment variables in a .env file in the root directory of the application. You can use the .env.local file, which contains all filled variables.
To build and run the API with all dependencies, you can use the following command:
docker compose up --buildYou can now run tests using this command (please wait until the s3-service successfully creates the bucket):
docker exec -it faynoSync_backend "/usr/bin/faynoSync_tests"If you only want to run dependency services (for local development without Docker), use this command:
docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.development.yaml upTo use the auto updater service, follow these steps:
go build -o faynoSync faynoSync.go- Start with Migrations:
./faynoSync --migration- Rollback Migrations (if needed):
./faynoSync --migration --rollback- Upload your application to S3 and set the version number in faynoSync-dashboard or using API.
- In your client application, make a GET request to the auto updater service API, passing the current version number as a query parameter:
http://localhost:9000/checkVersion?app_name=myapp&version=0.0.1&owner=admin
The auto updater service will return a JSON response with the following structure:
{
"update_available": false,
"update_url_deb": "http://localhost:9000/download?key=secondapp/myapp-0.0.1.deb",
"update_url_rpm": "http://localhost:9000/download?key=secondapp/myapp-0.0.1.rpm"
}If an update is available, the update_available field will be true, and the update_url field will contain a link to the updated application.
- In your client application, show an alert to the user indicating that an update is available and provide a link to download the updated application.
go testgo test -c -o faynoSync_testsTest Descriptions
To successfully run the tests and have them pass, you need to populate the .env file.
The tests verify the implemented API using a test database and an existing S3 bucket.
📋 Complete List of Tests
Install migrate tool here.
cd mongod/migrations
migrate create -ext json name_of_migrationThen run the migrations again.
- Migration Tool: golang-migrate - Database migration utility
This application is licensed under the Apache license. See the LICENSE file for more details.
- License File: LICENSE - Apache License 2.0