Although any software can be installed using SmartUpdate, SmartUpdate technology is ideally suited for installing Navigator plug-ins and Java classes. SmartUpdate technology uses Netscape's security framework to validate the source of the software. Users can decline the updating software on their machines, but intranet system administrators can configure Netscape Communicator so that users are not presented with the option of updating. Developers can publish their software packages using SmartUpdate technology. Content creators can then modify their pages to initiate an installation through SmartUpdate.
Users can easily and securely download and install or update software on their machines.
In addition, system administrators can use AutoUpate to automatically upgrade software on their users' machines. The primary audience for this manual is software developers who want their software to be installable through SmartUpdate. The manual describes how SmartUpdate technology works at runtime and what you do to make that happen. From the perspective of this underlying technology, AutoUpdate is a variant of SmartUpdate that serves a particular need of system administrators. This manual describes SmartUpdate, but everything that is relevant to SmartUpdate is also relevant to AutoUpdate.