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The itch app has a new major version, still as slick as ever

By - | Views: 6,649
If you're a fan of the games store itch.io like me, you may want to know about the latest update to their open source client.

Changelog
- New setting (opt-in): let itch notify you when a game has been installed or updated
- New setting (opt-in): have itch start when your computer starts
- New setting (opt-in): have itch start in tray / dock
- Java: display helpful modal when JRE is missing, with button that opens download page
- Default install locations are displayed more clearly

Linux specific changes
- Unbreak the ArchLinux PKGBUILD - dreadfully sorry about that, was caused by v19.0.0 being in the middle of the port to typescript
- Add package for Ubuntu 16.10 Yakkety Yak
- Rename desktop file from itch.desktop to io.itch.itch.desktop to follow recent FreeDesktop specs

Internal changes
- v20.0.0 is the first version of the app fully written in TypeScript - this lets us achieve better code quality and hopefully ship fewer bugs and more features
- This version ships with electron v1.4.7, which ships with Chrome 53.0.2785.143
- All docs have been properly updated to reflect the structure of the new codebase
- Switch to codecov for coverage reports
- Drop codepath that supported legacy itch DB format import (already deprecated many versions ago)

It also has a bunch of bug fixes to help make it more stable.

If interested, you can find the open source client on github, or download it directly from the itch.io website.

It seems they are also working towards supporting games distributed in 'AppImage' form

I use the client daily and it's really slick. Everything seems to work the way I want it too and it has come a long way since the initial few versions. I actually have some games I've purchased on itch.io thanks to this application. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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About the author -
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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7 comments

Guest Nov 21, 2016
QuoteIt seems they are also working towards supporting games distributed in 'AppImage' form



The current Itch.io is evolving nicely.
Tchey Nov 21, 2016
I only have i think 3 games from Itch, but I like them. Who are they, by the way ? I can check the names myself, but still, who are they, beside names ?
DasCapschen Nov 21, 2016
QuoteUnbreak the ArchLinux PKGBUILD - dreadfully sorry about that, was caused by v19.0.0 being in the middle of the port to typescript
Halleluja :D
minj Nov 21, 2016
Referencing arch & PKGBUILDs in the changelog, nice :O
Luke_Nukem Nov 21, 2016
I seriously dislike that it uses a ton of JS for it. Seriously! Use it for WebApps, not for desktop apps!

Oh yeah, Gnome and many apps use JS for extensions/plugins... That's a little different in that they run purely as scripts through an interpreter, and interface with native code. Whereas an app built solely with JS... yeah-na. Please don't.


Last edited by Luke_Nukem on 21 November 2016 at 7:45 pm UTC
scaine Nov 21, 2016
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Quoting: LukeNukemI seriously dislike that it uses a ton of JS for it. Seriously! Use it for WebApps, not for desktop apps!

Oh yeah, Gnome and many apps use JS for extensions/plugins... That's a little different in that they run purely as scripts through an interpreter, and interface with native code. Whereas an app built solely with JS... yeah-na. Please don't.

Why do you dislike it? I always assumed that stores like Itch and Steam use this model for efficiency - one set of rules to govern how an app's page might look.
Liam Dawe Nov 21, 2016
Quoting: LukeNukemI seriously dislike that it uses a ton of JS for it. Seriously! Use it for WebApps, not for desktop apps!

Oh yeah, Gnome and many apps use JS for extensions/plugins... That's a little different in that they run purely as scripts through an interpreter, and interface with native code. Whereas an app built solely with JS... yeah-na. Please don't.
Apart from a little higher RAM use, it functions perfectly. You wouldn't even know unless you went looking.

It feels like the argument of what's truly native and what's a wrapper, in the end as long as it works and works well (which it does, it's fab) then who cares?
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