Make Logos add resources on start up, not start up just to find out the program needs to be restarte

I am unable to appreciate Logos' thinking about adding resources. I buy a book at Logos.com then the next time I start Logos, it says I have a resource that will be added after I restart Logos. This makes no sense from a user's perspective. I can almost understand that the program won't add a resource without being restarted, but even that isn't really indicating a design centered on the user's experience. I'm sure there is a way for Logos to add resources while the program is running. But given it doesn't at this point. Why, oh, why make me start the program to find out that I need to restart it? My Logos does NOT start up fast so this is rather time consuming. I hope someday it will be improved.

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MJ. Smith

Are you referring to Logos 7? Would you like me to ask to have it moved to that forum?

Graham Criddle

I am unable to appreciate Logos' thinking about adding resources. I buy a book at Logos.com then the next time I start Logos, it says I have a resource that will be added after I restart Logos.

Picking up on MJ's question, many Logos resources can be added to the program while it is running. It didn't always use to be the case. What version of Logos software are you using?

DAL

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989336#Comment_989336

I have the latest L7 along with FL Connect Essentials (No library) and sometimes resources get added automatically and indexing begins and at other times a restart is required. I thought restarts wouldn’t be required anymore when adding new resources or updates on the software. Anyway, I don’t really mind, but sometimes a restart comes at the wrong moment when you’re really into your study and ideas are flowing.

DAL

Small Heath

My Logos does NOT start up fast so this is rather time consuming. I hope someday it will be improved.

Which platform are you running? Logos Desktop, Web App, Mobile, PC, Chrome?

JT (alabama24)

Why, oh, why make me start the program to find out that I need to restart it? My Logos does NOT start up fast so this is rather time consuming.

Simple reason. Would you rather have to restart the application at your own convenience OR have to wait a (perhaps MUCH) longer period of time each and every time a new resource (or update) has been added? If you don't need that book right away, there is "no harm, no foul." On the other hand, everyone would always be inconvenienced when a new resource needs to be added. It would be exponentially worse if you are having to wait while hundreds of MB's have to download and index first!

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989326#Comment_989326

This has been true of all versions of Logos so I put it in the general forum.

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989336#Comment_989336

Version 7.16.0.0012

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989346#Comment_989346

Which platform are you running? Logos Desktop, Web App, Mobile, PC, Chrome?

Laptop Windows 10, Intel i5 with 500 GB HDD and 16GB Ram

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989354#Comment_989354

On the other hand, everyone would always be inconvenienced when a new resource needs to be added.

I see your point. And a good point it is. However it's a basic design choice that inconveniences customers to make the program require a restart to add a resource. After all these years it should have been replaced by allowing resources to be added while the program is running. Of course they could pop up something that asks if you want to download it now or defer to later, but having to restart to add a resources is not user friendly IMO.

Andrew Batishko

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989368#Comment_989368

The application does actually update resources while the application is running. The only time a restart is required for a resource update is if the resource is currently in use. There are a couple dataset resources that are pretty much always in use, so updates to those will always require a restart, but other than those few, as long as you don't currently have the resource open in a panel, you should be able to update just fine.

If you choose to not restart (you can even close the notification bar if you don't want to be bothered by it), then it has the exact same effect as your suggestion to prompt to defer the update until later. There is no downside to choosing not to restart the application right away (other than not getting the updated resource).

PetahChristian

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989336#Comment_989336

Restarts generally aren't required for most (book) resources, as Graham mentioned.

A restart is required when dataset (non-book) resources require a newer version of the program. In that case, an older version of Logos can't load or use the new dataset until Logos has been updated to be compatible with the new(er) dataset.

Grateful to FL for regular improvements (to both the program and to its datasets), even if restarts are needed!

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989368#Comment_989368

However it's a basic design choice that inconveniences customers to make the program require a restart to add a resource.

I don't believe it is a "design choice" as they have minimized when a reload is necessary because of the nature of how computers and their operating systems work.

Small Heath

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989377#Comment_989377

If your use of Logos is fairly simple, the Web App loads quickly and is ready to go. If not and you want to run the desktop version, do as suggested and reload after you're finished or overnight. I replaced my 1T HDD with an SSD and was amazed by the performance improvement. How full is your 500 GB HDD?

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989375#Comment_989375

The only time a restart is required for a resource update is if the resource is currently in use.

All I know is that frequently when I start Logos it indicates a restart is required to update resources and this often happens just after I've purchased a new book. It's true I've not tracked exactly what is being updated and it may be unrelated.

My focus is on my study, so I still say this could be handled in a smoother manner. For example there could be a user configuration setting where I could tell it to include any updates on starting rather than asking me to restart. It's fully possible for the program to find out if a dataset or whatever needs to be downloaded before starting is available and talking care of it if I've told it to. Currently the program starts up then does the equivalent of saying "oh by the way we have updates to install the NEXT time you start." And you can't stop it from updating the next time you start anyway.

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989377#Comment_989377

I don't believe it is a "design choice"

Everything about a computer program is a design choice. Someone creates its architecture and behavior. Those are all choices.

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989390#Comment_989390

If not and you want to run the desktop version, do as suggested and reload after you're finished or overnight.

Yes you're right. But there's always a work-around. In this case I'm simply saying that Logos can do better. It wouldn't be hard to reduce this inconvenience so that I always have the latest update when I'm using the program rather than saying 'ok now that you're ready to work, if you really want the latest updated program and resources start over."

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989411#Comment_989411

All I know is that frequently when I start Logos it indicates a restart is required to update resources and this often happens just after I've purchased a new book. It's true I've not tracked exactly what is being updated and it may be unrelated.

It sounds like you Automatically Download Updates and close Logos when it is downloading. If you close/restart Logos frequently you might benefit by setting that option to No; which means you have to click the notification to start the download. If you delay doing that you will likely accumulate downloads and save on indexing time. Then, if a restart is required (because an updated resource is being used), you can delay that until you are ready to close Logos.

Jim

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989462#Comment_989462

It sounds like you Automatically Download Updates and close Logos when it is downloading. If you close/restart Logos frequently you might benefit by setting that option to No; which means you have to click the notification to start the download. If you delay doing that you will likely accumulate downloads and save on indexing time. Then, if a restart is required (because an updated resource is being used), you can delay that until you are ready to close Logos.

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not sure I fully understand. You're right I do have Automatically Download Updates set to Yes.

My problem is not with downloading, it's simply that when I start the program it seems that frequently it immediately tells me resources or updates requiring a restart are ready. It just makes more sense to me for Logos to take care of that when I started the program rather than saying "Oh! Do that again!" It's a matter of user friendliness and convenience that may not take much work for Logos to improve. If it's been running for some time then notifies me, then yes I can wait until I'm ready to take a break to restart.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989508#Comment_989508

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not sure I fully understand.

Your issue has to be connected with Automatic downloading, and it appears to be a bug that should be fixed. With the download option set to No, you would only receive a download notification a short time after starting Logos (not a restart notification); and that will happen only if there are updates after you closed Logos, or if you ignored a download notification prior to closing.

Just try it.

Mark Barnes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/989411#Comment_989411

Jim,

It's very rare that you'll need to restart Logos to update a book. Logos 7 works like this:

If you purchase a new book, it will be added to your library without restarting.
If an existing book is updated, it will be updated without restarting.
If an in-use data dataset (there are only a few dozen of these) is updated, you'll need to restart Logos to apply the update, but most of the time, you can safely continue your study without applying the update.
If the application itself is updated, it will need to be restarted, but you can safely continue your study without applying the update.

If you do continue your study without applying the update, the update will be applied next time you start Logos (in other words, it will already do what you're asking for).

I would imagine the main reason that Logos doesn't check for updates BEFORE opening is speed. The update check takes several seconds, and it would be annoying for most users if they had to wait for this check EVERY time they started Logos.