How do Palm webOS system updates work

joek71 · 06-18-2009, 08:59 AM

Important Updates do not affect your data in any way.

Note Palm provides system updates wirelessly to webOS phones. These updates are released periodically and are intended to increase stability, improve the user experience, and in some cases add functionality to the phone. Software updates cannot be downloaded on a 1xRTT connection because it would block incoming phone calls. You need to be in an EVDO network coverage area or connect the device to a Wi-Fi network. System updates are intended to be automatically installed. In order for this to happen, your phone's battery must have a 30% (or higher) charge. We recommend that you charge your battery frequently as this also improves battery life. Never remove your battery during an update as it may permanently damage your phone. There are several steps to a system update, but almost all of them are performed automatically.

Checking for system updates

Your webOS phone automatically checks for system updates in the background every 7 days. You can check for system updates at any time by opening Updates.
Waiting for download

Once a system update becomes available, it downloads in the background within 2 days at a time when your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network and it is not in airplane mode. If you do not connect to a Wi-Fi network, the update will be downloaded in the background when you are in your wireless service provider’s high-speed data coverage area. System updates are only downloaded when you are not using your data connection.
Download

Your phone downloads all updates to a hidden directory that is not part of user storage. In rare circumstances, your phone may need to borrow some space from user storage. If this extra space is needed to download the update, a notification appears, and you are asked to back up some files from your phone and delete them from user storage. Once the update is installed, you can copy your files back to the phone.
Validation

During this stage, webOS verifies that the update was downloaded successfully.
Waiting to install

All system updates require your battery to be charged to at least 30% and do not install if you are on a phone call. System updates must be installed within 7 days of the download. If 7 days have passed and you have not installed the update, the update automatically installs when your battery is charged to over 30% and you are not on a phone call. Within the 7 days, you can choose to postpone the install when prompted to start it. If you postpone, the following occurs:

The next three times the phone is charged, an alert with “Install Later” and “Install Now” buttons is displayed. This alert is on a 10-minute countdown. If you have not tapped “Install Later” after 10 minutes, installation begins. The 10-minute timer also begins if you plug in the phone and have at least a 30% battery charge.
The fourth time that the phone is charged, the alert only displays an “Install Now” button. After a 10-minute countdown, the installation begins.

Revalidation

During this stage, webOS verifies that the update is completely downloaded and ready to install. If the download fails to validate, the phone will delete the update. The process reverts to step 3.
Install

While a system update is being installed, you will not be able to use any part of your phone, and all wireless services are disabled. A system update usually takes about 10 minutes. In the rare event that an update fails, your phone restarts and attempts to reinstall the update up to three times. If your phone still fails to install the update, a message with information on what to do next is displayed on the screen for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, your phone will shut down. Never remove the battery while an update is being installed as this may permanently damage your phone.
Reporting

After the system update is installed, webOS sends Palm anonymous information about the update process. Palm uses this anonymous information to improve future updates.

docjj · 06-20-2009, 12:58 AM

This scenario above is exactly how the update works. It completed flawlessly in under 10 minutes. Thanks for the detailed information, joek71!

joek71 · 06-20-2009, 01:12 AM

You are more then welcomed guys, this is a great community forum and we are all here to help each other.

mrcsbrooks · 06-21-2009, 04:38 AM

Very well done

AG4 · 06-22-2009, 11:57 AM

can anyone tell me the specifics of what was in the 1.03 update or where I can read about it?

atlanta · 06-23-2009, 06:47 AM

http://kb.palm.com/wps/portal/kb/na/...07_en.html#103

Randude · 07-23-2009, 06:57 PM

Updating now! That is too funny about the fix to Itunes. I'm also updating Itunes at the same time. lol

NoiseTherapy · 01-02-2010, 08:21 AM

I was in the middle of an update and I just left my phone charging and when I came back to check on it, the screen was black and it says "www.palm.com/ROM"

I went to that page, downloaded the fix, attempted to install it and reached a point where the next button was dimmed and I could not progress. There are instructions to fix this problem on PC but I have a mac. Can someone help me?