I write software for Mac and Windows (in C++/Qt). I put each new release out as a separate application for the user to install. Is there some equivalent to Sparkle that runs on both Mac AND Windows, so I don't have to integrate a separate system on each OS?
Also I worry about update frameworks as way for bad guys to do bad things via my software. Should I be worried?
Windows installation system is so fundamentally different that it's hard to have a 1-size-fits-all update mechanism. When I shipped a cross-platform application, we used Sparkle on Mac, and a simple utility that downloaded and ran an MSI file for Windows.
Currently I used Inno Setup to create a .exe installer on Windows and DropDMG to create a .dmg image on Mac.
Presumably Sparkle and Winsparkle both use a similar update mechanism and that doesn't involve full Windows or Mac installers (otherwise, what would be the point?).
Sparkle works with a .dmg file, so you'd probably continue using DropDMG.
I can't speak much for Winsparkle; I remember looking at it and immediately concluding that it wouldn't work for us.
(FWIW: I ended up slipping in a few hacks so we could pop open browser windows on specific versions and commits, and even remotely kill them if needed.)
Also I worry about update frameworks as way for bad guys to do bad things via my software. Should I be worried?