[Feature]: Install beta version separately from stable version

[mtdvlpr]

By the way, what do you think about making the beta version installable alongside the stable version? This approach would not require uninstalling or overwriting the currently functioning version and would allow for more seamless testing of the beta version in a separate app instance, enabling testing more edge cases which I personally sometimes don't even want to try to not break the existing congregation settings.

Originally posted by @ux-git in #3222 (reply in thread)

[mtdvlpr]

I'm torn about this. On the one hand, allowing users to automatically install beta versions requires it to overwrite the stable version. On the other hand, for some test versions it would be useful to make it a separate installment.

In my opinion, the ideal situation would be:

• Stable and official beta releases, installed automatically or from Releases -> installed under Meeting Media Manager
• Test versions, installed from GitHub Actions -> Installed separately under Meeting Media Manager - Test

The challenge is to differentiate them from each other.

[e-Feitosa]

It would be very useful to have both versions; however, in previous versions, it was not possible to have two M3 instances open simultaneously. I am not sure if the idea would be:

• Main version (opens normally on the PC, even with the beta version installed)
• Beta version (opens independently from the main version)

Since some brothers here in the region use M³, it’s good to have the main version installed on my home PC to ensure everything is OK.

Sometimes I remove all M³ components, including the registry and system folders, to perform a fresh installation. I have even noticed some bugs that I have not been able to report yet when doing a clean installation. For example, on a new PC that has never used M³, the language options for media were not appearing.

[ux-git]

From my experience, you will never install a beta version on the Kingdom Hall computer, meaning that's only for at-home usage.

The biggest challenge for me with stable vs beta versions so far is that after installing any beta version it's too complicated to downgrade to the stable one.

So that's why I suggested having two separate instances which are not interfering with each other. This will allow to always be able to check out beta versions and their changes without breaking the existing stable version or not having to fully re-install it.

[mtdvlpr]

The biggest challenge for me with stable vs beta versions so far is that after installing any beta version it's too complicated to downgrade to the stable one.

That can be fixed. We can configure the auto updater to downgrade to stable when a beta version is installed and beta updates are disabled. Fixed in 5fb2373.