This is definitely not the right way to go. It may be helpful in a very small specific set of circumstances but completely useless or inaccurate in more

can not be tested

Try this test plugin - screenshots before applying the pull request changes.
plg_updatetest2.zip
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Test does not work on Unix system! - must be filename case, investigating.

Sorted, no change to the above needed, can go ahead with testing.
Appologizes for inconvenience, update server issue, not looked at that for a long time!

Hi @BrainforgeUK, I either can't follow your instructions or got lost in your Testing Instructions or it does not work.

Brand New Installation of Joomla 5.1.0

For me, I could replicate the BEFORE situation with plg_updatetest1.zip, however, when I applied the Patch, the 3 QuickIcons become RED/broken:

Checking Extensions ( Unknown Extensions ), Overrides are up to date. ( Error on checking overrides. ) and No urgent privacy requests. ( Unknown requests … )

And going to Update Extensions : /administrator/index.php?option=com_installer&view=update

An error has occurred.
0 syntax error, unexpected token ","

Call Stack

| Function | Location

-- | -- | --
1 | () | JROOT/administrator/components/com_installer/src/Model/UpdateModel.php:441
2 | Composer\Autoload{closure}() | JROOT/libraries/vendor/composer/ClassLoader.php:427
3 | Composer\Autoload\ClassLoader->loadClass() | JROOT/libraries/src/Autoload/ClassLoader.php:59
4 | Joomla\CMS\Autoload\ClassLoader->loadClass() |  
5 | class_exists() | JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Factory/MVCFactory.php:299
6 | Joomla\CMS\MVC\Factory\MVCFactory->getClassName() | JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Factory/MVCFactory.php:156
7 | Joomla\CMS\MVC\Factory\MVCFactory->createModel() | JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Controller/BaseController.php:574
8 | Joomla\CMS\MVC\Controller\BaseController->createModel() | JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Controller/BaseController.php:761
9 | Joomla\CMS\MVC\Controller\BaseController->getModel() | JROOT/administrator/components/com_installer/src/Controller/UpdateController.php:101
10 | Joomla\Component\Installer\Administrator\Controller\UpdateController->find() | JROOT/libraries/src/MVC/Controller/BaseController.php:730
11 | Joomla\CMS\MVC\Controller\BaseController->execute() | JROOT/libraries/src/Dispatcher/ComponentDispatcher.php:143
12 | Joomla\CMS\Dispatcher\ComponentDispatcher->dispatch() | JROOT/libraries/src/Component/ComponentHelper.php:361
13 | Joomla\CMS\Component\ComponentHelper::renderComponent() | JROOT/libraries/src/Application/AdministratorApplication.php:150
14 | Joomla\CMS\Application\AdministratorApplication->dispatch() | JROOT/libraries/src/Application/AdministratorApplication.php:195
15 | Joomla\CMS\Application\AdministratorApplication->doExecute() | JROOT/libraries/src/Application/CMSApplication.php:306
16 | Joomla\CMS\Application\CMSApplication->execute() | JROOT/administrator/includes/app.php:58
17 | require_once() | JROOT/administrator/index.php:32

:(

Error Reporting: Maximum, Debug System: on

Sorry...

I also tried plg_updatetest2.zip, which gave the correct BEFORE Patch but not a situation where the Extensions Update showed any update...

So, unable to test this further at the moment.

Retested as: #43322 (comment)

With changes made the message is now:

I am all in favour of meaningfull error messages but they also have to be helpful. In this example the advice is not helpful at all as it will result in the same error. I am fairly sure that will be the case most of the time. After all you are updating with the same archive. All it really is doing it "putting the blame" on Joomla not being able to do something when the fault lies with the extension developer

The message I propose is more useful than what Joomla currently displays as it now provides a direct link for manually downloading the file.

I suppose could add another line to the error message:
"If you require assistance please contact the extension developer."

Could enhance further by adding contact information from current XML?

In addition, in the future, an optional additional message could be included in the update server XML response.
Be best to do that as a follow on pull request.
https://docs.joomla.org/Deploying_an_Update_Server

blahblahblah

If that is missing display error as I suggest,
If present replace the index.php..... of the error message

This pull request has been automatically rebased to 5.2-dev.

I have tested this item ✅ successfully on f00ad20

I have tested this item ✅ successfully on f00ad20

RTC as it has 2 successful tests. But I agree with @brianteeman that the change made by this PR here is not really helpful in a vast majority of all cases. When unpacking a zip file fails, the most likely reason is that the zip file is broken, and then a manual download will not really help.

Therefore I've also set the RMDQ (release managers decision queue) label.

@pe7er @woluweb Please decide or discuss in the maintainers team.

P.S.: Besides a broken zip file following other reasons may cause unpacking to fail:

• File system permissions on the server are not sufficient (either because existing file is not writable or if the file does not exist before, the folder is not writable).
• There is not enough disk space left.
• The software which unzips the file has an error.

In all 3 cases a manual download of the zip file and using upload & update will not make a difference (in the 3rd case because it’s the same software unpacking it when using online update or upload & update).

So the message added by this PR is in fact misleading.

Do I have to mark an unsuccessful test

This is definitely not the right way to go. It may be helpful in a very small specific set of circumstances but completely useless or inaccurate in more

The solution proposed here will not fix the problem as Richard wrote. Thanks for proposing itr anyway.

@BrainforgeUK Thank you for your work! We have closed your PR because as Richard wrote, there could be different reasons why the update might fail. Trying to manually upload a zip file would not solve that.

However, a better error page still seems a good idea. Would it be possible to create a page at the Joomla documentation website with the possible causes and solutions, and make a link in the error message to that page?