NovaSync

v2.16.109 — Auto-update flow fix + countdown overlay + gzip dashboard

Critical fix — read this if you have 2.15.471 through 2.16.108 installed

The dashboard's "Update now" button was broken from 2.15.471 (2026-04-30) through 2.16.108 — clicking it always returned Error: unknown and never actually updated the plugin. Root cause: the install request was sent as GET to a POST-only endpoint (a JS helper function ignored the method override). The server-side method-check rejected it cleanly with no log entry, so the bug was invisible to anyone except the user clicking the button.

Fixed in 2.16.109. If your auto-update is currently broken, drop this JAR in your plugins/ folder once and restart. From this version forward, auto-update permanently works and you never need to manually swap a JAR again.

Other fixes & polish

• Auto-update flow now uses the standard 60-second countdown overlay (cyan full-screen, polls /api/health, auto-reloads when server is back). Previously showed a small "Reconnecting... attempt 20" status which looked like something was failing.
• Dashboard served gzipped when client accepts it. dashboard.html is ~1.2 MB raw → ~200 KB on the wire, ~5x faster page load over high-latency / metered connections.
• NovaLink register substring OOB fixed — affected nodes where the generated nodeId hex happened to be <8 characters (about 1-in-8 chance per fresh install).
• Diagnostic logging on the update endpoint — any future failure now logs the full stack trace + exception class name to latest.log AND returns the class name in the API response. No more "Error: unknown" with zero diagnostic trail.
• Settings → Advanced → Plugin Updates section added — manual "Check for Updates" button, current/latest version display, last-checked timestamp, "Install latest now" shortcut. Auto-checks when you open the Advanced sub-tab.

Upgrade notes

• All existing config + data is preserved.
• First boot after upgrade backs up config.yml to config.yml.bak-2.16.<previous> automatically.
• No breaking changes to the public API or peer protocol.
• Dependencies unchanged: Paper 1.21.11, optional CoreProtect / LuckPerms / voicechat / Floodgate / Geyser as before.

Thanks

Sorry to anyone who clicked Update during the last week and saw "Error: unknown" — that was a real bug, not your network. This release fixes it for good and adds enough diagnostic plumbing that the next bug will be visible the moment it happens.