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In computing, a patch is a small piece of software designed to update or fix problems with a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing bugs, replacing graphics and improving the usability or performance. Though meant to fix problems, poorly designed patches can sometimes introduce new problems (see software regressions). Memory (Random Access Memory) Look up computing in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...
A computer program is a collection of instructions that describe a task, or set of tasks, to be carried out by a computer. ...
A computer bug is an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program that prevents it from working as intended, or produces an incorrect result. ...
Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. ...
Buskers perform in San Francisco A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers) behave in a particular way for another group of people (the audience). ...
A software regression is a software bug which makes a feature stop working after a certain event (system upgrade, system patching, daylight saving time switch, etc. ...
Patch management is the process of using a strategy and plan of what patches should be applied to which systems at a specified time.
Types Programmers publish and apply patches in various forms. Because proprietary software authors withhold their source code, their patches are distributed as binary executables instead of source. This type of patch modifies the program executable—the program the user actually runs—either by modifying the binary file to include the fixes or by completely replacing it. Source code (commonly just source or code) is any series of statements written in some human-readable computer programming language. ...
Patches can also circulate in the form of source code modifications. In these cases, the patches consist of textual differences between two source code files. These types of patches commonly come out of open source projects. In these cases, developers expect users to compile the new or changed files themselves. Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ...
Because the word "patch" carries the connotation of a small fix, large fixes may use different nomenclature. Bulky patches or patches that significantly change a program may circulate as "service packs" or as "software updates". Microsoft Windows NT and its successors (including Windows 2000, Windows XP, and later versions) use the "service pack" terminology. A Service Pack (more commonly, SP) is a software program that corrects known bugs, problems, or adds new features. ...
Windows NT is an operating system produced by Microsoft. ...
Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptible, interruptible, graphical and business-oriented operating system that was designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor 32-bit Intel x86 computers. ...
Windows XP is a line of proprietary operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ...
In several Unix-like systems, particularly Linux, updates between releases are delivered as new software packages. These updates are in the same format as the original installation so they can be used either to update an existing package in-place (effectively patching) or be used directly for new installations. Diagram of the relationships between several Unix-like systems A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. ...
Linux (IPA pronunciation: ) is a Unix-like computer operating system. ...
A software package is a bundle of one or several files that either are necessary for the execution of a computer program, or add features for a program already installed on the computer or network of computers. ...
History Applying a patch once involved a tedious, error-fraught process that required end-users to follow an often ill-documented set of procedures. Missing or misapplying a step usually resulted in having to re-install both the application and patch. Today, patch installation generally occurs automatically.
Historically, software suppliers distributed patches on paper tape or on punched cards, expecting the recipient to cut out the indicated part of the original tape (or deck), and patch in (hence the name) the replacement segment. Later patch distributions used magnetic tape. Then, after the invention of removable disk drives, patches came from the software developer via a disk or, later, CD-ROM via mail. Today, with almost ubiquitous Internet access, end-users must download most patches from the developer's web site. A roll of punched tape Punched tape is an old-fashioned form of data storage, consisting of a long strip of paper in which holes are punched to store data. ...
The punch card (or Hollerith card) is a recording medium for holding information for use by automated data processing machines. ...
A floppy disk is a data storage device that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible (floppy) magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. ...
The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ...
It has been suggested that first class mail be merged into this article or section. ...
This article is about the computer terms. ...
A website, Web site or WWW site (often shortened to just site) is a collection of webpages, that is, HTML/XHTML documents accessible via HTTP on the Internet; all publicly accessible websites in existence comprise the World Wide Web. ...
Today, computer programs can often coordinate patches to update a target program. Automation simplifies the end-users' task -- they need only to execute an update program, whereupon that program makes sure that updating the target takes place completely and correctly. Service packs for Microsoft Windows NT and its successors and for many commercial software products adopt such automated strategies. Windows NT is an operating system produced by Microsoft. ...
Some programs can update themselves via the Internet with very little or no intervention on the part of users. The maintenance of server software and of operating systems often takes place in this manner. In situations where system administrators control a number of computers, this sort of automation helps to maintain consistency. The application of security patches commonly occurs in this manner. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
// An operating system (OS) is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer. ...
Application The size of patches may vary from a few kilobytes to hundreds of megabytes — mostly more significant changes imply a larger size. In particular, patches can become quite large when the changes add or replace non-program data, such as graphics and sounds files. Such situations commonly occur in the patching of computer games. A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to the decimal 1024 bytes (2 to the 10th power, or 1,024 bytes based in the binary system). ...
ReBoot character, see Megabyte (ReBoot). ...
A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...
Compared with the initial installation of software, patches usually do not take long to apply. Patches acquired via the Internet may take longer (depending on Internet connection speed).
In the case of operating systems and computer server software, patches have the particularly important role of fixing security holes. To facilitate updates, operating systems often provide automatic or semi-automatic update facilities.
Completely automatic updates have not succeeded in gaining widespread popularity in corporate computing environments, partly because of the aforementioned glitches, but also because administrators fear that software companies may gain unlimited control over their computers. Package management systems can offer various degrees of patch automation. Illustration of a package management system being used to download new software. ...
Usage of completely automatic updates is far more widespread in the consumer market, due largely to the fact that Microsoft Windows added support for them, and Service Pack 2 of Windows XP enabled them by default. Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of proprietary software operating systems by Microsoft. ...
Cautious users, particularly system administrators, tend to put off applying patches until they can verify the stability of the fixes. Microsoft (W)SUS support this. In the cases of large patches or of significant changes, distributors often limit availability of patches to qualified developers as a beta test. Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...
Applying patches to firmware poses special challenges: re-embedding typically small code sets on hardware devices often involves the provision of totally new program code, rather than simply of differences from the previous version. Often the patch consists of bare binary data and a special program that replaces the previous version with the new version is provided. A motherboard BIOS update is an example of a common firmware patch. Any unexpected error or interruption, like a power outage, during the update might mean the motherboard is rendered unusable. Motherboard vendors try to reduce the chances of this happening. In computing, firmware is software that is embedded in a hardware device. ...
A motherboard is the central or primary circuit board making up a complex electronic system, such as a modern computer. ...
This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Computer games Unlike applications such as word processors, patches play a unique role in computer games. Computer games often — almost always today — require patches to fix compatibility problems after their initial release. A word processor (also more formally known as a document preparation system) is a computer application used for the production (including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing) of any sort of viewable or printed material. ...
A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...
Patches may also be released to change game rules or algorithms. These patches may be prompted by the discovery of exploits in the multiplayer game experience that give canny users unfair advantages. Extra features and game play tweaks are also often added. These kinds of patches are especially common in MMORPGs and first-person shooters. In mathematics, computing, linguistics, and related disciplines, an algorithm is a finite list of well-defined instructions for accomplishing some task that, given an initial state, will terminate in a defined end-state. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Online gaming redirects here. ...
An image from World of Warcraft, one of the largest commercial MMORPGs as of 2004, based on active subscriptions. ...
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Multiplayer games may reject any users that are not using the same patch version in order to avoid conflicts between versions. This also gives users an incentive to update their versions.
Microsoft released a patch for their flight simulator standard Microsoft Flight Simulator after the attacks on New York on September 11, 2001. It removed the World Trade Center from the New York scenery on earlier versions of the simulator, a rare example of a patch released to assuage public sensitivity rather than fix technical problems. Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ...
Interior cockpit of a modern flight simulator A flight simulator is a system that tries to replicate, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft as closely and realistically as possible. ...
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows, marketed and often seen as a video game. ...
NY redirects here. ...
The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...
This article is about the former World Trade Center (Twin Towers) in New York City. ...
Tools There are several tools to aid in the patch application process, such as RTPatch, JUpdater or StableUpdate. WinZip Self-Extractor can launch a program that can apply a patch. JUpdater is a project which aims to create an utility that allows developers to quickly implement version checks into Java programs. ...
StableUpdate is a cross platform library for automatic update of the installed applications on the client side. ...
WinZip Computing Inc. ...
Patches in software development Patches sometimes become mandatory to fix problems with libraries or with portions of source code for programs in frequent use or in maintenance. This commonly occurs on very large-scale software projects, but rarely in small-scale development. Illustration of an application which may use libvorbisfile. ...
Source code (commonly just source or code) is any series of statements written in some human-readable computer programming language. ...
In open source projects, the authors commonly receive patches or many people publish patches that fix particular problems or add certain functionality, like support for local languages outside the project's locale. In an example from the early development of the Linux operating system (noted for publishing its complete source code), Linus Torvalds, the original author, received hundreds of thousands of patches from many programmers to apply against his original version. Open source refers to projects that are open to the public and which draw on other projects that are freely available to the general public. ...
Linux (IPA pronunciation: ) is a Unix-like computer operating system. ...
Linus Benedict Torvalds ; born December 28, 1969 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish software engineer best known for initiating the development of the Linux kernel. ...
A programmer or software developer is someone who programs computers, that is, one who writes computer software. ...
The Apache HTTP Server originally evolved as a number of patches that a webmaster created to add new features to NCSA HTTPd, hence the name that implies that it is a collection of patches: "a patchy server". The FAQ on the project's official site states that the name 'Apache' was chosen from respect for the Native American Indian tribe of Apache. However, the 'a patchy server' explanation was initially given on the project's website.[1] The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to simply as Apache, is a web server notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. ...
A webmaster is a person responsible for designing, developing, marketing, or maintaining Web site(s). ...
The NCSA HTTPd was a web server originally developed at the NCSA by Robert McCool and a list of others. ...
// It has been suggested that Traditional Apache scout be merged into this article or section. ...
Security patches If a patch is a piece of data used to update a software product, then a security patch is a change applied to an asset to correct the weakness described by a vulnerability. This corrective action will prevent successful exploitation and remove or mitigate a threat’s capability to exploit a specific vulnerability in an asset.
Security patches are the primary method of fixing security vulnerabilities in software. Currently Microsoft releases their security patches once a month, and other operating systems and software projects have security teams dedicated to releasing the most reliable software patches as soon after a vulnerability announcement as possible. Security patches are closely tied to responsible disclosure. In computer security, full disclosure means to disclose all the details of a security problem which are known. ...
References - ^ Wayback Machine link to the Apache website, 1997
See also patch is a Unix program that updates text files according to instructions contained in a separate file, called a patch file. ...
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed (e. ...
A hotfix is a single, cumulative package that includes one or more files that are used to address a problem in a software product. ...
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