Hi Rich,
You'll run the main GSX setup (gsx_fsx_setup.exe) which is the full installer on the GSX product page. It is about 71Mb in size.
Whenever there is an update for GSX you'll be prompted whether you want to update or ignore. This takes place after your flight loads. Nothing updates without your knowledge. More info below.
Other items required for GSX to run; Addon Manager module, and the Couatl™ Engine module.
I hope it's ok with Mr. Colapicchioni to post excerpts from the manual.
After Install - the Addon Manager module
When you launch Flight Simulator for the first time in FSX, there will be a request to
trust a newly installed module, the Addon Manager, needed by the scenery to work.
There will be two dialog boxes, one generated by Windows, the other by FSX itself.
The Windows-generated dialog box looks like this: ( or slightly differently, depending
on your Windows language )
Indicating the module “Addon Manager for FSX” is Digitally signed by VIRTUALI
s.a.s., so it’s safe to assume is the original one and it hasn’t been tampered or corrupted.
You should allow Windows to execute the module, otherwise the scenery
will not run. If you click the “More Options” arrows, you can allow any software
signed by “VIRTUALI s.a.s” to be automatically trusted. This way, subsequent updates
coming from VIRTUALI will be automatically executed without requesting
confirmation.
After having allowed Windows to trust the module, another similar dialog, this time
coming from FSX will appear:
You should select “Yes” to allow FSX to trust this module. If you select “No”, the
module will run, but this request will be repeated each time you start FSX.
After Install - the Couatl™ Engine module
GSX includes a new external executable module, based on the Python programming
language, that will allow a great amount of interaction between the user
and FSX.
Live Update
GSX has been designed with the capability of being constantly updated. The kind of
product is very suited to evolve: new 3rd party airplanes that require support with
doors configuration and special features, and new 3rd party airports that might need
a specific customization, are being released every day. And of course, with such
complex code that needs interaction with a wide range of addons and user habits,
bugs are always possible.
With the Couatl Live Update, your product will be always fresh without much effort
to check for new versions. The Couatl Live Update also covers other products, from
FSDT and 3rd parties that license the Couatl scripting engine, and can be kept updated
very easily with the same method.
How it works
The Couatl Live Update is integrated in the Couatl engine, and notifications for updates
are both automatic or triggered by the user.
The automatic notification runs once every day. No background tasks are installed,
the notification it’s part of the Couatl engine and runs only with FSX. The system
will check our servers every 24 hours, and if there’s an update, will be shown with a
standard FSX menu.
The menu shows 3 options, allowing to Download and install the update, Read the
release notes or Ignore the update.
If you choose to Ignore the update, there will be no further automatic notifications,
until the NEXT update will be published. But it’s always possible to force an Update
check manually, using the “Check Live Update” option under the “Couatl powered
product” menu under the “Addons” menu of the main FSX menu bar:
Using the “Check Live Update” function, you can check if there’s an update available
without having to wait up 24 hours after it has being published, and get a chance
to download or read about an update that you chose to ignore with the automatic
notification.
The option to Read the list of changes, will launch a mini-browser window (which
works in FSX Full Screen mode too), that contains an updated web page that lists all
the news related to the update.
It’s possible to read the release notes again, by selecting “Check Live Update” again,
even if you already installed the update.