Version 1
Q Prime keeps itself up to date by asking Pins, Opal Kelly's service, whether a newer version is available. In exchange for those updates, each installation tells Pins a little about itself when it asks. We use this to know which versions are in use, to plan releases, and to find the installations that need attention when a release has to be withdrawn.
What is sent
Each time Q Prime checks for updates — when it starts and about once an hour while it runs — it sends:
- which application it is, and its version;
- the platform it runs on (for example Windows or macOS);
- an installation ID: a random number Q Prime creates the first time it runs. It identifies this installation of the software. It is not derived from your computer's hardware;
- the Pins account signed in on it, and so the organization that account belongs to;
- the station name, only if someone has set one in Q Prime's Station Configuration;
- whether automatic updates are switched off.
Pins keeps one record for each installation, holding the latest of these details — including the account last signed in on it — together with when that installation was first and last seen. Each check replaces the previous details; we do not keep a history of them.
What is not kept
We do not store your IP address. Like any website, our hosting and network providers see it in their request logs.
Test sessions
Q Prime's test sessions record which installation ran them (its installation ID and station name). They are kept as long as your test records.
How long it is kept
An installation's record is deleted automatically 24 months after that installation was last seen.
Who can see it
Installation records: Opal Kelly staff who manage software releases, and Pins administrators. The installation ID and station name on a test session: anyone who can see that session, including users at your organization who can see their own sessions.
Your choices
Reporting is part of using Q Prime and cannot be switched off. Automatic updates can: any technician can turn them off in Q Prime's Station Configuration. The installation still checks in, so it can show you when an update is available, and you choose when to download it.
Copies of an installation
If a computer is copied from a disk image, every copy shares the original's installation ID, and Pins sees them as one installation. Your IT team can avoid this by deleting the installation ID file before making the image.
Questions about this page: [email protected].