App Store Whac-A-Mole

App Store.app (1.2) gets confused when more than one copy of an application is installed.

For example, I have 2 copies of LimeChat.app:

$ locate _MASReceipt/receipt | grep LimeChat

/Applications/LimeChat.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt

/Volumes/SnowLeopard/Applications/LimeChat.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt

1. Click Apple menu > App Store …

2. Updates shows LimeChat with a grayed out "Installed" [one expects it to say Update]

3. Click Purchases "Update". LimeChat downloads and now shows "Installed"

4. Click Updates "Update" [yes, it has changed]. LimeChat downloaded and now shows "Installed"

Go back to step 3 until you tire of this.

Explanation:

The copy on SnowLeopard needs updating, but App Store is updating the up-to-date copy on the boot volume, so the old copy still needs updating. Booting SnowLeopard and running App Store would likely update the old copy.

$ cd /tmp

$ strings /Volumes/SnowLeopard/Applications/LimeChat.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt > old

$ strings /Volumes/MountainLion/Applications/LimeChat.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt > new

$ diff old new

2,3c2,3

< 2.300

< P2040

---

> 2.320

> P2050

5,7c5,8

< 2012-02-19T12:02:29Z0

< 2012-02-19T12:02:30Z0(

< net.limechat.LimeChat-AppStore0<

---

> 2012-08-16T00:25:24Z0

> 2012-08-16T00:25:24Z0(

> net.limechat.LimeChat-AppStore05