--- title: "Updates" description: "Get the newest Codewhale when it suits you; nothing downloads or installs until you say so." works_on: [desktop] --- # Updates Get the newest Codewhale when it suits you. Nothing installs until you say so. **Works on:** the desktop app. The Linux AppImage is checked; macOS and Windows are not checked yet. The phone and the web: not available yet. ![The Help menu offering Codewhale 0.2.0](images/updates-help-menu.png) ## See whether there's a new version Codewhale looks for a new version a little after it opens, and again every few hours. It never opens a window or downloads anything when it checks by itself. When there's something new, the first item in the **Help** menu reads **Update to Codewhale {version}…**. When there's something new, a quiet row also appears at the top of the window: **Update to Codewhale {version}**, with **Download** and **Later**. **Later** hides the row in that window until something changes. ![The row at the top of the window offering Codewhale 0.2.0](images/updates-row.png) To look right now, choose **Help › Check for updates…**, or **Check now** in **Settings › Advanced**, or type "Check for updates" in the palette (⌘K, or Ctrl+K), or type `/update`. If you already have the newest version, Codewhale says "You have the latest Codewhale." with your version number. If the menu says "Not available yet", this copy of Codewhale doesn't get updates yet. Get the new version the same way you got this one. ## Download an update ![Codewhale 0.2.0 is available, with Download and Not now](images/updates-available.png) Choose **Help › Update to Codewhale {version}…**. You see what's new and the version you have. Choose **Download**, or **Not now** to leave it for later. While it downloads, the Help menu shows how far along it is. Codewhale checks every download against what was published. If they don't match, it says "The download didn't match what was published, so Codewhale didn't keep it." and nothing changes. Choose **Try again** to start over. ## Install it ![Codewhale 0.2.0 is ready to install, with Restart to update and Later](images/updates-ready.png) When the download is ready, Codewhale asks before it installs. Choose **Restart to update**, or **Later** to keep working. The **Help** menu then reads **Restart to update…**, and the row at the top of the window offers **Restart to update**, until you're ready. Everything in Codewhale updates together. Your conversations, folders and settings stay as they are. ## Update while work is running ![Codewhale is still working, with Update when it finishes and Not now](images/updates-still-working.png) If a reply, an approval, a helper agent or a command is still going, Codewhale doesn't restart under it. Choose **Update when it finishes**, and Codewhale restarts by itself as soon as the work is done. The Help menu reads **Updating when the work finishes** in the meantime; choose it to change your mind. If Codewhale can't tell whether something is still running (for example, while a folder is still opening), it waits. While it waits, nothing new starts: a new message or a new conversation isn't sent, and the row at the top of the window says why: "Codewhale updates when the current work finishes. New work waits until then." Your message stays in the composer. You can still answer approvals and questions, and Stop still works. Choose **Not now** in the row to change your mind and keep working. ![The row while an update waits for an approval to be answered](images/updates-waiting.png) ## Stable and beta ![Settings › Advanced with Check for updates and Update channel](images/updates-settings.png) Choose **Settings › Advanced › Update channel**. **Stable** is the default for a stable build; **Beta** gets new things first and may be rougher. Your choice is kept on this computer and applies to the next check. Switching from beta back to stable never installs an older version; you move to stable with its next release. **Settings › Advanced › Check for updates** shows what's happening (checking, available, downloading, ready, or what went wrong) with the one button that fits: **Check now**, **Download**, **Restart to update**, **Not now** or **Try again**. In a copy of Codewhale that doesn't get updates, both rows say "Not available yet". ## Keyboard Open the **Help** menu with Alt (Linux and Windows) and the arrow keys. In every update window, Enter chooses the highlighted button and Esc chooses **Not now** or **Later**. ## For people testing Codewhale A build only checks for updates when `CODEWHALE_UPDATE_URL` names an update feed: an `https://` address, or a loopback `http://127.0.0.1` address for local tests. `CODEWHALE_UPDATE_CHANNEL=beta` or `stable` sets the channel until someone chooses one in Settings. With no feed set, **Check for updates** says "Not available yet" and nothing is contacted. A check sends nothing about you or your account. ## Related - [Diagnostics](diagnostics.md) - [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md) - [Settings](settings.md) Previous: [Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md) · Next: [Diagnostics](diagnostics.md)