Updates and channels

To update a Linux server, run:

sudo /usr/local/bin/nifty update

It downloads the new version, checks its signature, replaces the program and restarts the nifty service. It finds the service's data folder and channel by itself. Open windows then show Nifty has been updated: choose Reload.

If you'd stopped Nifty, it stays stopped: start it with sudo systemctl start nifty when you're ready.

Use the full path: sudo often leaves /usr/local/bin out. The Mac app updates itself: see Install on a Mac.

Know when there's one

Nifty checks once a day. When there's an update, the Nifty menu gets a dot and About Nifty says Update. Choose Nifty → About Nifty to see the new version, the command and its Release notes. Check now checks straight away.

A check is a plain request for the newest version: it sends nothing about you or your notes.

To check from a script, add --check: it only says whether there's an update, and exits with status 3 when there is.

Your licence and updates

Your licence covers every version released until its Updates until date. A newer one shows in About Nifty with Renew your licence, but isn't installed: nifty update says why and exits with status 4. Renew, replace your key, then update. See Your licence.

During the free trial, and while read-only, every version is offered. So is every version for a revoked key, but one released after the revocation refuses it, so Nifty works as if it had no licence (Your licence).

Channels

• Stable, the default.
• Beta: new features before they're stable, and every stable release newer than the latest beta.

Turn on Beta releases in Nifty → About Nifty. Turning it off never goes back a version: you move to stable once stable is newer than yours. From the command line, --channel saves the choice:

sudo /usr/local/bin/nifty update --check --channel beta

Turn checks off

Turn off Check for updates in Nifty → About Nifty. Check now still works.

If something else updates Nifty (a package manager, say), set NIFTY_UPDATE_CHECKS=off in /etc/nifty.env. About Nifty then says updates come from elsewhere.

Roll back

sudo /usr/local/bin/nifty update --rollback
sudo systemctl restart nifty

This puts back the previous program, kept as /usr/local/bin/nifty.previous. Unlike an update, it doesn't restart Nifty for you.