wendy update

Keep your Wendy CLI current without guessing which installer to use.

wendy update

Wendy identifies the running CLI's installation and checks the latest stable release for stable installations. Nightly updates use their package manager without a stable-release lookup. Wendy shows the update commands before asking for confirmation. The prompt defaults to Yes. To approve an update in a script or AI terminal:

wendy update --yes

Without an interactive terminal, --yes is required before any package manager runs. JSON output also requires --yes when updating.

Check without installing

wendy update --check
wendy update --check --json

--check makes a fresh stable-release request, including for nightly installations. It does not install software, write the update cache, refresh authentication, or emit update telemetry. If the release service cannot be reached, the command fails rather than reporting that your CLI is current.

The JSON report contains current_version, latest_stable_version, status, update_available, and installation. The installation includes its method, channel, executable path, supported update commands, and any manual instructions. These local paths are printed for troubleshooting, not included in update telemetry. An available update is a successful check and exits with code 0.

Installation methods

APT and RPM updates use sudo when needed. In CI or without a terminal, sudo runs without a password prompt; arrange elevation first or follow the manual instructions. Package confirmations are approved only after the Wendy confirmation or explicit --yes. A package installed from a downloaded file may need a newer file if no repository provides it.

For a manual update, complete the printed instructions, then run wendy update --check again. An unsupported automatic update exits with an error and instructions; it does not claim that an update happened.

Verify the result

After an automatic update, Wendy runs the newly PATH-resolved wendy --version. It only reports success when that executable is newer than the running CLI and has reached the expected stable version, when one was supplied. A failed package command, pinned package, or old executable still taking precedence on PATH is reported as a failure.

If a second Wendy binary shadows the running CLI, correct PATH first. Use type -a wendy on macOS/Linux or Get-Command wendy -All in PowerShell to find copies. A package repository can also lag behind the published release; retry after the package is available.

Restart the Wendy MCP server or your AI app after updating. An existing server process continues using its old binary and tools until restarted. Rerun wendy mcp setup if you also want to refresh the bundled assistant skills.

Automatic reminders

Ordinary commands check for releases in the background. A successful check is cached for 24 hours; a failed or cancelled check can retry after one hour. The reminder waits at most one second for a background release request, with separate bounded installation and cache lookups, so an unavailable release service does not hold up your command.

In an interactive terminal, you can accept an update immediately. Declining snoozes that release's prompt for 24 hours. JSON output and automated invocations never open a prompt. A command that failed can show a short, noninteractive reminder while preserving its original error and exit status. An update failure after a successful command also preserves the original command's success.

CI, read-only checks, and completion helpers skip background reminders. Set WENDY_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1 to disable background checks and notices; an explicit wendy update or wendy update --check still works.

These behaviors become available after installing a release that includes them. If your older CLI does not recognize update, upgrade it once using its existing package manager or original installation method, then verify wendy --version.