DOCS / CONFIGURATION
Updates & channels
Birch updates itself from its own feed at https://updates.getbirchcode.dev — checking roughly every six hours and offering a download-and-restart dialog when a new version lands. Two release channels exist: stable (the default) and beta, which gets pre-release builds first.
The update flow
Section titled “The update flow”- A background check runs shortly after launch (about five seconds in) and then roughly every six hours.
- When a newer version is found, the update dialog opens: it shows Current version: x.y.z and offers Download & restart or Close.
- Download & restart downloads the update, applies it, and relaunches Birch on the new version. Close dismisses it for the rest of that app run — the dialog appears at most once per run, so later checks won’t re-open it. The update is offered again the next time you start Birch.
There is currently no Check for updates… menu entry in the shipped build — update discovery is automatic, and the dialog appears on its own when a check finds something.
Channels
Section titled “Channels”| Channel | What it gets |
|---|---|
stable (default) | Regular releases |
beta | Pre-release builds (e.g. 1.2.0-beta.1) first — newer features, less soak time; expect rougher edges |
The channel is controlled by the update.channel settings key (stable or beta). A change is picked up on the next check, without restarting Birch. See the settings reference for how settings are stored.
Portable zips and your own builds
Section titled “Portable zips and your own builds”Every copy from Birch’s own downloads checks for updates, including the Portable zips. Only a build you compile and run yourself skips the check entirely — no dialog will ever appear; update it by building the new version. What the check sends is listed under Privacy.
Unsigned builds
Section titled “Unsigned builds”Current builds are unsigned and not notarized, so applying or reinstalling an update can re-trigger the usual OS warnings — Windows SmartScreen’s “Windows protected your PC” and macOS Gatekeeper. That’s expected while signing is pending; the workarounds are on the Installation page.