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 and zip installs
Section titled “Portable and zip installs”Self-update only works for installs made through the packaged installer. If Birch detects it wasn’t installed that way (e.g. a Windows zip you unpacked by hand), it skips the update check entirely — no dialog will ever appear. Update by downloading the new release yourself; see Installation.
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.