Auto-update¶

DUMB includes a comprehensive auto-update system that keeps your services current with the latest releases. Each service can be configured independently with different update strategies, from fully automatic updates to version pinning.

Overview¶

The auto-update system supports multiple update strategies:

How it works¶

%%{ init: { "flowchart": { "curve": "basis" } } }%%
flowchart TD
    A([Service startup])
    B{Auto-update enabled?}
    C[Check for updates]
    D([Start service])
    E{Update available?}
    F[Download update]
    G[Stop service]
    H[Apply update]
    I([Start service])
    J[Schedule next check]
    K[Wait for interval]

    A ==> B
    B -- No --> D
    B -- Yes --> C
    C ==> E
    E -- No --> D
    E -- Yes --> F
    F ==> G
    G ==> H
    H ==> I
    I ==> J
    J ==> K
    K ==> C

Update lifecycle¶

1. Initial check - When a service starts, DUMB checks for available updates
2. Version comparison - Current version is compared with the latest available
3. Download - If an update is available, the new version is downloaded
4. Apply - The service is stopped, updated, and restarted
5. Schedule - Future update checks are scheduled based on the configured interval

Configuration¶

Auto-update settings are configured per-service in dumb_config.json:

{
  "service_name": {
    "enabled": true,
    "auto_update": true,
    "auto_update_start_time": "04:00",
    "auto_update_interval": 24,
    "release_version_enabled": false,
    "release_version": "latest",
    "branch_enabled": false,
    "branch": "main",
    "pinned_version": "",
    "clear_on_update": true,
    "exclude_dirs": []
  }
}

Configuration options¶

Update strategies¶

Latest release (default)¶

The default strategy fetches the latest stable release from GitHub:

{
  "frontend": {
    "auto_update": true,
    "auto_update_start_time": "04:00",
    "auto_update_interval": 24
  }
}

This checks GitHub's /releases/latest endpoint and downloads the newest stable version.

Nightly builds¶

For testing cutting-edge features, enable nightly builds:

{
  "service_name": {
    "release_version_enabled": true,
    "release_version": "nightly"
  }
}

Prerelease versions¶

To receive beta or release candidate versions:

{
  "service_name": {
    "release_version_enabled": true,
    "release_version": "prerelease"
  }
}

Branch-based deployment¶

Track a specific Git branch for development or testing:

{
  "service_name": {
    "branch_enabled": true,
    "branch": "dev"
  }
}

Version pinning¶

Lock a service to a specific version:

{
  "service_name": {
    "pinned_version": "v1.30.0"
  }
}

Update intervals¶

The auto_update_start_time and auto_update_interval settings control update cadence:

{
  "frontend": {
    "auto_update": true,
    "auto_update_start_time": "04:00",
    "auto_update_interval": 24
  }
}

With this example, checks run once per day at 04:00. If you set auto_update_interval to another value (for example 12), checks run every 12 hours anchored from the configured start time.

Preserving data during updates¶

Clear on update¶

By default, DUMB clears the service directory before applying updates. This ensures a clean installation:

{
  "service_name": {
    "clear_on_update": true
  }
}

Excluding directories¶

To preserve specific directories during updates (like configuration or data):

{
  "service_name": {
    "clear_on_update": true,
    "exclude_dirs": ["config", "data", "logs"]
  }
}

GitHub API integration¶

Rate limiting¶

GitHub's API has rate limits:

Using a GitHub token¶

For higher rate limits, add a GitHub token to your configuration:

{
  "dumb": {
    "github_token": "ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  }
}

Service-specific behavior¶

Different services have specialized update handling:

Monitoring updates¶

Check current versions¶

View installed versions in the frontend:

1. Navigate to Settings
2. Check the Version display for each service

Update logs¶

Update activity is logged to the DUMB logs:

INFO - [Auto-Update] Checking for updates: frontend
INFO - [Auto-Update] Update available: v1.32.0 -> v1.33.0
INFO - [Auto-Update] Downloading update...
INFO - [Auto-Update] Update complete: frontend v1.33.0

Troubleshooting¶

Updates not running¶

1. Verify auto_update is enabled in the service configuration
2. Check the interval - updates may not be due yet
3. Review logs for error messages
4. Verify network connectivity to GitHub

Update fails repeatedly¶

1. Check GitHub API rate limits - add a token if needed
2. Verify disk space is available
3. Check file permissions in the service directory
4. Review logs for specific error messages

Service won't start after update¶

1. Check compatibility between the new version and your configuration
2. Review the service's changelog for breaking changes
3. Consider pinning to the previous working version
4. Check logs for startup errors

Best practices¶

Related pages¶

• Configuration Guide
• Auto-restart
• Settings Page