Updates

JSLab checks for new versions in the background and installs them when you restart.

JSLab checks for signed updates every hour and installs them when you restart.

JSLab updates itself. It checks for a new version about once an hour, downloads it quietly in the background, and asks you to restart when it’s ready. Nothing is installed while you’re working.

How an update arrives

Checking. The first check runs 30 seconds after JSLab launches, then one runs every hour, while Automatic Updates is on.
Downloading. When a newer version exists, JSLab shows “Downloading JSLab 0.2.0…” and fetches it. A small patch is used when one is available; otherwise it downloads the full update.
Ready. Once the download is complete and verified, JSLab shows “JSLab 0.2.0 is ready. Restart to update.” A Restart to Update button appears in the status bar, and in the JSLab menu.

Restarting saves your work, quits JSLab, swaps in the new version and relaunches it, with your tabs as they were. If you don’t restart, nothing is lost: the update installs the next time you open JSLab.

Checking by hand

JSLab → Check for Updates… (also in the command palette) always works, whether or not automatic updates are on. It reports that JSLab is up to date, that a newer version is downloading, or that it couldn’t check (usually no connection; nothing changed).

Turning automatic updates off

Settings → Advanced → Automatic Updates is on by default. Turn it off and JSLab stops checking in the background; Check for Updates… still works whenever you want it.

Every update is signed

Each update carries a signature that JSLab checks before installing it. An update that can’t be verified is never installed, and JSLab says so: “An update could not be verified and was not installed.” Your current version keeps working, and JSLab tries again at the next check.

If an install fails

The usual cause is running JSLab straight from the disk image instead of from Applications. JSLab stays on the version you had and says so once at the next launch. Drag JSLab to Applications and open it from there. To retry the same version right away, quit JSLab, delete update-failed.json from the data folder (see Troubleshooting), then use Check for Updates….

Canary

Canary is a separate app, JSLab-canary.app, with its own update feed, settings and data. It installs next to the normal JSLab, and the normal JSLab never moves to a canary build. The version you’re running, and its channel, are shown in About JSLab.