Update and restore

There are two update paths. A package update changes the CLI installed on your machine. A session runtime update prepares hooks and plugin code for new sessions in one project.

Update the package and registered projects

npm install -g openwolf
openwolf --version
openwolf update --list
openwolf update --dry-run
openwolf update

Install OpenWolf 2.5.3 with npm install -g openwolf@2.5.3. See the 2.5.3 release notes for changes and validation.

openwolf update refreshes registered projects from the installed package. Use --project my-app to select a project by partial name. Review the dry run before updating several projects.

The update creates a backup, merges new configuration defaults, refreshes OpenWolf runtime files and agent registrations, and checks that the installed hooks can load. It preserves existing custom settings where supported and reports malformed files for repair. Selected migrations can change generated state, so review the update result and backup.

Restart each project's daemon and start new agent sessions to load the new code. For 2.5.3, this refresh also installs the revised dashboard, OpenCode V2 adapter and scheduler repairs.

Automatic session runtime updates

The default compatible policy checks npm in the background and prepares supported stable releases in the same major version. For a 0.x release, the minor version must also match. Major updates produce a notice.

A new session can use the verified runtime. A running or resumed session keeps its selected version. These updates do not replace the global CLI, restart a daemon or replace a custom Claude status-line command.

openwolf self-update --status
openwolf self-update

The first command reads cached status. The second checks the registry under the configured policy. Network or verification failures retain the working runtime. See automatic update details.

Restore a backup

openwolf restore
openwolf restore BACKUP_NAME

The first command lists backups. Replace BACKUP_NAME with a listed snapshot. Restoration can replace newer .wolf/ data and backed-up Claude settings, so inspect the snapshot before proceeding.

For a single archived memory block, use openwolf memory restore ARCHIVE_ID instead of restoring the whole project snapshot.

Check which CLI is running

Multiple Node installations can expose different OpenWolf versions.

openwolf --version

Use command -v openwolf on Linux or macOS, where.exe openwolf in Windows Command Prompt, or Get-Command openwolf in PowerShell. Update the package associated with the Node installation you intend to use. Do not delete an executable solely because its version differs from another installation.

Protected administrator-managed runtimes have a separate update process. Project settings cannot authorise replacement of that protected runtime.

Upgrading to 2.5.3

After installing 2.5.3, verify openwolf --version, run openwolf update --dry-run, then update the intended projects. Restart each project's daemon with openwolf daemon restart and start new agent sessions. The dashboard's System page distinguishes the running daemon version from the installed project hooks.

Updates preserve disabled projects. Retired AI schedule entries move to retired_tasks with their definitions intact. Catch-up applies to supported maintenance after its first stored due time; it does not replay all historical missed runs. Custom OpenCode plugin edits are preserved and may require manual migration. Do not delete custom files to silence a migration warning.

Existing global Claude commands

Project skill updates do not replace global files in ~/.claude/commands (or the directory selected by CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR). If a global /reframe still asks for .wolf/reframe-frameworks.md, back up that global command and compare it with the updated project command in .claude/commands/reframe.md. Transfer the new self-contained instructions while preserving your own changes, or remove the obsolete global copy only after checking that the project command is available. Apply the same review to any global copy of the OpenWolf protocol. Global files may be shared by multiple projects.

Existing anatomy statistics

New read events use the scanner's eligibility rules. Historical totals are not rewritten because older records do not reliably preserve the exclusions active at the time. The dashboard labels this limitation.