2026-01-20 13:33:31 +00:00
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---
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summary: "Stable, beta, and dev channels: semantics, switching, and tagging"
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read_when:
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- You want to switch between stable/beta/dev
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- You are tagging or publishing prereleases
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---
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# Development channels
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2026-01-21 06:00:50 +00:00
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Last updated: 2026-01-21
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2026-01-20 14:27:34 +00:00
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2026-01-20 13:33:31 +00:00
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Clawdbot ships three update channels:
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- **stable**: tagged releases (`vYYYY.M.D` or `vYYYY.M.D-<patch>`). npm dist-tag: `latest`.
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- **beta**: prerelease tags (`vYYYY.M.D-beta.N`). npm dist-tag: `beta`.
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- **dev**: moving head of `main` (git). npm dist-tag: `dev` (when published).
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## Switching channels
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Git checkout:
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```bash
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clawdbot update --channel stable
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clawdbot update --channel beta
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clawdbot update --channel dev
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```
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- `stable`/`beta` check out the latest matching tag.
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- `dev` switches to `main` and rebases on the upstream.
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npm/pnpm global install:
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```bash
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clawdbot update --channel stable
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clawdbot update --channel beta
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clawdbot update --channel dev
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```
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This updates via the corresponding npm dist-tag (`latest`, `beta`, `dev`).
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2026-01-21 06:00:50 +00:00
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When you **explicitly** switch channels with `--channel`, Clawdbot also aligns
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the install method:
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- `dev` ensures a git checkout (default `~/clawdbot`, override with `CLAWDBOT_GIT_DIR`),
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updates it, and installs the global CLI from that checkout.
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- `stable`/`beta` installs from npm using the matching dist-tag.
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2026-01-20 13:33:31 +00:00
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Tip: if you want stable + dev in parallel, keep two clones and point your gateway at the stable one.
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2026-01-20 15:56:48 +00:00
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## Plugins and channels
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When you switch channels with `clawdbot update`, Clawdbot also syncs plugin sources:
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- `dev` prefers bundled plugins from the git checkout.
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- `stable` and `beta` restore npm-installed plugin packages.
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2026-01-20 13:33:31 +00:00
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## Tagging best practices
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- Stable: tag each release (`vYYYY.M.D` or `vYYYY.M.D-<patch>`).
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- Beta: use `vYYYY.M.D-beta.N` (increment `N`).
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- Keep tags immutable: never move or reuse a tag.
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- Publish dist-tags alongside git tags:
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- `latest` → stable
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- `beta` → prerelease
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- `dev` → main snapshot (optional)
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## macOS app availability
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Beta and dev builds may **not** include a macOS app release. That’s OK:
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- The git tag and npm dist-tag can still be published.
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- Call out “no macOS build for this beta” in release notes or changelog.
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