diff --git a/src/smc-util/smc-version.js b/src/smc-util/smc-version.js
index a430257f08..4156318b32 100644
--- a/src/smc-util/smc-version.js
+++ b/src/smc-util/smc-version.js
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 /* autogenerated by the update_version script */
-exports.version=1555027974;
+exports.version=1555100832;
diff --git a/src/smc-webapp/course/main.tsx b/src/smc-webapp/course/main.tsx
index 3c10814891..437d32a679 100644
--- a/src/smc-webapp/course/main.tsx
+++ b/src/smc-webapp/course/main.tsx
@@ -87,16 +87,17 @@ const redux_name = (project_id, course_filename) =>
   `editor-${project_id}-${course_filename}`;
 
 const syncdbs = {};
-const init_redux = function(
+
+function init_redux(
   course_filename,
   redux: AppRedux,
   course_project_id
-) {
+): string {
   const the_redux_name = redux_name(course_project_id, course_filename);
   const get_actions = () => redux.getActions(the_redux_name);
   if (get_actions() != null) {
     // already initalized
-    return;
+    return the_redux_name;
   }
 
   // DO NOT initialize settings here. They are initialized in sync.ts to prevent a
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ const init_redux = function(
   );
 
   return the_redux_name;
-};
+}
 
 const remove_redux = function(course_filename, redux, course_project_id) {
   const the_redux_name = redux_name(course_project_id, course_filename);
diff --git a/src/smc-webapp/package.json b/src/smc-webapp/package.json
index aedd2d4239..98516d9d13 100644
--- a/src/smc-webapp/package.json
+++ b/src/smc-webapp/package.json
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
     "three": "^0.78.0",
     "timeago": "^1.6.3",
     "underscore": "^1.9.1",
-    "xterm": "=3.10.1",
+    "xterm": "^3.12.1",
     "zlibjs": "^0.3.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {