Command Reference

Documentation for updateself 2.1.0. Versioned source.

CLI reference (2.1.0)

Self-management (separate from system/tool updates)

• --check-self-update: read-only latest stable release check.
• --self-update: update through the detected installation owner.
• --uninstall: remove updateself through that owner.
• Combine with --dry-run for an offline preview or --yes for reviewed automation. Self-update/removal ask by default and cannot be combined with component options.

See self-management for verification, dependencies, modified-file retention, configured-repository limitations and recovery.

updateself, updsf and the checkout's bash update.sh accept the same options. Long options use separate arguments (--user alice), not --user=alice. Short options are separate (-y -u alice), not grouped.

Option	Meaning
-h, --help	Complete built-in help; exit 0
-v, --version	Version; exit 0
-y, --yes	Skip script and supported updater confirmations; default
-n, --ask	Confirm update commands; terminal required
-u, --user USER	Account for user tools; invoking user or SUDO_USER by default
--dry-run	Print planned commands; no updaters, locks or log writes
--only LIST	Only these comma-separated components; enables selected optional components
--skip LIST	Exclude components; takes precedence over only/include
--include LIST	Add optional components to default selection
--cleanup	Backend-specific cleanup, gated on successful preceding updates
--full-upgrade	APT dist-upgrade instead of upgrade; no distro-release migration
--base-install, --apple-install	Install Apple/BSD base updates; enable explicitly selected Nix rebuild
--greedy	Homebrew latest/self-updating casks
--python PATH	Explicit interpreter, repeatable; use an absolute executable path
--venv PATH	Explicit venv directory, repeatable
--python-packages	Also upgrade pip-listed packages in explicit environments; may cross major versions
--nix-config KIND	nixos, home-manager or darwin; requires base-install
--nix-flake PATH	Local flake directory; requires nix-config
--nix-update-inputs	Update that configuration's lock file; requires both options above
--log FILE	Append output to a regular file instead of the terminal; incompatible with dry-run
--no-color	Accepted; output is always plain
--list-components	Print valid identifiers

Default components: system,brew,macports,apple,mas,snap,flatpak,rust,composer,clamav,uv,pipx,python,bun,deno,poetry,rclone,yt-dlp,nix. Optional: npm,cargo,aur. Components not applicable to the host do nothing. Repeated only/skip/include options replace the previous list; they do not append.

--only system means the native Linux/BSD backend; on macOS choose apple, brew or macports. --only python performs discovery; pip changes require explicit interpreters. Python discovery is read-only even in normal mode until selected.

User-level operations never target all accounts. Use separate runs for distinct users. Self-update detection deliberately skips unknown/manual system-wide installations rather than inferring ownership from a command name.

Dry-run does not contact upstream to discover available versions. It may perform read-only interpreter, package-owner, Nix-profile and installation discovery. It cannot predict whether the following actual transaction will succeed.

Exit codes: 0 completed/skipped/preview; 1 update failure; 2 invalid arguments or environment; 75 existing lock; 130 SIGINT; 143 SIGTERM. No rollback is attempted.