Update Command

Updated on Oct 5, 2026

frg update replaces your frg binary with a newer published release. Use it to upgrade in place instead of reinstalling. The same update path is used when auto_update is enabled.

Prerequisites

Network access to GitHub Releases.
Write access to the directory that contains the frg binary.
No license or coding agent is required.

Subcommands at a glance

frg update has no subcommands. Its behavior is controlled by options and by the [update_check] configuration section.

Setting or option	What it does	Default
`frg update`	Installs the newest release that matches your settings	Newest stable release
`[update_check] include_prerelease`	Lets "newest release" include pre-releases	Not set (stable only)
`[update_check] auto_update`	Installs available updates automatically after a command completes	Not set (notify only)
`FORGE_NO_UPDATE_CHECK`	Disables update checks	Not set

See Update Check Configuration for the full description of these settings.

Typical flow

text

update notice (stderr) ──► frg update ──► download to staging file ──► verify ──► atomic swap ──► frg --version

Forge prints a notice on stderr when a newer release is available.
Upgrade:

bash

frg update

Confirm the new version:

bash

frg --version

Optionally, opt in to automatic updates or pre-releases in your configuration:

toml

[update_check]
auto_update = true
include_prerelease = true

frg update

text

frg update [OPTIONS]

Option	Description
`--version <VERSION>`	Installs a specific published version, regardless of `include_prerelease`.
`--force`	Reinstalls even if the installed version is current.

bash

frg update
frg update --version <version>

How it works

The self-update library has these properties:

The release asset is downloaded to a staged file next to the current binary, created exclusively so that concurrent runs cannot share it.
The staged binary replaces the current one in an atomic stage-and-swap, so an interrupted update does not leave a partial binary.
Artifact cleanup keeps the active staged binary.
With auto_update enabled, updates run after your command completes and take effect on the next command.
The update notice is throttled, and suppressed update checks are not cached.

Package manager installations

If a package manager installed frg, upgrade through that package manager:

Installed via	Upgrade with
Install script or standalone binary	`frg update`
`.deb` (apt)	`sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade frg`
`.rpm` (dnf)	`sudo dnf upgrade frg`

If the install directory (by default /usr/local/bin) is not writable by your user, run sudo frg update. Alternatively, reinstall to a directory you own with the install script's --install-dir option:

bash

curl -fsSL https://github.com/telerik/forge/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh -s -- --install-dir ~/.local/bin

--install-dir is an option of install.sh, not of frg update.

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
`0`	The update succeeded, or the installed version is already current.
Non-zero	The update failed; the previous installation is unchanged.

Troubleshooting

error: unrecognized subcommand 'update'

Cause: The frg binary on your PATH is older than the installed release.

Solution:

Check your version with frg --version.
Upgrade with the installer or your package manager. See Installation: Upgrading.

Permission denied

Cause: The directory that contains frg is not writable by the current user.

Solution:

Run sudo frg update, or
Reinstall to a user-writable directory with install.sh --install-dir (see Permissions).

The update fails verification or download

Cause: The download was incomplete or corrupted, or GitHub rate-limited the request.

Solution:

Wait a few minutes and run frg update again.
If it keeps failing, download the release from GitHub Releases, verify it with gpg --verify <artifact>.asc <artifact>, and install it manually.