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Bivvy

bivvy update

Check for new versions and install updates.

Usage

Terminal window
bivvy update
Terminal window
bivvy update --check

Flags

FlagDescription
--checkCheck for updates without installing
--enable-auto-updateEnable automatic background updates
--disable-auto-updateDisable automatic background updates

Examples

Check for updates and install if available:

Terminal window
bivvy update

Check for a new version without installing:

Terminal window
bivvy update --check

Turn off automatic updates:

Terminal window
bivvy update --disable-auto-update

Turn them back on:

Terminal window
bivvy update --enable-auto-update

Automatic Background Updates

By default, bivvy updates itself automatically in the background. No commands or prompts are needed — when a new version is released, it is installed silently and takes effect on your next run.

How It Works

  1. After each command completes, bivvy spawns a lightweight background process to check for new releases.
  2. If a new version is available, the background process installs it using the same method you originally used to install bivvy.
  3. On your next run, you’re on the latest version. If the update required staging a new binary (manual installs), bivvy shows a short message confirming the version change.

Install Method Behavior

How the background update is applied depends on how you installed bivvy:

Install methodWhat happens
HomebrewRuns brew upgrade bivvy in the background
CargoRuns cargo install bivvy --force in the background
Manual downloadDownloads the correct platform binary from GitHub releases and stages it; the swap happens on your next run

When Auto-Update Is Skipped

Background updates are skipped when:

  • Running in CI (detected via CI, GITHUB_ACTIONS, etc.)
  • Running in non-interactive mode (--non-interactive)
  • Auto-update is disabled (see below)
  • A background update is already in progress
  • An update is already staged and waiting to be applied

Disabling Auto-Update

If you prefer to update manually, disable automatic updates:

Terminal window
bivvy update --disable-auto-update

Or set it directly in your system config (~/.bivvy/config.yml):

settings:
  auto_update: false

You can always update manually with bivvy update regardless of this setting.

See Also

  • Settings — auto_update setting reference