Desktop app

Updates and versioning

Auto-update checks + manual fallback; how to roll back.

How updates work

The desktop app talks to a signed update feed via electron-updater. When a new build is found, the installer is downloaded into a local cache and applied quietly the next time you quit — you will not get an interrupting popup while writing or mid-agent run.

Every update is EV-signed (notarized on macOS, Authenticode on Windows), and the downloaded payload is verified against signature + SHA-256 before swap. Any failed check is discarded and the current build keeps running.

Update channels

We maintain two channels: stable and beta. The default is stable; flip to beta in Settings → Updates if you want early access. The same vault is safe to hop between channels — the data format is backward-compatible.

stable — roughly one release every 2-3 weeks, default for all users
beta — weekly cadence, may include unfinished feature flags
Switch channels in Settings → Updates → Channel, takes effect immediately
Want check-only without auto-download? Same page, pick "Check only"

Manual checks and offline installs

If the machine is offline for long stretches, or your network blocks the update feed, grab the installer from the website downloads page. You do not need to uninstall first — the installer upgrades in place and keeps all configuration.

# macOS — verify the downloaded .dmg signature before installing
spctl --assess --type install --verbose Kition-x.y.z.dmg

# Windows PowerShell — verify the installer signature
Get-AuthenticodeSignature .\Kition-Setup-x.y.z.exe | Format-List

Rolling back to a previous build

/download/history on the site lists recent stable and beta builds
Installing an older build keeps your vault — data format is backward-compatible
To stop being auto-upgraded back to latest, disable "Auto-download" in Settings → Updates
If the index looks off after a rollback, run Settings → Maintenance → Rebuild local index
Hit issues? Settings → "Open log folder" gives you logs to send to support

Common gotchas

In corporate networks the update feed can be silently proxied — the symptom is a "Check for updates" spinner that never resolves. Whitelist https://update.kition.app or fall back to a manual install.

On macOS, if the app came from a third-party distribution channel like Setapp, that channel owns updates and the in-app update controls are disabled.

On Windows, if you installed to a non-default location (e.g. the D: drive), updates stay at that path — but the current user must retain write access there, otherwise the background swap fails and rolls back.

Versioning conventions

Kition follows semantic versioning: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH. Major versions introduce new features and may shift Pro license coverage; minor versions are fully compatible, and patches are bug-fix only.

The version shows in Settings → About, and you can also read it from the running binary in a terminal — including it in bug reports makes triage much faster.

# macOS — print the bundled version
defaults read /Applications/Kition.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString

# Windows PowerShell — print the installed version
(Get-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Kition\Kition.exe").VersionInfo.ProductVersion

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Log & config file locations

The first place to look when debugging — paths per OS.