Updating SpaceSpider (Auto and Manual)

SpaceSpider updates itself through signed artifacts verified by the Tauri 2 updater. In normal operation, you see a small banner in the top bar, click it, wait a few seconds, and relaunch. This page covers how the auto-updater works, the release channels available, and the manual procedures you might need when automatic updates are blocked by policy or a flaky network.

How auto-update works

On launch, SpaceSpider asks the update endpoint for the latest version available for your platform and channel. If the version is newer than the one you are running, the app downloads the update artifact (an MSI patch on Windows, DMG contents on macOS, AppImage replacement on Linux, or a .deb via the deb channel), verifies the artifact's signature against the bundled publisher public key, and applies the update in place.

Three facts matter here:

• Signature verification is non-optional. If the signature does not match, the update is discarded and you keep the old build.
• The check happens at launch and then once every 24 hours while the app is open.
• The update applies only when you click the banner and confirm.

That means you never get a surprise restart mid-session.

Release channels

SpaceSpider ships two channels:

• Stable: the default. Releases go here after internal and beta validation.
• Beta: opt-in. Releases land here first; fixes and regressions are fast.

Switch channels in Settings > Updates:

1. Open settings.
2. Pick the Updates tab.
3. Choose Stable or Beta.
4. Click Save. The next launch checks the new channel.

Switching from Beta back to Stable does not downgrade. You stay on your current version until Stable crosses it.

Check for updates manually

If you do not want to wait for the periodic check:

1. Open Settings > Updates.
2. Click Check for updates now.

If an update is available, the download starts immediately. If you are already current, the button reads "Up to date".

You can also check from the command palette (Ctrl+K / Cmd+K) by typing "update".

Manual update by reinstalling

Sometimes auto-update is blocked (corporate proxies, locked-down macOS environments, Linux distros without internet). In those cases, download the installer directly and reinstall over the existing install.

Windows manual update

1. Download the latest SpaceSpider-Setup-x64.msi from the releases page.
2. Double-click to run. The MSI detects the existing install and upgrades in place.
3. Relaunch.

Your spaces, license, and settings are preserved.

macOS manual update

1. Download the latest SpaceSpider-universal.dmg.
2. Mount the DMG.
3. Drag the new SpaceSpider.app into /Applications, overwriting the existing bundle.
4. Relaunch.

Because ~/Library/Application Support/SpaceSpider is outside the bundle, your data is untouched.

Linux manual update

For the AppImage:

1. Download the new SpaceSpider-x86_64.AppImage.
2. Replace the old file with the new one. Keep the filename if your desktop integration depends on it.
3. Relaunch.

For the .deb:

sudo dpkg -i SpaceSpider_amd64.deb

Your spaces live in ~/.config/SpaceSpider and are untouched.

Rollback procedure

If a new release introduces a regression that blocks your workflow, you can roll back.

1. Download the previous version's installer from the releases archive.
2. Uninstall the current version (or, on macOS and AppImage, simply overwrite with the older bundle).
3. Reinstall the older version.

The user data directory is forward-compatible but not always backward-compatible. If the older version fails to read spaces.json, temporarily rename the file and recreate spaces by hand. Your license is not affected.

Signature verification details

Every release artifact is signed with the SpaceSpider publisher key. The public key is baked into the installed binary. The updater:

1. Downloads the new artifact.
2. Computes its SHA-256.
3. Verifies the signature against the bundled public key.
4. Swaps the artifact into place only on a successful verification.

If the signature fails, the updater logs the failure to the app's log file and keeps the old version running. No partial install is ever produced.

On Windows, the MSI is also signed with an Authenticode certificate that SmartScreen recognizes. On macOS, the DMG and .app are notarized by Apple, so Gatekeeper accepts them without the right-click workaround. On Linux, the AppImage and .deb carry GPG signatures you can verify manually:

gpg --verify SpaceSpider-x86_64.AppImage.sig SpaceSpider-x86_64.AppImage

The publisher fingerprint is pinned in the documentation and never rotated without a transition period.

Update behavior on metered networks

SpaceSpider respects the OS's metered-connection flag where available. On Windows, if the network is marked metered in Settings, the update check skips the download step and only notifies you that an update exists. On macOS and Linux the same behavior applies when the kernel or network manager reports a metered interface.

To force an immediate update even on a metered connection, click Check for updates now and confirm the download.

Corporate and offline environments

If your machine cannot reach the update endpoint:

1. Download the signed artifact on a connected machine.
2. Transfer it to the target via USB or share.
3. Reinstall over the existing install.

You can also configure SpaceSpider to use an internal mirror by setting SPACESPIDER_UPDATE_URL before launch. The updater will query that URL with the same protocol as the public endpoint, and signature verification still runs against the bundled public key, so a compromised mirror cannot push a malicious build.

Delay an update

If a banner appears at an inconvenient moment, click Remind me later to postpone the download for 24 hours. The banner returns on the next daily check.

Troubleshooting updates

• "Signature verification failed": a corrupted download. Retry the check. If it persists, download the installer manually.
• "Access is denied" on Windows during auto-apply: another process is holding a file. Close all SpaceSpider windows and retry.
• Update button does nothing on Linux AppImage: some sandbox configurations block the AppImage from overwriting itself. Perform a manual replace.
• macOS reports the app is damaged after an update: xattr quarantine leaked in; run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SpaceSpider.app.

More general fixes in Troubleshooting.

Frequently asked questions

How often are updates released?

Stable ships every two to four weeks. Beta ships whenever a meaningful change is ready.

Do updates change my license?

No. Your license is stored separately and is honored across updates. See Licensing.

Can I disable auto-update entirely?

Yes, in Settings > Updates toggle Automatic update checks off. You can still check manually.

Does an update restart my panes?

Only when you click Apply and relaunch. Pending updates wait for that confirmation.

Are older versions archived?

Yes, at least the last six months of releases are available on the releases page.

Related reading

• License Activation, Seats, and Transfers
• Install on Windows
• Troubleshooting Common Issues