| --- |
| summary: "Stable, beta, and dev channels: semantics, switching, and tagging" |
| read_when: |
| - You want to switch between stable/beta/dev |
| - You are tagging or publishing prereleases |
| title: "Development Channels" |
| --- |
| |
| # Development channels |
|
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| Last updated: 2026-01-21 |
|
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| OpenClaw ships three update channels: |
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| - **stable**: npm dist-tag `latest`. |
| - **beta**: npm dist-tag `beta` (builds under test). |
| - **dev**: moving head of `main` (git). npm dist-tag: `dev` (when published). |
|
|
| We ship builds to **beta**, test them, then **promote a vetted build to `latest`** |
| without changing the version number — dist-tags are the source of truth for npm installs. |
|
|
| ## Switching channels |
|
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| Git checkout: |
|
|
| ```bash |
| openclaw update --channel stable |
| openclaw update --channel beta |
| openclaw update --channel dev |
| ``` |
|
|
| - `stable`/`beta` check out the latest matching tag (often the same tag). |
| - `dev` switches to `main` and rebases on the upstream. |
|
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| npm/pnpm global install: |
|
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| ```bash |
| openclaw update --channel stable |
| openclaw update --channel beta |
| openclaw update --channel dev |
| ``` |
|
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| This updates via the corresponding npm dist-tag (`latest`, `beta`, `dev`). |
|
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| When you **explicitly** switch channels with `--channel`, OpenClaw also aligns |
| the install method: |
|
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| - `dev` ensures a git checkout (default `~/openclaw`, override with `OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR`), |
| updates it, and installs the global CLI from that checkout. |
| - `stable`/`beta` installs from npm using the matching dist-tag. |
|
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| Tip: if you want stable + dev in parallel, keep two clones and point your gateway at the stable one. |
|
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| ## Plugins and channels |
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| When you switch channels with `openclaw update`, OpenClaw also syncs plugin sources: |
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| - `dev` prefers bundled plugins from the git checkout. |
| - `stable` and `beta` restore npm-installed plugin packages. |
|
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| ## Tagging best practices |
|
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| - Tag releases you want git checkouts to land on (`vYYYY.M.D` for stable, `vYYYY.M.D-beta.N` for beta). |
| - `vYYYY.M.D.beta.N` is also recognized for compatibility, but prefer `-beta.N`. |
| - Legacy `vYYYY.M.D-<patch>` tags are still recognized as stable (non-beta). |
| - Keep tags immutable: never move or reuse a tag. |
| - npm dist-tags remain the source of truth for npm installs: |
| - `latest` → stable |
| - `beta` → candidate build |
| - `dev` → main snapshot (optional) |
|
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| ## macOS app availability |
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| Beta and dev builds may **not** include a macOS app release. That’s OK: |
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| - The git tag and npm dist-tag can still be published. |
| - Call out “no macOS build for this beta” in release notes or changelog. |
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|
