Updating Lifebase

A vault update is different from a CLI package update. The vault updater compares the installed release, your current files, and the target release to decide what can update automatically and what needs review.

Prepare the vault

Check lifebase status to confirm the connected path and version. Finish synchronization, avoid concurrent edits, and verify an independent backup before applying an update. For an agent-assisted update, close Obsidian or otherwise prevent it from editing the same files during the operation.

The updater’s rollback archive covers affected files; it is not a full-vault backup.

Start an update

Run the wizard and choose Update, or use:

lifebase update

This can apply an update; it is not a check-only command. In the interactive terminal, it shows the current and target versions and asks for confirmation before downloading. The default content language is the one last confirmed for this installation. Do not add a different --locale unless you intend to change to an available content language.

Unchanged product files can update automatically. Customized product and configuration files require review. Your own notes are not automatically overwritten. Version metadata is updated when the update completes.

Review customized files

The review compares Base (the previous release), Local (your current file), and Target (the new release).

Choice	Use it when
Keep local	Your current file should remain
Use release	You deliberately want the target release’s file
Merge required	The file still needs a decision or combined result
Use edited result	You have reviewed a saved draft that combines the changes you need

Use the arrow keys to select a file and decision. Press D to inspect its diff or E to create or resume an edited draft. A saved draft remains unresolved until you explicitly choose Use edited result. Finalization refuses unresolved items.

Resume with your agent

If review needs an agent, copy the exact prompt shown by the CLI. For English content, it begins:

resume lifebase update

When the update procedure changed, that prompt also includes a staged instruction path. Include it so the agent uses the target procedure. The agent reviews the pending material and records decisions through the CLI. You do not need to edit updater metadata manually.

Inspect a pending update with:

lifebase update review

Once every decision is resolved, follow the review screen or agent handoff to finalize. Resume an existing update instead of starting another. lifebase update cancel abandons the pending workspace and its saved drafts after confirmation, so use it only when you intend to discard that review work.

Verify the result

Run lifebase status, check the installed version, and inspect any required follow-up instructions. A successful file update can still require a device-specific follow-up. Resume your normal editing and synchronization only after checking the result.

The CLI keeps comparison and merge material on your computer; an AI agent’s access to that material remains subject to its own provider and permission settings.