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Orkestral ships new versions through your operating system in two different ways. On Windows and Linux, the app updates itself silently in the background and installs the new version when you restart. On macOS, the app checks for a new version and offers it to you, but you install it by hand. This page explains both paths, what happens behind the scenes, and what you need to do.
Updates are best-effort by design. If you are offline, hit a rate limit, or the check fails for any reason, Orkestral stays silent and keeps running. An update problem never blocks your work or breaks the launch.

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Two update paths

Your update experience depends on your platform. The reason is code signing: seamless install on macOS needs an Apple Developer ID, so until that is in place the Mac uses a manual check while Windows and Linux get the full background updater.

Windows and Linux

Seamless background updates. The app downloads the new version while you work and installs it on the next restart. You only confirm the restart.

macOS

Manual updates. The app tells you a newer version exists and points you to the download. You replace the app yourself.

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How seamless updates work (Windows and Linux)

On a packaged Windows or Linux build, Orkestral wires up an automatic updater at launch. From that point on it manages everything for you.
1

The app checks at launch

Right after Orkestral starts, it asks the release feed whether a newer version is available. This check runs only in the installed (packaged) app, never in development.
2

It downloads in the background

If a newer version exists, the updater downloads it automatically while you keep working. There is no progress dialog to babysit and nothing to click. The download runs quietly.
3

It re-checks every four hours

As long as the app stays open, Orkestral checks again for newer versions every four hours. If a new build lands while your session is long-running, it gets picked up without a restart of the check loop.
4

You see a restart banner

Once a version finishes downloading, Orkestral shows a banner telling you the update is ready. The banner carries the new version number so you know what you are about to install.
5

You restart to install

Click the restart action in the banner. Orkestral closes, applies the downloaded update, and reopens on the new version. If you ignore the banner, the update installs automatically the next time you quit the app.
Two behaviors are always on for the background updater: it auto-downloads new versions, and it auto-installs on quit. So even if you never click the banner, you end up on the new version the next time you close Orkestral normally.

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What you control

No. On Windows and Linux the download is automatic and runs in the background. You only decide when to restart.
The update still installs the next time you quit Orkestral, because auto-install on quit is enabled. Restarting from the banner is simply the faster path.
No. The download happens quietly and nothing installs until you restart or quit. Your session is never cut off mid-task by an update.
Errors are caught and ignored. The updater logs a warning internally and the app continues as normal. You will simply not get the update until a later check succeeds.

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How manual updates work (macOS)

On macOS, Orkestral does not install updates for you. Instead it checks whether a newer version has been published and, if so, offers it. You then download and install it yourself.
1

Orkestral checks the latest release

The app queries the latest published release and compares its version to the version you are running. Draft and pre-release builds are ignored, so you only ever see stable releases.
2

It compares versions

Orkestral compares major.minor.patch numbers. The update is offered only when the published version is strictly newer than yours. A v prefix on the tag (for example v1.2.3) is handled automatically.
3

It picks the right download

When an update exists, Orkestral selects the .dmg that matches your Mac architecture (Apple Silicon arm64 or Intel x64). If no architecture-specific file is found, it falls back to any available .dmg, and if there is no disk image at all it falls back to the release page.
4

You download and install

Open the offered download. Mount the .dmg and drag Orkestral into your Applications folder, replacing the old version. The release notes and publish date are shown so you know what changed.
On macOS you replace the app by hand. Quit Orkestral before dragging the new build into Applications, then reopen it from there. This manual path exists because seamless install on macOS requires Apple code signing.

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What gets checked

Both paths read from the project’s public release feed on GitHub. The manual macOS check looks at the latest release and reports back a small set of fields.
  • Current version: the build you are running right now.
  • Latest version: the newest stable release tag, with any v prefix stripped.
  • Has update: true only when the latest version is strictly newer than the current one.

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Version comparison rules

Orkestral compares versions numerically, segment by segment, across major, minor, and patch.
A tag like v1.2.3 or 1.2.3-beta is broken into its numeric major, minor, and patch parts. A leading v is removed and any suffix after the patch number is dropped for the comparison.
Only when the published version is strictly greater than yours. Equal versions are never offered, and a lower published version is never treated as an update.
They are not finished, stable builds. Skipping them means you are only ever pointed at releases meant for everyone.

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Troubleshooting

You may already be on the latest version, or the check may have failed quietly because you were offline or rate-limited. Try again later. The check also runs only in the installed app, so a development build will not show updates.
Background updates are Windows and Linux only, and only in the packaged app. On macOS, expect the manual prompt instead. In development there is no updater at all.
The banner shows up only after a new version finishes downloading. If there is no newer release, or the download has not completed yet, no banner appears. The update will still install on your next quit.
Download the offered .dmg, quit Orkestral, drag it into Applications to replace the old app, then relaunch. That is the full manual update on macOS.

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What to do next

Keep the app open

On Windows and Linux, leaving Orkestral open lets it re-check every four hours and download newer builds without you lifting a finger.

Restart when ready

When the restart banner appears, restart at a natural break. The update applies instantly and you reopen on the latest version.