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Upgrading

Updating

Pull the new code, reinstall backend dependencies if they changed, rebuild the frontend if it changed (npm run build), and restart the backend. No separate upgrade command — restarting is the upgrade. Any database change the new version needs runs automatically, first thing on startup, before the app serves a single request.

What happens automatically when the database needs to change

Most restarts have nothing to do. When a schema change is pending, the app protects you before touching anything:

  1. Backs up the database first (SQLite installs only) — a consistent snapshot via SQLite’s own backup mechanism, next to your other backups.
  2. Verifies that backup is readable before proceeding; verification failure means the migration never starts.
  3. Only then applies the schema change.
  4. Migration fails partway? Auto-restores the verified backup from step 1 — you’re left with the working database you started with, not a half-migrated one.
  5. Anything went wrong, either way? The app refuses to start rather than come up unsure. The error explains what failed and, if the auto-restore also couldn’t complete, names the exact backup file to restore by hand.

Deliberate fail-closed design: the app would rather not start than start on data it can’t vouch for. Fails to boot after an update? The fix is almost always in the log message — read it before trying anything else.

Running a non-SQLite database (advanced setup)? The app doesn’t take this automatic backup for you — take your own database-level backup (e.g. pg_dump) before upgrading, then set ONW_MIGRATE_ASSUME_BACKUP=1 to tell the app you’ve done so before it proceeds with a pending schema change. Without it, the app refuses to migrate a non-SQLite database at all.

Before a significant upgrade

The automatic protection above covers the schema change itself, but a manual backup (“Back up now” in Settings → Data) before a bigger version jump is still good practice, same as before any software update touching your data.

  • operations/backup-and-restore — the backup mechanism this page’s protection builds on
  • getting-started/installation — first-time setup, not an upgrade