Perform updates

An ioBroker installation consists of three layers, which are updated separately. This order has proven effective:

WhatHow often
1adapterfrequently - something comes up every week
2js-controllerrarely - a few times a year
3Node.jsRarely - when a version reaches the end of its life

In addition, there is the operating system itself, which is supplied according to its own rules (sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade ).

Before every update: back up

A failed update can take days without a backup. With a backup, it takes half an hour.

iob stop
iob backup
iob start

The backup is saved as a ZIP file with the date in the directory.backups below the ioBroker folder. Anyone using the backitup adapter will have this running anyway – in that case, it's worth checking whether the last backup is truly recent and whether it's located outside the device.

On a virtualized system, taking a snapshot before the update is the most convenient way to ensure safety; if in doubt, the previous state can be restored in a minute.

The chronological order

First the adapters, then the JS controller. A new JS controller sometimes requires newer adapters; the reverse direction is more compatible.

Node.js should only be updated last and deliberately. Changing the main Node.js version is the most significant change. It has its own prerequisites and a separate page: Updating Node.js & npm .

Don't do everything in the same evening. If something goes wrong after three simultaneous updates, the cause is difficult to find. Do one update, observe briefly, then move on to the next.

Where updates are displayed

In the admin panel, under Adapter , it shows for each entry whether a newer version is available in the repository. The console displays this information.

iob update --updatable

The same for everything at once, without changing anything.

Stable and Latest

There are two repositories. Stable contains versions that have proven themselves across a wide range of systems; Latest contains everything as soon as it is released. For a system that needs to run reliably, Stable is the right setting – Latest is intended for people who want to find and report bugs. See Repositories for more information.

If something is stuck after an update