By name: plastic-update
description: Use when updating Plastic. Runs the update verb, which reads the installed VERSION, derives its channel, queries npm dist-tags, and advances to the next version on that channel (or switches channel with a flag).
Update Plastic
When to Use
- User says "update plastic", "sync plastic", or "upgrade plastic"
- Statusline shows "Plastic update available"
- After a version-bump notification
What it does
update is a single deterministic command. It reads ~/.plastic/VERSION, derives the
channel from the version string (-alpha/-beta/none → stable), queries npm dist-tags,
and advances to the next version on the current channel. "Already up to date" is a
clean no-op. You do not compute the target yourself — the script does.
Flags
| Flag | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| (none) | Advance to the next version on the current channel |
--latest |
Switch to / advance the stable channel (toward stability — frictionless) |
--beta |
Switch to / advance the beta channel |
--alpha |
Switch to / advance the alpha channel (bleeding edge — confirmed if moving down in stability) |
Switching toward a more stable channel is frictionless; switching toward bleeding edge is
confirmed. To roll back to a previously-installed version, use plastic-versions.
Prerequisites
Plastic must be installed (~/.plastic/VERSION present). If not, run
npx @zalom/plastic install --claude first.
Procedure
Step 1: Run the update
npx @zalom/plastic update # next version on the current channel
# or: npx @zalom/plastic update --beta / --latest / --alpha
Append the agent flag(s) if not just Claude (--codex, --hermes, --all).
The command prints the transition (vX → vY) or "already up to date", and records the
move in the append-only ~/.plastic/versions.json ledger.
Step 2: Announce key changes
After it completes, read ~/.plastic/PLASTIC.md and announce convention changes that
affect the current session:
Plastic updated to vX.Y.Z (channel).
Key changes:
- [notable convention changes, if any]
Recommendation: run /clear for a clean session with all new conventions loaded.
Step 3: Health check
Invoke plastic-doctor. If all checks pass: "Health check: all clear." Otherwise show
the report and offer to fix.
Step 4: Commit + clear update cache
cd ~/.plastic && git add PLASTIC.md scripts/ AGENTS.md VERSION versions.json 2>/dev/null && git commit -m "chore: update Plastic to $(cat ~/.plastic/VERSION)" --allow-empty
rm -f ~/.plastic/.cache/update-check.json