Updates and the network
Birchpad uses the network only for updates: shortly after it starts, then once a day, and when you pick Help → Check for Updates…. Nothing else: no telemetry, no crash reports, no accounts. See Privacy.
updates.mode |
What happens |
|---|---|
auto (default) |
A new version downloads in the background and installs on the next start. |
notify |
Birchpad announces a new version but downloads nothing. |
off |
No network requests at all. |
Only Birchpad from the per-user installer (…-setup.exe) updates itself. Portable copies, the MSI and the macOS and Linux builds show where to download the new version.
Channels
Section titled “Channels”updates.channel |
What arrives |
|---|---|
stable (default) |
Releases. |
beta |
Betas, release candidates and releases. |
nightly |
Everything, including nightly builds of the next version’s branch when it changed. |
Security
Section titled “Security”Birchpad reads an update manifest signed with the project’s key (ed25519) and refuses any other. The manifest is protected against rollback, freezing and downgrades. updates.url takes the manifest from an internal mirror, but it must still be signed.
Each release comes with SHA-256 checksums, an SBOM and GitHub build provenance; see Installing.
For administrators
Section titled “For administrators”The UpdateMode, UpdateChannel and UpdateUrl policies set the same so that users cannot change it. The MSI does not update itself; the administrator updates it. See For administrators.