System Updates

Selu includes a built-in update system that keeps your installation current. Updates are managed through the System Updates page and run in the background with live progress — no terminal required.

What you’ll need

• Administrator access to your Selu instance
• Docker Engine 29.2 or newer on the host machine

Caution

The current Selu images require Docker Engine 29.2 or newer. Run docker version to check. If your Engine version is below 29.2, update Docker first — the new containers won’t start otherwise.

Before updating

Back up the complete managed data volume before an update. Stop Selu and its updater briefly so the database, artifact metadata, and related runtime files remain consistent:

SELU_DATA_VOLUME="$(grep '^SELU_DATA_VOLUME=' .env | cut -d= -f2-)"
test -n "${SELU_DATA_VOLUME}" || { echo "SELU_DATA_VOLUME is missing from .env"; exit 1; }
docker compose stop selu selu-updater
docker run --rm \
  -v "${SELU_DATA_VOLUME}:/source:ro" \
  -v "${PWD}:/backup" \
  alpine:3.22 \
  tar czf "/backup/selu-data-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz" -C /source .
docker compose start selu selu-updater

Keep .env and docker-compose.yml with the archive. Do not copy only selu.db from a running installation; a partial backup can omit related files or capture an inconsistent state.

Installing an update

1. Sign in as an administrator and open System Updates in the sidebar.
2. Click Check now to look for a newer release.
3. If an update is available, click Install update.
4. Confirm in the dialog that appears.
5. Progress appears on the page immediately and stays visible while Selu restarts and reconnects — you don’t need to do anything else.

When the update finishes, the page reconnects automatically and shows the new version.

What you’ll see during the update

Stage	What’s happening
Checking	Looking for a newer release
Preparing	Getting ready to download
Downloading	Pulling the new Docker image
Restarting	Bringing up the new version
Verifying	Making sure everything works
Done	Update installed successfully

If anything goes wrong, Selu rolls back to the previous version automatically.

Rolling back

If an update causes problems, you can return to the previous version:

1. Open System Updates.
2. Click Return to previous version.
3. Confirm in the dialog.
4. Watch the progress — Selu restarts on the previous version and reconnects automatically.

Note

Rollback is only available when a previous version exists. Once you’ve done at least one successful update, the option appears on the page.

Setting your public web address

Selu needs to know its own public address so that webhooks, mobile pairing, and external integrations work correctly. You set this on the Settings page (not System Updates).

1. Open Settings in the sidebar.
2. Find the Public web address card and click Manage address.
3. Enter your full address (for example https://selu.example.com) — no trailing path.
4. Or click Use current address to fill it in from your browser automatically.
5. Click Save address.

The address takes effect immediately without a restart.

Automatic updates

You can let Selu install updates on its own:

1. Open System Updates and click Update settings.
2. Turn on Install updates automatically.
3. Choose your preferred release channel.
4. Click Save settings.

Caution

Automatic updates restart Selu, which briefly interrupts active conversations. Think about your usage patterns before turning this on.

Release channels

Channel	Stability	Best for
Stable	High — thoroughly tested	Production use
Unstable	Good — newer features sooner	Testing new functionality

You can switch channels any time in Update settings. The change takes effect at the next update check.

Anonymous installation statistics

Selu can send a daily anonymous signal to selu.bot to help show how widely it’s used and which marketplace agents are popular.

What’s included

• A random installation ID (created once, never linked to you personally)
• The installed Selu version
• Installed marketplace agent IDs and versions

Selu does not send conversations, prompts, usernames, IP addresses, or credentials.

Turning it off

Open System Updates, click Update settings, and turn off Anonymous installation statistics. Selu stops sending anything immediately.

Manual updates via Docker

If you prefer to update from the command line:

Pull latest

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Database migrations run automatically. Your settings, conversations, and credentials stay in place.

Pin a specific version

Edit your docker-compose.yml to use a specific tag:

docker-compose.yml

services:
  selu:
    image: ghcr.io/selu-bot/selu:v1.5.0

Then apply it:

docker compose up -d

Tip

The web interface is the easier path — it shows live progress, runs health checks automatically, and offers one-click rollback. Use the command line only if you have a specific reason to.

Troubleshooting

Update is stuck or shows an error

1. Check the progress card for a specific error message.
2. Make sure Docker is running: docker ps
3. Check your internet connection — the update needs to download a new image.
4. Try starting the update again. Progress picks up where it left off.
5. If the problem persists, check the updater logs: docker logs selu-updater

Docker version is too old

If Selu won’t start after an update and the logs mention the Docker API:

1. Run docker version and look at the Engine version.
2. If it’s below 29.2, update Docker Engine before retrying.
3. On Linux, follow the official Docker installation guide for your distribution.
4. On macOS or Windows, update Docker Desktop to the latest version.

Automatic updates aren’t happening

1. Confirm Install updates automatically is turned on in Update settings.
2. Check that your release channel is set correctly.
3. Make sure the updater container is running: docker ps | grep updater
4. Review updater logs: docker logs selu-updater

Rollback option isn’t visible

The rollback option only appears after at least one successful update. If you’ve updated before and still don’t see it, try refreshing the System Updates page.

Version shown doesn’t match what you expected

1. Hard-refresh the page (Ctrl+F5 on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac).
2. Check the installed Docker images: docker images | grep selu
3. Confirm the update completed successfully on the System Updates page.