Install Update-Watcher - Quick Setup for Linux & macOS

Update-Watcher ships as a single static binary with no runtime dependencies. Choose the installation method that fits your workflow.

Quick Install (Recommended)

The install script detects your operating system and architecture, downloads the latest release from GitHub, and places the binary in /usr/local/bin.

Terminal

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mahype/update-watcher/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

On Linux, the script will interactively ask whether you want to perform the recommended server setup, which creates a dedicated update-watcher system user with restricted permissions. This is the recommended approach for production servers. See Server Setup for details on what it configures.

Non-Interactive Installation

For automated provisioning, CI/CD pipelines, or configuration management tools, pass flags to skip the interactive prompt.

With server setup (creates dedicated user, sudoers file, cron job):

Terminal

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mahype/update-watcher/main/scripts/install.sh | bash -s -- --server

Without server setup (binary only):

Terminal

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mahype/update-watcher/main/scripts/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-server

Manual Download

Download the pre-built binary for your platform from GitHub Releases.

Available Platforms

Operating System	Architecture	Archive Filename
Linux	amd64 (x86_64)	`update-watcher_linux_amd64.tar.gz`
Linux	arm64 (aarch64)	`update-watcher_linux_arm64.tar.gz`
Linux	armv7	`update-watcher_linux_armv7.tar.gz`
macOS	amd64 (Intel)	`update-watcher_darwin_amd64.tar.gz`
macOS	arm64 (Apple Silicon)	`update-watcher_darwin_arm64.tar.gz`

Download and Install

Terminal

curl -sSL -o update-watcher.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/mahype/update-watcher/releases/latest/download/update-watcher_linux_amd64.tar.gz
tar xzf update-watcher.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 update-watcher /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
rm update-watcher.tar.gz

Terminal

curl -sSL -o update-watcher.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/mahype/update-watcher/releases/latest/download/update-watcher_linux_arm64.tar.gz
tar xzf update-watcher.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 update-watcher /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
rm update-watcher.tar.gz

Terminal

curl -sSL -o update-watcher.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/mahype/update-watcher/releases/latest/download/update-watcher_darwin_arm64.tar.gz
tar xzf update-watcher.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 update-watcher /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
rm update-watcher.tar.gz

Terminal

curl -sSL -o update-watcher.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/mahype/update-watcher/releases/latest/download/update-watcher_darwin_amd64.tar.gz
tar xzf update-watcher.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 update-watcher /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
rm update-watcher.tar.gz

Terminal

curl -sSL -o update-watcher.tar.gz \
  https://github.com/mahype/update-watcher/releases/latest/download/update-watcher_linux_armv7.tar.gz
tar xzf update-watcher.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 update-watcher /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
rm update-watcher.tar.gz

Build from Source

Building from source requires Go 1.21 or later.

Terminal

git clone https://github.com/mahype/update-watcher.git
cd update-watcher
make build
sudo make install

The make install target copies the compiled binary to /usr/local/bin/update-watcher.

Verify the Installation

After installing with any method, verify that the binary is available and working:

Terminal

update-watcher version

If the command is not found, ensure /usr/local/bin is in your PATH.

This prints the installed version, build date, and commit hash.

Supported Linux Distributions

Update-Watcher itself runs on any Linux distribution. The checkers that are relevant depend on which package managers are installed:

Distribution	Primary Checker	Notes
Debian, Ubuntu	APT	Security-only filter, phased rollout detection
Fedora, RHEL, Rocky, AlmaLinux	DNF	Security classification support
Arch, Manjaro	Pacman
openSUSE, SLES	Zypper	Security patch support
Alpine	APK
Any with Docker	Docker	Read-only image comparison
Any with Homebrew	Homebrew	Formulae and casks
Any with Snap	Snap
Any with Flatpak	Flatpak

Additional cross-platform checkers (WordPress, web projects, distro release, OpenClaw) work on any supported OS.

Updating Update-Watcher

Update-Watcher can update itself to the latest release:

Terminal

update-watcher self-update

💡

To check for a newer version without installing it: update-watcher self-update --status

Uninstallation

Uninstall Script

The uninstall script automatically detects and removes all installed components, including the binary, config files, cron job, log file, sudoers entry, and the dedicated system user (if created during server setup).

Terminal

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mahype/update-watcher/main/scripts/uninstall.sh | bash

For non-interactive use (skips confirmation prompts):

Terminal

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mahype/update-watcher/main/scripts/uninstall.sh | bash -s -- --yes

Manual Removal

Quick removal (binary and config only):

Terminal

update-watcher uninstall-cron
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
sudo rm -rf /etc/update-watcher
rm -rf ~/.config/update-watcher

Full removal including the dedicated server user and all supporting files:

Terminal

sudo crontab -u update-watcher -r
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/update-watcher
sudo rm -rf /etc/update-watcher
sudo rm -f /var/log/update-watcher.log
sudo rm -f /etc/sudoers.d/update-watcher
sudo userdel -r update-watcher

Next Steps

Quickstart – Get running in 5 minutes.
First Run – Walk through configuration and your first update check.
Server Setup – Production-ready Linux setup with a dedicated system user.

Quickstart - Set Up Server Update Notifications in 5 Minutes First Run - Your First Update Check with Update-Watcher