gstack-upgrade

Upgrade gstack to the latest version. Detects global vs vendored install, runs the upgrade, and shows what's new. Use when asked to "upgrade gstack", "update gstack", or "get latest version". Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "upgrade the tools", "update the tools", "gee stack upgrade", "g stack upgrade".

63,951 stars

Best use case

gstack-upgrade is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Upgrade gstack to the latest version. Detects global vs vendored install, runs the upgrade, and shows what's new. Use when asked to "upgrade gstack", "update gstack", or "get latest version". Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "upgrade the tools", "update the tools", "gee stack upgrade", "g stack upgrade".

Teams using gstack-upgrade should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/gstack-upgrade/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/garrytan/gstack/main/gstack-upgrade/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/gstack-upgrade/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How gstack-upgrade Compares

Feature / Agentgstack-upgradeStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Upgrade gstack to the latest version. Detects global vs vendored install, runs the upgrade, and shows what's new. Use when asked to "upgrade gstack", "update gstack", or "get latest version". Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "upgrade the tools", "update the tools", "gee stack upgrade", "g stack upgrade".

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

<!-- AUTO-GENERATED from SKILL.md.tmpl — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Regenerate: bun run gen:skill-docs -->

# /gstack-upgrade

Upgrade gstack to the latest version and show what's new.

## Inline upgrade flow

This section is referenced by all skill preambles when they detect `UPGRADE_AVAILABLE`.

### Step 1: Ask the user (or auto-upgrade)

First, check if auto-upgrade is enabled:
```bash
_AUTO=""
[ "${GSTACK_AUTO_UPGRADE:-}" = "1" ] && _AUTO="true"
[ -z "$_AUTO" ] && _AUTO=$(~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-config get auto_upgrade 2>/dev/null || true)
echo "AUTO_UPGRADE=$_AUTO"
```

**If `AUTO_UPGRADE=true` or `AUTO_UPGRADE=1`:** Skip AskUserQuestion. Log "Auto-upgrading gstack v{old} → v{new}..." and proceed directly to Step 2. If `./setup` fails during auto-upgrade, restore from backup (`.bak` directory) and warn the user: "Auto-upgrade failed — restored previous version. Run `/gstack-upgrade` manually to retry."

**Otherwise**, use AskUserQuestion:
- Question: "gstack **v{new}** is available (you're on v{old}). Upgrade now?"
- Options: ["Yes, upgrade now", "Always keep me up to date", "Not now", "Never ask again"]

**If "Yes, upgrade now":** Proceed to Step 2.

**If "Always keep me up to date":**
```bash
~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-config set auto_upgrade true
```
Tell user: "Auto-upgrade enabled. Future updates will install automatically." Then proceed to Step 2.

**If "Not now":** Write snooze state with escalating backoff (first snooze = 24h, second = 48h, third+ = 1 week), then continue with the current skill. Do not mention the upgrade again.
```bash
_SNOOZE_FILE=~/.gstack/update-snoozed
_REMOTE_VER="{new}"
_CUR_LEVEL=0
if [ -f "$_SNOOZE_FILE" ]; then
  _SNOOZED_VER=$(awk '{print $1}' "$_SNOOZE_FILE")
  if [ "$_SNOOZED_VER" = "$_REMOTE_VER" ]; then
    _CUR_LEVEL=$(awk '{print $2}' "$_SNOOZE_FILE")
    case "$_CUR_LEVEL" in *[!0-9]*) _CUR_LEVEL=0 ;; esac
  fi
fi
_NEW_LEVEL=$((_CUR_LEVEL + 1))
[ "$_NEW_LEVEL" -gt 3 ] && _NEW_LEVEL=3
echo "$_REMOTE_VER $_NEW_LEVEL $(date +%s)" > "$_SNOOZE_FILE"
```
Note: `{new}` is the remote version from the `UPGRADE_AVAILABLE` output — substitute it from the update check result.

Tell user the snooze duration: "Next reminder in 24h" (or 48h or 1 week, depending on level). Tip: "Set `auto_upgrade: true` in `~/.gstack/config.yaml` for automatic upgrades."

**If "Never ask again":**
```bash
~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-config set update_check false
```
Tell user: "Update checks disabled. Run `~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-config set update_check true` to re-enable."
Continue with the current skill.

### Step 2: Detect install type

```bash
if [ -d "$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/.git" ]; then
  INSTALL_TYPE="global-git"
  INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack"
elif [ -d "$HOME/.gstack/repos/gstack/.git" ]; then
  INSTALL_TYPE="global-git"
  INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/.gstack/repos/gstack"
elif [ -d ".claude/skills/gstack/.git" ]; then
  INSTALL_TYPE="local-git"
  INSTALL_DIR=".claude/skills/gstack"
elif [ -d ".agents/skills/gstack/.git" ]; then
  INSTALL_TYPE="local-git"
  INSTALL_DIR=".agents/skills/gstack"
elif [ -d ".claude/skills/gstack" ]; then
  INSTALL_TYPE="vendored"
  INSTALL_DIR=".claude/skills/gstack"
elif [ -d "$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack" ]; then
  INSTALL_TYPE="vendored-global"
  INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack"
else
  echo "ERROR: gstack not found"
  exit 1
fi
echo "Install type: $INSTALL_TYPE at $INSTALL_DIR"
```

The install type and directory path printed above will be used in all subsequent steps.

### Step 3: Save old version

Use the install directory from Step 2's output below:

```bash
OLD_VERSION=$(cat "$INSTALL_DIR/VERSION" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
```

### Step 4: Upgrade

Use the install type and directory detected in Step 2:

**For git installs** (global-git, local-git):
```bash
cd "$INSTALL_DIR"
STASH_OUTPUT=$(git stash 2>&1)
git fetch origin
git reset --hard origin/main
./setup
```
If `$STASH_OUTPUT` contains "Saved working directory", warn the user: "Note: local changes were stashed. Run `git stash pop` in the skill directory to restore them."

**For vendored installs** (vendored, vendored-global):
```bash
PARENT=$(dirname "$INSTALL_DIR")
TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/garrytan/gstack.git "$TMP_DIR/gstack"
mv "$INSTALL_DIR" "$INSTALL_DIR.bak"
mv "$TMP_DIR/gstack" "$INSTALL_DIR"
cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && ./setup
rm -rf "$INSTALL_DIR.bak" "$TMP_DIR"
```

### Step 4.5: Sync local vendored copy

Use the install directory from Step 2. Check if there's also a local vendored copy that needs updating:

```bash
_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
LOCAL_GSTACK=""
if [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -d "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack" ]; then
  _RESOLVED_LOCAL=$(cd "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack" && pwd -P)
  _RESOLVED_PRIMARY=$(cd "$INSTALL_DIR" && pwd -P)
  if [ "$_RESOLVED_LOCAL" != "$_RESOLVED_PRIMARY" ]; then
    LOCAL_GSTACK="$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack"
  fi
fi
echo "LOCAL_GSTACK=$LOCAL_GSTACK"
```

If `LOCAL_GSTACK` is non-empty, update it by copying from the freshly-upgraded primary install (same approach as README vendored install):
```bash
mv "$LOCAL_GSTACK" "$LOCAL_GSTACK.bak"
cp -Rf "$INSTALL_DIR" "$LOCAL_GSTACK"
rm -rf "$LOCAL_GSTACK/.git"
cd "$LOCAL_GSTACK" && ./setup
rm -rf "$LOCAL_GSTACK.bak"
```
Tell user: "Also updated vendored copy at `$LOCAL_GSTACK` — commit `.claude/skills/gstack/` when you're ready."

If `./setup` fails, restore from backup and warn the user:
```bash
rm -rf "$LOCAL_GSTACK"
mv "$LOCAL_GSTACK.bak" "$LOCAL_GSTACK"
```
Tell user: "Sync failed — restored previous version at `$LOCAL_GSTACK`. Run `/gstack-upgrade` manually to retry."

### Step 4.75: Run version migrations

After `./setup` completes, run any migration scripts for versions between the old
and new version. Migrations handle state fixes that `./setup` alone can't cover
(stale config, orphaned files, directory structure changes).

```bash
MIGRATIONS_DIR="$INSTALL_DIR/gstack-upgrade/migrations"
if [ -d "$MIGRATIONS_DIR" ]; then
  for migration in $(find "$MIGRATIONS_DIR" -maxdepth 1 -name 'v*.sh' -type f 2>/dev/null | sort -V); do
    # Extract version from filename: v0.15.2.0.sh → 0.15.2.0
    m_ver="$(basename "$migration" .sh | sed 's/^v//')"
    # Run if this migration version is newer than old version
    # (simple string compare works for dotted versions with same segment count)
    if [ "$OLD_VERSION" != "unknown" ] && [ "$(printf '%s\n%s' "$OLD_VERSION" "$m_ver" | sort -V | head -1)" = "$OLD_VERSION" ] && [ "$OLD_VERSION" != "$m_ver" ]; then
      echo "Running migration $m_ver..."
      bash "$migration" || echo "  Warning: migration $m_ver had errors (non-fatal)"
    fi
  done
fi
```

Migrations are idempotent bash scripts in `gstack-upgrade/migrations/`. Each is named
`v{VERSION}.sh` and runs only when upgrading from an older version. See CONTRIBUTING.md
for how to add new migrations.

### Step 5: Write marker + clear cache

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.gstack
echo "$OLD_VERSION" > ~/.gstack/just-upgraded-from
rm -f ~/.gstack/last-update-check
rm -f ~/.gstack/update-snoozed
```

### Step 6: Show What's New

Read `$INSTALL_DIR/CHANGELOG.md`. Find all version entries between the old version and the new version. Summarize as 5-7 bullets grouped by theme. Don't overwhelm — focus on user-facing changes. Skip internal refactors unless they're significant.

Format:
```
gstack v{new} — upgraded from v{old}!

What's new:
- [bullet 1]
- [bullet 2]
- ...

Happy shipping!
```

### Step 7: Continue

After showing What's New, continue with whatever skill the user originally invoked. The upgrade is done — no further action needed.

---

## Standalone usage

When invoked directly as `/gstack-upgrade` (not from a preamble):

1. Force a fresh update check (bypass cache):
```bash
~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-update-check --force 2>/dev/null || \
.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-update-check --force 2>/dev/null || true
```
Use the output to determine if an upgrade is available.

2. If `UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>`: follow Steps 2-6 above.

3. If no output (primary is up to date): check for a stale local vendored copy.

Run the Step 2 bash block above to detect the primary install type and directory (`INSTALL_TYPE` and `INSTALL_DIR`). Then run the Step 4.5 detection bash block above to check for a local vendored copy (`LOCAL_GSTACK`).

**If `LOCAL_GSTACK` is empty** (no local vendored copy): tell the user "You're already on the latest version (v{version})."

**If `LOCAL_GSTACK` is non-empty**, compare versions:
```bash
PRIMARY_VER=$(cat "$INSTALL_DIR/VERSION" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
LOCAL_VER=$(cat "$LOCAL_GSTACK/VERSION" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
echo "PRIMARY=$PRIMARY_VER LOCAL=$LOCAL_VER"
```

**If versions differ:** follow the Step 4.5 sync bash block above to update the local copy from the primary. Tell user: "Global v{PRIMARY_VER} is up to date. Updated local vendored copy from v{LOCAL_VER} → v{PRIMARY_VER}. Commit `.claude/skills/gstack/` when you're ready."

**If versions match:** tell the user "You're on the latest version (v{PRIMARY_VER}). Global and local vendored copy are both up to date."

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