Guide 11.10
Intermediate, 4 min read. Checked with Scalpel 1.12.8 on .
In short
The About tab shows your Scalpel version and build, your licence status with a Manage licence and computers button, and the update controls: the channel (Stable by default, or Beta for early builds), Download updates automatically (on), the updater's status, Check for updates, and Go back to the previous version when it is still kept. The credits for the charts, fonts and broker library are at the bottom.
This is the tab to open when support asks which version you run, or when you want an update now. Open Settings (Ctrl+,) and pick About.
The first line is your version and build, for example v1.12.6 (4f2c9a1): the version number, then the code revision it was built from. Quote both when you ask for help in Discord. The note under it reads: "Market data and orders go through your own TWS or IB Gateway; nothing leaves your machine except the optional intel lookups you switch on."
| Item | What it tells you | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Status line | Licensed with the last four characters of your key, then how many of your licence's computers it is active on, for example Active on 1 of 2 computers. If Scalpel could not reach scalpeltrade.com, it says it checked offline and how long it can keep running before it must reach the site. | Nothing while it says Licensed. If it counts down an offline period, check your internet connection. |
| Manage licence and computers | Opens your account page at scalpeltrade.com in the browser, where you see your key and free up a computer. | Use it before you move to a new computer. |
Scalpel checks the licence when it starts and every 12 hours, and keeps running on its last check for up to 72 hours offline. A licence problem never interrupts a session. See guide 1.3 and guide 12.1.
Four buttons open help in your browser: Guides (these pages), Troubleshooting (fixes for common problems), Help on Discord and Email support. The same links, plus getting started, the hotkey cheatsheet and what is new, are in the Help menu in the header. Every Settings tab also has a guide link at the top of the window that opens that tab's page here.
| Option | What it does | Default | Allowed values | When to change it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel | Which releases you get. Stable is for everyone; Beta (early builds) gets new versions first. | Stable | Stable, Beta (early builds) | Beta only if you want new features early and can live with the odd rough edge. See guide 12.3. |
| Download updates automatically | Downloads a new version in the background as soon as it is found. Off: the status bar says an update is available and it downloads when you click. | On | On or off | Off on a slow or metered connection. |
The note reads: "Scalpel checks for a new version when it starts and every 30 minutes. It never installs on its own while you trade: you choose when to restart, or let it install when you quit." The first check comes within a minute of starting, then every 30 minutes.
Under it, the status line says where the updater is, for example:
Check for updates checks now. Go back to 1.12.5 appears when the previous version is still kept: it restores it and restarts Scalpel. Both restarts are refused while you have an open position, a working order or a live stop, because Scalpel watches your stops and that stops while it restarts. Close them first, or choose to update when you quit. More in guide 12.2.
Scrolled down, the tab credits the open-source work Scalpel is built on: TradingView's free, open-source Lightweight Charts library for the desk charts (no TradingView subscription needed), JetBrains Mono and Chakra Petch fonts, Lucide icons, and the rust-ibapi broker library. It also states that Interactive Brokers, TWS and IB Gateway are trademarks of Interactive Brokers LLC and that Scalpel is independent software, not affiliated with or endorsed by Interactive Brokers. The full list is in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md next to the application.