Guide 12.2
Beginner, 6 min read. Checked with Scalpel 1.12.8 on .
In short
Scalpel checks scalpeltrade.com for a new version when it starts and every 30 minutes while it runs, downloads it in the background, and shows Update ready in the status bar. Click it to read what is new, then choose Restart and update or Update when I quit. It never installs on its own, and it will not restart while you have a position, a working order or a live stop.
Updates are built around one rule: nothing changes under you during a session. There is no pop-up, no forced restart and no install in the middle of a trade. You see one quiet pill and one toast, and you decide when. Every update is included in your licence.
Before you start
| When | What Scalpel does | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| About 20 seconds after it starts, then every 30 minutes | Asks scalpeltrade.com whether there is a newer version on your channel | Nothing, unless there is one |
| A newer version exists | Downloads it in the background and checks its signature and checksum | The pill counts Downloading 1.13.0: 42% |
| Download checked | Places the new version next to the running one, untouched until you choose | Update ready: 1.13.0 in the status bar, and one toast |
| You choose to install | Swaps the versions and restarts, or waits until you quit | Scalpel updated from 1.12.6 to 1.13.0 after the restart |
You never need to restart Scalpel to find an update: a running copy hears about a new version within half an hour, and Check for updates in Settings > About checks at once.
Each release is signed with Scalpel's own release key. Scalpel refuses a download whose signature or checksum does not match, so a damaged or tampered file is never installed.
When the download is ready, the status bar along the bottom shows Update ready: 1.13.0 in blue 1, and a toast says "Scalpel 1.13.0 is ready. It installs when you restart." Keep trading: nothing has changed yet.
Click the pill. What's new in 1.13.0 lists the changes in plain words. If you skipped some versions, it shows the notes of each one in between, newest first. Long notes scroll inside the card, so the buttons always stay in view.
After the restart a toast reads Scalpel updated from 1.12.6 to 1.13.0. The status bar and Settings > About show the new version and build, for example v1.13.0 (8b1e2d4).
Restart and update is greyed out while Scalpel has an open position (in either mode, or anything open on your IBKR account), a working order, or a live stop. Your stops are watched by Scalpel itself, not held at Interactive Brokers, so they stop being watched while it restarts (guide 5.1). The window says why:
Flatten and cancel, then restart, or pick Update when I quit and carry on.
Open Settings (Ctrl+,) > About. The Updates block has everything:
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | Stable for everyone, or Beta (early builds) for new versions first (guide 12.3) | Stable |
| Download updates automatically | Off: the pill says Update available: 1.13.0, and the download starts when you click Download in What's new | On |
| Status line | "Scalpel 1.12.6 is up to date (checked 12 minutes ago).", "Downloading version 1.13.0 (42%).", "Version 1.13.0 is ready. It installs when you restart Scalpel." or why the last update failed | |
| Check for updates | Checks now; a toast says "Scalpel 1.12.6 is up to date" if there is nothing new | |
| Go back to 1.12.5 | Restores the version you had before the last update, then restarts. Shown only while that copy is kept |
Channel and automatic download are saved when you click Apply.
After an update, Scalpel keeps the previous version until the next one. If something about the new version gets in your way, click Go back to 1.12.5 in Settings > About. The same trading guard applies: flatten first. Scalpel restarts on the old version and skips the one you left, so it is not offered again automatically. Your settings carry over both ways.
Scalpel also protects you from a version that will not start: if a new version fails to come up twice, the third start puts the previous version back by itself and says "Version 1.13.0 did not start, so Scalpel went back to 1.12.6". The failure is reported so it gets fixed.
A release that fixes a bug that can affect your orders is marked critical. Its pill turns amber with an alert icon, the toast is amber, and the notes open with "This update fixes a problem that can affect your orders. Install it before your next session." If your version is ever below the minimum supported one, a banner under the header says "This version of Scalpel has a problem that affects your orders. Update before you trade." with See the update. Neither blocks a session in progress.
Release notes for every stable version are on the changelog. New releases are also announced in the Discord.