meteor update

Update your Meteor project and packages

The meteor update command upgrades your project’s dependencies to their latest compatible versions.

Usage

meteor update
meteor update --patch
meteor update --release <release>
meteor update --packages-only
meteor update [packageName ...]
meteor update --all-packages

Basic Usage

Update to the latest release and update packages:

meteor update

This updates:

1. The Meteor release
2. Packages used by the app to the latest versions that don’t cause dependency conflicts

Update Modes

Patch Update

Update to the latest patch release:

meteor update --patch

Patch releases contain very minor changes, usually bug fixes. Updating to the latest patch is always recommended. This will try to not update non-core packages unless strictly necessary.

Release Update

Force update to a specific release:

meteor update --release 2.15

This will:

• Force update to the specified release
• Not update non-core packages unless strictly necessary
• May cause some packages to become incompatible

Packages Only

Update packages without updating the Meteor release:

meteor update --packages-only

This updates non-core packages to their latest versions without changing the Meteor release.

Specific Packages

Update individual packages by name:

meteor update accounts-password reactive-var

This updates only the specified packages to their latest compatible versions.

All Packages

Update all packages including indirect dependencies:

meteor update --all-packages

This updates:

• All packages, including indirect dependencies
• To their latest compatible versions
• Subject to constraints imposed by other packages

Note: Some packages might still not reach their most recent version due to compatibility constraints.

Options

--patch · boolean · default: "false"

Update to the latest patch release only. Patch releases are minor updates with bug fixes.

--release · string

Update to a specific release of Meteor

--packages-only · boolean · default: "false"

Update package versions only, without updating the Meteor release

--all-packages · boolean · default: "false"

Update all packages including indirect dependencies to their latest compatible versions

--allow-incompatible-update · boolean · default: "false"

Allow packages in your project to be upgraded or downgraded to versions that are potentially incompatible with the current versions, if required to satisfy all package version constraints.

Examples

Update to the latest version of everything:

meteor update

Update to the latest patch:

meteor update --patch

Update to a specific Meteor release:

meteor update --release 2.15

Update only packages:

meteor update --packages-only

Update specific packages:

meteor update accounts-base accounts-password

Update all packages including indirect dependencies:

meteor update --all-packages

Force incompatible updates:

meteor update --allow-incompatible-update

Update to a specific release allowing incompatible updates:

meteor update --release 3.0 --allow-incompatible-update

Troubleshooting Updates

If a package can’t be updated, get more information by trying to add it at the target version:

meteor add <package>@<target-version>

This will show you which constraints are preventing the update.

Version Conflicts

If you encounter version conflicts during an update:

1. Check constraints: See what’s preventing the update

   meteor add package@desired-version
   

2. Allow incompatible updates: Use if you’re sure about the change

   meteor update --allow-incompatible-update
   

3. Update all packages: Sometimes updating everything together resolves conflicts

   meteor update --all-packages
   

4. Update individually: Update packages one at a time to identify conflicts

   meteor update package1
   meteor update package2
   

Understanding Update Behavior

Core vs. Non-Core Packages

• Core packages: Bundled with Meteor releases (e.g., meteor-base, mongo, webapp)
• Non-core packages: Community or third-party packages

meteor update and meteor update --patch try not to update non-core packages unless necessary.

Constraint Solver

Meteor uses a constraint solver to ensure all packages are compatible. When updating:

1. It reads version constraints from .meteor/packages
2. It solves for the newest compatible versions
3. It updates .meteor/versions with resolved versions

What Gets Updated

Files Modified

• .meteor/release - The Meteor release version
• .meteor/versions - Exact versions of all packages

These files should be committed to version control.

Files Not Modified

• .meteor/packages - Your package list (only modified if you add/remove packages)

Best Practices

1. Test after updating: Always test your app after updating
2. Update regularly: Stay current with patches and security updates
3. Read release notes: Check what changed before updating releases
4. Use version control: Commit before updating so you can revert if needed
5. Update patches frequently: Patch updates are safe and contain bug fixes

# Good workflow
git commit -am "Before update"
meteor update --patch
meteor test --driver-package meteortesting:mocha
git commit -am "Updated to latest patch"

Checking for Updates

Meteor automatically checks for updates when you run meteor commands. To disable this:

meteor run --no-release-check