Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Update NanoClaw Safely agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The update-nanoclaw skill teaches an AI agent how to update a customized copy of NanoClaw from its official GitHub repository without changing the live install directly. It is for developers and maintainers who run their own NanoClaw checkout and want routine upstream updates with a recovery path. After following this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for an update in plain language, and what to check before you approve a cutover.
Update NanoClaw Safelynanocoai/nanoclaw · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Install the skill. Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 2Confirm prerequisites. Make sure Git, Node.js, and pnpm are installed, your NanoClaw checkout exists, and git status is clean.
- 3Ask for the update. Describe the update you want in plain language, such as a merge or rebase from upstream.
- 4Resolve prompts and conflicts. Answer the channel question if asked, and review any conflicts the agent resolves inside the staging area.
- 5Review validation results. Check that the build, tests, and skill refresh passed before you agree to continue.
- 6Approve cutover. Read the changed files, migrations, backup tag, and rollback command, then give one confirmation to begin cutover.
- 7Verify the restarted service. Confirm the agent reports that the service restarted and passed its health checks, or that a rollback ran.
What the update-nanoclaw skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that tells an AI agent how to carry out a specific task. This one covers updating a NanoClaw checkout. The agent builds the updated version in a separate staging area, runs validation and tests there, and only switches the live checkout after those pass.
The skill also backs up user data before cutover (.env, data/, groups/, store/, and manual-service state). If the restart or health checks fail, it restores Git and the snapshot, rebuilds the previous image, restarts the previous service, and checks it.
- Stages Git merges, rebases, or cherry-picks in a separate worktree
- Runs dependency installation, skill refresh, and host and container tests before cutover
- Stops the detected service and active containers before source changes
- Restarts through launchd, user-systemd, system-systemd, or nohup mode and verifies the result
- Rolls back automatically on build or health failure
Install the update-nanoclaw skill
Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it. To make the skill available to every project, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
In the Claude apps you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal use: ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Check the requirements before you start
The skill assumes you already have a working NanoClaw checkout with services set up. It needs Git, Node.js, and pnpm, because the controller scripts are run with pnpm exec tsx. The checkout must have a clean git status, and the machine needs network access to github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.
Expect the process to stop the running service during cutover. It is not a one-click update: you will review changed files and may need to resolve merge conflicts yourself.
- Git, Node.js, and pnpm installed
- An existing NanoClaw checkout with a clean git status
- Network access to the official GitHub remote
- Willingness to review conflicts and changed files
Ask for an update in plain language
You do not need to type a command yourself. Open a conversation in the project folder and describe what you want. The skill is designed for routine merge, rebase, or selective upstream updates, so say which one you want if it matters to you.
The agent will show upstream commits, changed-file groups, and requirements, then ask for confirmation before downtime begins. Answer its questions in ordinary conversation.
- "Update NanoClaw from upstream using merge."
- "Check whether my NanoClaw checkout is behind the latest release, but don't change anything yet."
- "Rebase my customizations onto the newest upstream main."
- "Cherry-pick commits abc123 and def456 from upstream."
Understand channels and what the agent will ask you
Updates follow a channel. Stable, the default, uses the newest annotated vX.Y.Z tag. Beta uses the newest release candidate if it is newer than stable. Edge follows upstream main. The channel is set with NANOCLAW_UPDATE_CHANNEL in .env, and the skill changes the default only through its set-channel command.
If your install is newer than the latest release, the agent will ask whether you want to keep getting code from main (edge) or wait for the next release (stable).
- Default merge strategy; rebase only when you want linear history
- Cherry-pick requires an explicit comma-separated commit list
- If the staged merge conflicts, the agent resolves them only inside the staging area and then resumes
Review validation and approve cutover
Validation refreshes installed skills, commits refreshed payloads in the staging branch, installs frozen dependencies, and runs the host build and full host tests. It also runs the container dependency and typecheck step when Bun is available. If validation fails, the agent fixes only staging problems and reruns it. It does not repair the live checkout.
Before cutover the agent shows the exact changed files, required migrations, the backup tag, and the rollback command. Read these carefully. Migrations and external version-pin changes are gated and need your attention.
- Confirm the changed-file list matches what you expect
- Check which migrations are flagged as breaking
- Note the backup tag and rollback command before approving
What people use it for
- Routinely moving a customized NanoClaw checkout to the newest stable release
- Rebasing local customizations onto upstream main for linear history
- Cherry-picking specific upstream fixes without taking the whole branch
- Checking whether a checkout is behind before deciding to update
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the update-nanoclaw skill?
Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need before using update-nanoclaw?
You need Git, Node.js, and pnpm, an existing NanoClaw checkout with a clean git status, and network access to github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw. The skill assumes services are already set up.
Is the update-nanoclaw skill free, and what is its licence?
The item is listed under the MIT licence. The source page does not describe pricing, so check the skill page for any cost details.
Does the skill update my live NanoClaw install right away?
No. It builds and tests the update in a separate staging area first. The live checkout is only switched over after validation passes and you confirm cutover.
What happens if the update fails?
On build or health failure, the skill restores Git and the mutable-state snapshot, rebuilds the previous image, restarts the previous service, and health-checks it. This rollback is automatic.
How is this different from just running git pull?
A plain git pull changes your live tree directly. This skill stages the work, backs up .env, data/, groups/, and store/, gates breaking migrations, stops and restarts the service in a controlled way, and rolls back if checks fail.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you run a customized NanoClaw checkout and want routine upstream updates with a tested staging step and an automatic rollback path. Skip it if you have not installed NanoClaw, want a quick one-click update, or are not prepared to review conflicts and changed files while the service is stopped.
Download the skill