---
title: Updating NexCMP
description: Update NexCMP from the admin console or the command line, how releases are verified, and what you are entitled to receive.
url: https://nexcmp.com/docs/getting-started/updating/
applies_to: NexCMP 1.6.1
updated: 2026-11-02
---

# Updating NexCMP

> **Where in the admin:** System › Admin › License & updates (`/license`) → *Update* card.

## What you receive

| Release type | Delivered when |
|---|---|
| Security fix | **Always**, even after your "updates until" date |
| Feature release | Only if it was published **on or before** your "updates until" date |

You can see both dates under **License & updates**. Renew the entitlement at [nexcmp.com/licenses](https://nexcmp.com/licenses).

## Update from the admin console

1. Open **System › Admin › License & updates**.
2. In the **Update** card click **Check for update**. The card shows the current version, the newest version you may install, a *security* tag when relevant, and the changelog.
3. Click **Update to X.Y.Z** and confirm. The program downloads the release, verifies its **SHA-256 and Ed25519 signature**, replaces the binary atomically (keeping a `.bak` copy) and restarts. Expect about **10 seconds** of downtime.
4. Reload the page and check the version in the top-right of License & updates.

![The Update card with the running version and the Check for new version button](https://nexcmp.com/docs/images/getting-started/updating-01-card.webp)

## Update from the command line

```bash
sudo nexcmp update
```

This runs the installer that is shipped *inside the currently installed release* (not a script downloaded at that moment) with the saved parameters from `/etc/nexcmp/install.conf`. It refreshes the binary, the systemd units, nginx templates and the node agent, and keeps data, configuration and accounts.

::: tip Never downgrades
If the server offers a version older than the one running, the installer keeps the running version.
:::

## Before you update

1. Take a backup: `sudo nexcmp backup` — see [Backup and restore](https://nexcmp.com/docs/getting-started/backup-and-restore/).
2. Read the changelog in the Update card.
   For changes since 1.3, see [Release notes through 1.6.1](https://nexcmp.com/docs/getting-started/release-notes/), including the VPN agent update and Bare Metal pricing rules.
3. Update during a quiet period; running virtual machines are not touched, but customers cannot use the portal for a few seconds.

## After you update

- Run `sudo nexcmp status` and confirm both services are active.
- Open the admin Dashboard and the **Needs attention** page.
- Database migrations run automatically on first start of the new version.
- If you run VPN nodes, update their agent separately and check the usage readings. Updating the panel makes the new agent available; it does not prove that every remote node is already running it. See [VPN node data allowance](https://nexcmp.com/docs/infrastructure/vpn-proxy-nodes/#data-allowance-on-a-vpn-node).

If an update fails, see [Update errors](https://nexcmp.com/docs/troubleshooting/update-errors/).