Update Your Brain

The brain is updated monthly with new skills, research, templates, and improvements. The /update command handles everything while protecting your customizations.

How to Update

1. Open Claude Code in your brain folder
2. Type:

/update

That's it. Claude handles the rest.

What Happens During an Update

The update process is automatic and safe:

1. Checks for new version - Compares your brain version to the latest release
2. Detects your customizations - Uses file hashing to find files you've modified
3. Backs up your brain - Creates a full backup in z-backup/ before changing anything
4. Asks you about conflicts - For each file that both you and the update changed, you choose:
   • Keep Mine - Keep your version, skip the update for this file
   • Take New - Replace your version with the update
   • Show Me Both - See both versions side by side before deciding
5. Applies changes - Updates all non-conflicting files automatically

Your Customizations Are Safe

The update system uses originals.json to track which files you've modified. This means:

• Files you haven't touched are updated automatically
• Files you've customized are flagged for your review
• Nothing is overwritten without your explicit approval
• A full backup exists before any changes happen

When to Update

Check for updates after each monthly release announcement in the Circle community. Updates typically include:

• New skills and commands
• Updated research libraries (newsletters, YouTube transcripts)
• Improved templates and examples
• Bug fixes and enhancements

The /upgrade Command

Separate from /update, the /upgrade command checks for new Claude Code features (not brain content) and suggests improvements to your brain configuration:

/upgrade

This reads Claude Code changelogs and recommends settings or features you might want to enable.

Troubleshooting

"No updates available" - You're already on the latest version. Check the Circle community for the next release date.

Merge conflicts - The update process handles this by asking you to choose. You won't get stuck in a Git conflict state.

Something broke after update - Your pre-update backup is in z-backup/[date]/. Ask Claude: "Restore my brain from the latest backup in z-backup."