Updating Perplexica

Keep your Perplexica installation up to date with the latest features and fixes

Regular updates ensure you have the latest features, security patches, and bug fixes. The update process varies depending on your installation method.

Your settings and search history are automatically preserved during updates. All configuration is stored in the persistent data volume.

Docker (pre-built images)

If you’re using the official Docker images from Docker Hub, updating is straightforward:

1. Pull the latest image

   For the full image with bundled SearxNG:

   docker pull itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:latest
   

   For the slim image:

   docker pull itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:slim-latest
   
2. Stop the current container

   docker stop perplexica
   
3. Remove the old container

   docker rm perplexica
   

   This only removes the container, not your data. Your data is stored in the named volume and will be reused.

4. Start with the new image

   For the full image:

   docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -v perplexica-data:/home/perplexica/data --name perplexica itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:latest
   

   For the slim image:

   docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -e SEARXNG_API_URL=http://your-searxng-url:8080 -v perplexica-data:/home/perplexica/data --name perplexica itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:slim-latest
   
5. Verify the update

   Navigate to http://localhost:3000 and verify that the application is running correctly with your existing settings.

Docker (building from source)

If you built your own Docker image from the repository:

1. Navigate to your repository

   cd Perplexica
   
2. Pull the latest changes

   git pull origin master
   
3. Rebuild the Docker image

   docker build -t perplexica .
   

   This may take several minutes depending on what changed.

4. Stop and remove the old container

   docker stop perplexica
   docker rm perplexica
   
5. Start the new container

   docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -v perplexica-data:/home/perplexica/data --name perplexica perplexica
   
6. Verify the update

   Visit http://localhost:3000 and confirm everything is working as expected.

Docker Compose

If you’re using Docker Compose:

Using pre-built images

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Manual installation

For manual installations without Docker:

1. Navigate to your installation directory

   cd Perplexica
   
2. Pull the latest changes

   git pull origin master
   
3. Install new dependencies

   npm i
   

   This ensures any new packages are installed.

4. Rebuild the application

   npm run build
   
5. Restart the application

   Stop your current instance (Ctrl+C if running in foreground, or kill the process), then:

   npm run start
   

   If using PM2:

   pm2 restart perplexica
   
6. Verify the update

   Navigate to http://localhost:3000 and confirm your settings are preserved and the application is working correctly.

One-click deployments

For cloud platform deployments, update procedures vary:

Sealos

Use the Sealos dashboard to update your application:

1. Navigate to your Perplexica deployment
2. Look for the update or redeploy option
3. Select the latest version
4. Apply the update

RepoCloud

RepoCloud may offer automatic updates:

1. Check your deployment settings for auto-update options
2. Or manually trigger an update from the dashboard
3. Your data will be preserved automatically

ClawCloud

To update on ClawCloud:

1. Access your deployment dashboard
2. Look for update or rebuild options
3. Or redeploy from the template to get the latest version

Hostinger VPS

SSH into your VPS and follow the Docker update instructions:

docker pull itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:latest
docker compose down
docker compose up -d

Checking your version

To verify which version of Perplexica you’re running:

1. Check the package.json version in your installation
2. Compare against the latest release on GitHub
3. Check the Docker image tags on Docker Hub

Update best practices

Backup your data

Before major updates, consider backing up your data volume:

docker run --rm -v perplexica-data:/data -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar czf /backup/perplexica-backup.tar.gz /data

Review changelogs

Check the GitHub releases page to see what’s new and if any breaking changes require action.

Test after updating

After updating, run a few test searches to ensure everything works correctly, especially if you use specific features.

Monitor logs

Watch the logs during and after the update:

docker logs -f perplexica

Rollback procedure

If you encounter issues after an update:

Docker (pre-built images)

# Stop current container
docker stop perplexica
docker rm perplexica

# Run previous version (specify version tag)
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -v perplexica-data:/home/perplexica/data --name perplexica itzcrazykns1337/perplexica:1.12.0

Git-based installations

# View available versions
git tag -l

# Checkout specific version
git checkout v1.12.0

# Rebuild
npm i
npm run build
npm run start

Next steps

Troubleshooting

Resolve issues after updating

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