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    Install & update via Kirby CLI

    To install Kirby via the Kirby CLI, the Kirby CLI needs to be installed on your computer.

    Once you have done this, you can install any of the available kits via the Kirby CLI as follows:

    1. Without adding a kit name
    kirby install:kit

    You will be prompted to select a kit:

    Which kit do you want to install? (press <Enter> to select)
❯ ○ starterkit
  ○ plainkit
  ○ demokit

    Use the up/down keys to select the kit you want to install, then press Enter.

    You will then be prompted to either specify a folder name to install into or to accept the proposed name by pressing Enter again.

    1. With specifying a kit name

    Alternatively, <ou can directly enter the name of the kit you want to install:

    kirby install:kit <kitname>

    For example, to install the Starterkit:

    kirby install:kit starterkit

    You will then be prompted to either specify a folder name to install into or to accept the proposed name by pressing Enter again.

    And that's it, you are ready to start developing your site!

    Updating via the CLI

    To update Kirby via the CLI

    1. Navigate into your project folder
    cd <path to your project folder>
    1. Type the following command
    kirby upgrade

    This will update your kirby installation to the latest version

    Alternatively, you can specify the version to update to:

    kirby upgrade 4.2.1

    If you try to use the upgrade command to upgrade across major versions, e.g. from Kirby 3.x to Kirby 4.x, you will be promted to confirm if you really want to update.

    Kirby uses the Semantic Versioning scheme:
    {major}.{minor}(.{patch})

    Major releases (e.g 4.0 to 5.0) may contain breaking changes and deprecations. In such a case, you might have to update your code and plugins used in your installation. You can find breaking changes of a new release in the changelogs. If you are updating from older versions, multiple changelogs may apply. Always read them carefully to identify potential issues.

    Minor and patch releases (e.g. 4.1 to 4.2 or 4.1 to 4.1.1) can generally be applied without changes to your site code.

    Note that the major version of Kirby 3 was the second number (e.g. the major version of Kirby 3.9.0 is 9). So e.g. updates from Kirby 3.8 to Kirby 3.9 also came with breaking changes.

    In any case, please never update a live website directly on the server. Test updates locally first to see if something breaks.