How to Update mise: Complete Guide to Self-Update and Package Manager Methods

Run mise self-update to upgrade the binary directly, or use your package manager (brew, apt, dnf) if you installed mise via a package manager.

Keeping mise current ensures you have the latest language runtimes, security patches, and CLI improvements. Depending on how you installed the tool—either as a standalone binary or through a system package manager—the update process differs significantly. This guide covers both pathways based on the official jdx/mise source code and documentation.

Checking if Self-Update is Available

Before attempting an update, verify whether your installation supports self-updating. Binary installations downloaded directly from GitHub releases include this feature, while package manager installations disable it to prevent conflicts.

Check your installation type by running:

mise self-update --help

If you see usage instructions, self-update is enabled. If you encounter the message "self-update is disabled for this install", you must use your package manager's upgrade workflow instead.

Updating mise via Self-Update

Binary installations can upgrade themselves without external package managers. The implementation in [src/cli/self_update.rs](https://github.com/jdx/mise/blob/main/src/cli/self_update.rs) handles the entire process: querying the GitHub releases API, downloading the appropriate binary for your OS and architecture, verifying TLS signatures, replacing the current executable, and regenerating shims.

Update to the Latest Release

To upgrade to the newest stable version:

mise self-update

This command automatically detects your platform, downloads the latest release, and refreshes all shims via mise reshim.

Update to a Specific Version

Pin your installation to a particular release tag when you need reproducible builds or want to test a specific version:

mise self-update v2024.10.0

Replace v2024.10.0 with your desired version tag from the GitHub releases page.

Force Reinstall

If you suspect binary corruption or need to reinstall the same version:

mise self-update --force

The --force flag bypasses the version check and reinstalls even when mise reports it is already up to date.

Updating via Package Managers

When installed through Homebrew, APT, DNF, or Pacman, mise disables its internal self-update mechanism to avoid permission conflicts and package database inconsistencies. Use your manager's standard update commands:

Homebrew

brew upgrade mise

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade mise

Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade mise

Arch Linux

yay -S mise

Or using pacman directly:

pacman -Syu mise

The [docs/installing-mise.md](https://github.com/jdx/mise/blob/main/docs/installing-mise.md) file documents these platform-specific pathways in detail.

How Self-Update Works Under the Hood

The self-update process performs several critical safety checks before modifying your system. According to the source in src/cli/self_update.rs, the command:

1. Contacts the GitHub releases API to fetch version metadata
2. Downloads the correct binary for your operating system and architecture
3. Verifies TLS signatures to ensure binary integrity
4. Atomically replaces the existing mise executable
5. Executes mise reshim to regenerate all tool shims

On Windows, this process additionally updates the mise-shim.exe executable automatically.

Troubleshooting Self-Update Issues

When Self-Update is Disabled

Package maintainers can disable self-updates by placing a marker file named .disable-self-update (typically in lib/.disable-self-update). When present, mise self-update aborts immediately and directs you to use the package manager.

Some distributions ship a mise-self-update-instructions.toml file containing custom guidance. When this file exists, mise prints its contents before exiting, often showing commands like sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade mise. These instruction files are generated during the packaging process (see scripts/build-deb.sh and scripts/build-rpm.sh).

Network Restrictions

If you operate behind a corporate proxy or MITM-inspecting firewall, recent mise versions include SOCKS proxy support for the self-update download. This allows the TLS-enabled download to traverse restricted networks that require proxy authentication.

Verify the Update

Regardless of your update method, confirm the new version is active:

mise version

This command, implemented in [src/cli/version.rs](https://github.com/jdx/mise/blob/main/src/cli/version.rs), displays the current version and will suggest running mise self-update if a newer release exists.

Summary

• Binary installations: Use mise self-update for the latest release, mise self-update <version> for specific tags, or --force to reinstall
• Package manager installations: Use brew upgrade mise, apt upgrade mise, dnf upgrade mise, or equivalent commands—self-update is disabled
• Self-update mechanism: Downloads from GitHub releases, verifies signatures, replaces the binary, and reshims automatically
• Disabled updates: Look for .disable-self-update marker files or mise-self-update-instructions.toml for custom upgrade paths

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is mise self-update disabled on my system?

Self-update is disabled when you install mise via a package manager like Homebrew, APT, or DNF. This prevents the binary from conflicting with the package database and ensures clean upgrades through your system's native toolchain. The presence of a .disable-self-update marker file in the installation directory triggers this behavior.

Can I downgrade mise to a previous version?

Yes. Use the specific version syntax: mise self-update v2024.09.0 (replace with your desired version). This forces mise to install that exact release rather than the latest stable version, effectively allowing you to roll back if you encounter regressions.

Does mise self-update affect installed tools?

No. The self-update command only replaces the mise binary itself and refreshes shims via mise reshim. It does not modify your installed language versions, global tool configurations, or project-specific .mise.toml files. Your development environments remain unchanged.

How do I verify the update succeeded?

Run mise version immediately after updating. This displays the currently active version string. If you updated via self-update, you can also run mise self-update --help to confirm the command remains available (disabled installations show a "self-update is disabled" message instead).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}