Signed releases and updates
Every ElastOS release is signed by the maintainer, and every part of it is named by its hash. Your Home checks both before it installs anything. The web and the network only carry bytes. Signatures and hashes decide what is trusted.
The maintainer DID
The maintainer signs releases with one key. Its public identity is:
did:key:z6MkgwHd2BCWe1jHMXPiR6H1q1RFPcv1YzhMbK5G1kBarbfe
When you install, the installer prints a Maintainer DID: line. Compare it with the DID above. If they differ, stop.
What a release contains
- The release head points to the current release. It is signed.
- The release lists the version, the channel and the hashes. It is signed too.
- Each capsule record is signed on its own, so Home downloads only the capsules that changed.
What the installer checks
- The release head’s signature, against the maintainer DID.
- The release’s signature, against the same DID.
- The Runtime binary’s SHA-256 hash.
Then setup checks components.json and each component the same way.
How updates reach your Home
Updates are pull only. Nothing is pushed to your Home.
- Check. While System is open, your Home asks the publisher for the latest signed release head over Carrier.
- Verify. The Runtime checks both signatures, the release hash, the channel and the version order. An older release is refused.
- Show. System shows the new version and its release notes.
- Approve. You approve that exact release with your passkey.
- Download. The Runtime downloads only the parts that changed, by CID, and checks each one against its hash and size.
- Restart. Home restarts on the new release. If it does not start, the previous release comes back.
After you install, the web is used only to look up the publisher’s current Carrier address, and the answer must match the source your Home already trusts.
Channels
| Channel | For |
|---|---|
| Stable | Everyone. Final releases such as 2.0.0. |
| Test | People who want to try a release early. Its technical name is canary. |
System > About shows your channel. A Stable Home never accepts a Test release. A Test Home also accepts a newer Stable release. Running the install command again moves a Home to Stable.
Undo
If an update causes a problem, you can go back to the previous release from the terminal. Undo keeps your identity, accounts and data. See Updates.
Why this matters: a download link can be changed, and a server can be hacked. A signature from a key you already trust, plus a hash of the exact bytes, cannot be faked without that key. This is why ElastOS names things by hash, not by web address.