Updating (OTA)

Leaf can update itself over the air (OTA): it checks GitHub for new releases, downloads and verifies them, and hands off to the device’s installer, all from inside the launcher. You don’t need to swap SD cards or touch a PC.

Before you start

• Connect to Wi-Fi. Open Settings → Network and join a network. Updates download over the internet.
• Charge up. Make sure the battery is reasonably charged; the device reboots to install.

Update from the launcher

1. Press the Menu button to open the System page, switch to the Actions tab (L1 / R1), and choose System Update.
2. Leaf checks the releases feed for your selected Update channel (Stable or Beta) and tells you whether a newer version is available.
3. If there is one, choose to download it. Leaf fetches the release over a secure (HTTPS) connection and verifies its SHA-256 checksum before doing anything with it.
4. Choose to install. Leaf stages the update and reboots into the device’s installer to apply it, then reboots back into the new version.
5. After it comes back up, you can confirm the running version on the Info tab’s Device page (Menu → Info → Device).

No account or credentials are required; updates use the public releases feed.

Update channel (Stable or Beta)

At the top of the System Update page is an Update Channel cycler. Press Left / Right (or A) to switch it.

• Stable (the default) tracks the normal Leaf releases. This is what you want unless you are actively helping test.
• Beta tracks tester preview builds. They land earlier so you can try new features before they are finalized, but they may be unstable or change quickly. Back up anything you care about before running one.

Switching to Beta asks you to confirm, and the channel then shows Beta in an amber tint so it is clear which track you are on. Switching back to Stable is immediate. Beta builds also carry a -beta version number, so you can always tell what you are running on the Info -> Device page. Changing the channel re-checks for updates against that channel right away.

Manual update (from an SD card)

If you would rather not update over Wi-Fi, or you are moving between dev builds, you can update the same way you install:

1. Download leaf-mlp1-sd-<release_id>.zip from the latest release.
2. Extract it to the root of an SD card (not into a subfolder). Unzip onto the card itself rather than unzipping on your computer and copying the files across: the update lives in a hidden .system folder, so a drag-and-drop in Finder or File Explorer silently leaves it behind. There is more on this, including how to check the card, in Install.
3. Boot the device with that card inserted. The stock update screen applies it and reboots into the new version.

A manual update is safe to run over an existing install. It refreshes only the release-managed firmware and never touches your data: your games, saves, states, and app data live at the card’s root (Roms/, Saves/, States/, and the .userdata/ and .umrk/ folders) and are left exactly as they were.

How it works (briefly)

• Discovery: Leaf reads the public GitHub Releases feed for your selected channel (the Leaf repo for Stable, the Leaf-beta repo for Beta) and parses the release’s update manifest.
• Verified download: the artifact is downloaded over HTTPS and checked against a published SHA-256 sum. Leaf ships its own trusted-certificate bundle, so secure downloads work even though it’s running on top of stock.
• Install handoff: on the MLP1, Leaf stages the update and reuses the stock installer to apply it on the next boot, the same safe path used for a fresh SD install.

Troubleshooting

• “Up to date” but you expected a release? Check the Update Channel at the top of the page (Stable vs Beta) and make sure the release was actually published on that channel.
• Download fails or network error? Re-check Wi-Fi connectivity (Settings → Network) and try again.
• A bad release? You can always reinstall a known-good version from an SD card, or restore stock via Recovery.