[BUG] macOS native installer serves outdated 2.1.2 when 2.1.3/2.1.4 available

[sasojadrovski]

Description

The macOS native installer (curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash) installs version 2.1.2, and claude update reports it as up-to-date, even though 2.1.3 was released ~2 days ago and 2.1.4 was released today.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
2. Run claude --version → shows 2.1.2
3. Run claude update → reports "Claude Code is up to date (2.1.2)"

Expected Behavior

The native installer should install the latest version (2.1.4), or at minimum claude update should detect and install newer versions.

Actual Behavior

• Fresh install via native installer gives 2.1.2
• claude update does not detect 2.1.3 or 2.1.4

Environment

• OS: macOS (Darwin 25.2.0)
• Installation method: Native (~/.local/bin/claude)
• Current version: 2.1.2
• Available versions: 2.1.3 (Jan 9), 2.1.4 (Jan 11)

Additional Context

• npm shows 2.1.4 as latest (installing via npm works as a workaround)
• claude doctor shows auto-updates enabled, install method native
• Similar issue was reported for Windows: [BUG] Windows PowerShell installer (install.ps1) serves outdated version 2.0.65 while Linux is at 2.0.69 #14029

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. [BUG] Windows PowerShell installer (install.ps1) serves outdated version 2.0.65 while Linux is at 2.0.69 #14029
2. [BUG] 'claude update' downgrades from 2.1.0 to 2.0.76 due to lexicographic version comparison #16705
3. No working installation path exists for new users; update mechanism is broken and documentation is misleading. #3168

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[sasojadrovski]

Root Cause Found

After further investigation, I found the root cause:

The install script defaults to the stable channel, not latest.

Evidence

# stable channel (what install.sh uses by default)
$ curl -fsSL https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-86c565f3-f756-42ad-8dfa-d59b1c096819/claude-code-releases/stable
2.1.2

# latest channel (what users expect)
$ curl -fsSL https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-86c565f3-f756-42ad-8dfa-d59b1c096819/claude-code-releases/latest
2.1.7

The Problem

1. curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh defaults to stable (2.1.2)
2. claude update also checks against stable, so it reports "up to date"
3. Even with "autoUpdatesChannel": "latest" in ~/.claude/settings.json, the install script and updater still use stable

Workaround

Explicitly pass latest to the install script:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh -s -- latest

Or specify an exact version:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh -s -- 2.1.7

Suggested Fix

Either:

1. Change the default channel to latest instead of stable
2. Or make claude update respect the autoUpdatesChannel setting in settings.json
3. Or at minimum, document that users need to pass latest to get the newest version

[sasojadrovski]

Clarification: The Bug is More Nuanced

After further research, I found that the stable vs latest channel distinction is intentional by design, introduced in v2.1.3:

"Added release channel (stable or latest) toggle to /config"

Users can switch channels via the /config command in the CLI.

Documentation Contradicts Actual Behavior

The official setup docs state:

"To install the latest version (default):" → curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

"To install the stable version:" → curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s stable

But the install script actually defaults to stable:

$ curl -fsSL https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-.../stable
2.1.2

$ curl -fsSL https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-.../latest
2.1.7

$ curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# Installs 2.1.2 (stable), not 2.1.7 (latest)

This is either a bug in the install script or incorrect documentation.

Other Issues

1. Installer ignores existing settings - My ~/.claude/settings.json has "autoUpdatesChannel": "latest", but running the install script still installed stable (2.1.2) instead of respecting my preference.

2. No explanation of what stable means - There's no documentation explaining the difference between channels. Is stable more tested? How far behind does it intentionally lag? 5+ versions behind with no explanation is confusing.

3. Related: Missing docs issue - See [DOCS] Missing documentation for autoUpdatesChannel and minimumVersion in settings.json reference #17770 which reports that autoUpdatesChannel isn't documented in the settings reference.

Suggested Fixes

1. Fix the installer to default to latest as documented, or update the docs to reflect reality
2. The installer should check for existing autoUpdatesChannel in ~/.claude/settings.json and respect it
3. Document what stable vs latest actually means in practice