Updates & licensing

This page is about the Desktop build — how it keeps itself up to date and how licensing works there. (On Android and iOS the store handles updates and purchases; see Settings & platforms.)

Automatic updates

The Desktop app checks for a newer release on startup and, when one is available, walks you through download → verify → install. The update dialog lists what's new in every version since the one you're running, in your app language. Downloads are integrity-checked (SHA-256) and signature-verified before anything is launched, so a tampered or partial file is never run.

• Silent on startup — if you're already current, nothing interrupts you.
• Manual check — the About screen has a Check for updates button that shows progress and tells you when you're up to date.

Updates apply to the direct downloads (Windows MSI, Linux AppImage, macOS DMG). They install over your existing copy and keep your settings in ~/.dr-terminal/.

Microsoft Store & APT builds

If you installed DR-Terminal from the Microsoft Store, the Store keeps it updated automatically and the package is read-only — so the in-app updater is turned off by design. You won't see update prompts, and the Check for updates button is hidden. Everything else works the same.

The same applies to the Linux Deb package from the DR-ONLINE APT repository: apt upgrade delivers updates there, so the in-app updater and the Check for updates button are off as well.

Licensing on Desktop

The Desktop app runs in one of a few license states — trial, active, or expired.

• A valid license unlocks the full feature set and removes any reminders.
• When a license has expired, DR-Terminal stays usable but shows an occasional reminder on startup and every so often as you open new sessions. It's a gentle nudge, not a wall — dismiss it and keep working.

The reminder only appears once expiry is confirmed against the license server — a fresh install or the brief window before the first check is never nagged, and trial users are left alone.

Getting a Pro license

• Buy — the Paywall screen (the Upgrade button) sells lifetime licenses per OS (Windows, Linux or macOS) or a bundle covering all of them. The buttons open a secure checkout in your browser, and your license key arrives by e-mail.
• Activate — paste the key into Already have a key? on the same screen. Each key can be active on a limited number of devices at once.
• Move to another machine — Release this device frees this machine's activation slot so the key can be activated elsewhere; if you hit the device limit while activating, the app offers to transfer a slot on the spot.

The Microsoft Store build shows a single Buy button instead of the per-OS choices — it opens the same checkout, and the resulting key works the same way.