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Sweep 08 Oct 2026 · 18:53Z Build v2.1.295 516 read Stable v2.1.286 Latest v2.1.295 Next v2.1.295 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt llms-full.txt Unofficial

Claude Code v2.1.288 ·

Updates now detect a missing native binary instead of reporting success

The updater now checks the installed claude runs, fails with native_binary_missing if it is only a stub, and shows clearer failure hints

Group of 4 You'll notice Improvements
JSON All of v2.1.288
You'll noticeTier: how much it should matter to you
2Useful: my rating, 1 to 5
1Signal: worth watching, 1 to 5
Auto UpdatesArea: what it touches
ImprovementsKind: in v2.1.288,
ImprovementsSection of the release

What

When Claude Code updates itself through npm or bun, the download includes a separate package with the program built for your platform, called the native binary. If that package is missing, what gets installed is only a placeholder. The updater now catches this.

  • After npm or bun reports success, the updater runs the installed claude with --version. If it is still the placeholder stub, the update fails with the hint native_binary_missing. If npm's ignore-scripts is set, or the test cannot tell either way, the success exit code is trusted as before.
  • Install output saying a native package was not found is now classed as native_package_missing. The updater then reports install_failed and notes that npm should have restored the previous version.
  • claude update prints an error that the native binary for this platform was not downloaded and tells you to run claude update again or reinstall with npm.
  • The auto-update status now shows a specific hint: native binary for this platform was not downloaded (will retry), or claude.exe in use (close other Claude Code sessions, including VS Code) when Windows has the program file locked.
  • The Update installed · message now ends with either a component or Restart to update.

Why

Before, an update could look successful while leaving behind a stub that does not run. You now get a failure that says what went wrong and what to do, and Windows users see why an update was blocked.

Read from
Names in the bundleclaude --version
What the documentation says
Since it was published

The entry above is what we published on the day. These lines were added later, as Anthropic's own pages caught up, and they sit beside the original rather than replacing it.

Confirmed since Anthropic's documentation has since written up claude --version, on Mods overview. * **Terminal**: in your shell, run `claude --version`. If yours is older, [update Claude Code](/docs/en/setup#update-claude-code). plugins/mods/overview see the edit
Added since A small documentation edit on Create a mod touched a line naming claude --version after this was published. Use Claude Code v2.1.287 or later. In your shell, run `claude --version` to check. To see whether mods can load for you, see [Check whether mods can load](/docs/en/plugins/mods/troubleshoot#check-whether-mods-can-load). plugins/mods/create see the edit
How sure we are
One source agreesOne thing we can check says the same as this entry.
Anthropic's documentation agreesA small documentation edit on Create a mod touched a line naming claude --version after this was published.

See this entry in the whole of v2.1.288 →

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