donkey update

Update car files to the latest template version

The donkey update command updates your car’s core files (manage.py, config.py, etc.) to match the latest version of the Donkeycar templates.

Usage

cd ~/mycar
donkey update [--template <template_name>]

This command overwrites files! Your myconfig.py is safe, but manage.py, config.py, train.py, and calibrate.py will be replaced with the latest versions from the template.

Arguments

--template · string · default: "complete"

Name of the template to update from. Options: complete, basic, path_follow, cv_control, simulator

Description

When you update the Donkeycar library with pip install --upgrade donkeycar, your car application files don’t automatically update. The update command synchronizes your car files with the newer template.

What gets updated:

• manage.py - Main vehicle script
• config.py - Default configuration
• train.py - Training script
• calibrate.py - Calibration script

What stays safe:

• myconfig.py - Your custom settings (never overwritten)
• data/ - Your training data
• models/ - Your trained models
• logs/ - Log files

When to Use Update

Run donkey update when:

1. After upgrading Donkeycar - Sync your car to use new features

   pip install --upgrade donkeycar
   cd ~/mycar
   donkey update
   

2. Breaking changes in new version - Ensure compatibility

3. Bug fixes in templates - Get fixes to vehicle loop, data collection, etc.

4. New template features - Access new parts, modes, or capabilities

5. Switching templates - Change from one template type to another

Example Usage

Update to Latest Complete Template

cd ~/mycar
donkey update --template complete

Switch from Basic to Complete Template

cd ~/mycar
donkey update --template complete

This will replace your basic template files with the full-featured complete template.

Update After Upgrading Donkeycar

# Upgrade the library
pip install --upgrade donkeycar

# Update car files
cd ~/mycar
donkey update

How It Works

1. Detects current directory - Must be run from your car directory (e.g., ~/mycar)
2. Copies template files - Overwrites core files with --overwrite=True
3. Preserves myconfig.py - Your customizations remain intact
4. Preserves data - All data, models, and logs stay untouched

Before You Update

1. Backup your files

   If you modified manage.py or other core files, back them up first:

   cp manage.py manage.py.backup
   cp config.py config.py.backup
   
2. Check your modifications

   Review what you changed in core files:

   git diff manage.py  # if using git
   # or
   diff manage.py manage.py.backup
   
3. Note your custom code

   If you added custom parts or logic to manage.py, you’ll need to re-add them after the update.

After You Update

1. Review changes

   Check what changed in the new files:

   cat manage.py  # review the new code
   
2. Merge custom code

   If you had custom parts or modifications, add them back to the new manage.py.

3. Update myconfig.py if needed

   New versions may add new config options. Check config.py for new settings and add them to myconfig.py if desired.

4. Test your car

   Verify everything still works:

   python manage.py drive
   

Best Practices

Use version control - Keep your car directory in git. This makes it easy to see what update changed and revert if needed:

cd ~/mycar
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Before update"
donkey update
git diff  # see what changed

Keep customizations in myconfig.py - Instead of modifying config.py, override settings in myconfig.py. This makes updates seamless.

Minimize manage.py changes - Put custom parts in separate files and import them, rather than editing manage.py directly.

Troubleshooting

Command fails with 'not a directory' error

You must run donkey update from inside your car directory:

cd ~/mycar  # or wherever your car is
donkey update

Lost my custom code

If you had custom code in manage.py that got overwritten:

1. Check your backup: manage.py.backup
2. Or restore from git: git checkout HEAD~1 manage.py
3. Manually merge your changes into the new file
4. Consider putting custom parts in separate files next time

New config options don't appear

myconfig.py is never overwritten by update. New config options appear in config.py only. To use them:

1. Open config.py and find the new settings
2. Copy them to myconfig.py with your desired values
3. Settings in myconfig.py override those in config.py

Car won't start after update

If your car won’t start after updating:

1. Check for Python errors: python manage.py drive
2. Verify virtual environment is activated
3. Check that required parts are still available
4. Review myconfig.py for incompatible settings
5. Try rolling back: git checkout HEAD~1

Alternative: Manual Update

Instead of using donkey update, you can manually copy files from the Donkeycar templates:

# Find Donkeycar installation
python -c "import donkeycar; print(donkeycar.__file__)"
# Output: /path/to/donkeycar/__init__.py

# Copy templates manually
cp /path/to/donkeycar/templates/complete.py ~/mycar/manage.py
cp /path/to/donkeycar/templates/cfg_complete.py ~/mycar/config.py

Related Commands

• donkey createcar - Create a new car from scratch
• Creating Your Application - Initial car setup

Source Code

Implemented in donkeycar/management/base.py:143-157