feat(grok): offer one-click updates through grok update

[juliusmarminge]

Grok was manual-only: no latest version and no update command, so an outdated Grok never showed an update advisory, toast, or Update now.

grok update finds the installer that owns the binary (its own installer or npm), so Grok now works like Cursor: the resolved executable is its own updater (<binary> update), and a binary that can't be resolved stays manual-only. The updater runs with the instance's environment, so an instance with a custom GROK_HOME updates that home rather than the default one. The latest version comes from the npm registry's @xai-official/grok, whose latest tag tracks Grok's stable channel, the one grok update installs by default. T3's existing post-update check still decides whether the update actually landed.

Evidence

Same seeded state, same viewport, Grok 0.2.8 installed with 1.0.41 published. Base is origin/main.

Before (main)	After (this PR)

After, version popover: Update now plus the copyable grok update command for the configured binary.

Verification

• vp test run src/provider/Drivers/GrokDriver.test.ts src/provider/Drivers/CursorDriver.test.ts: 4 passed. The new test covers a configured binary getting <binary> update with the instance's GROK_HOME, and a missing binary staying manual-only.
• Server typecheck: no errors. Lint clean on the touched files.
• Ran grok update on a copy of a real 0.2.8 binary with HOME / GROK_HOME pointed at throwaway directories. It ran without a TTY, exited 0 and installed 1.0.41 into that home. Nothing outside the sandbox changed.
• I did not click Update now against a real install.

Limits

• For npm-managed Grok, grok update uses whichever npm is on PATH. If that isn't the npm that owns the install, the post-update check reports the update as unchanged rather than succeeded.
• Grok has no targeted-version install in T3 (canInstallVersion stays false). grok update --version exists but isn't wired up here.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code (Claude Opus 5.5)

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Summary by CodeRabbit

• New Features
  • Grok installations with a resolved executable can now be updated through the app. If no executable is found, updates remain manual.
• Documentation
  • Clarified how update availability works for Cursor and Grok: resolved executables can be updated through their own command, while unresolved installations remain manual-only.

[coderabbitai]

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ℹ️ Recent review info

⚙️ Run configuration

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Plan: Team

Run ID: ba12476c-67bb-4ff7-8b7c-deb921264026

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between d4a3345 and 180494e.

📒 Files selected for processing (3)

• apps/server/src/provider/Drivers/GrokDriver.test.ts
• apps/server/src/provider/Drivers/GrokDriver.ts
• docs/internals/providers.md

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

The Grok driver now resolves maintenance capabilities from its configured executable. It uses an updater when executable context is available and manual-only capabilities otherwise. Snapshot enrichment receives the resolved capabilities.

Changes

Grok maintenance capabilities

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Configure maintenance resolution apps/server/src/provider/Drivers/GrokDriver.ts	The driver configures @xai-official/grok updates to run update on the resolved executable with its environment and the grok lock key. Without executable context, it returns manual-only capabilities.
Apply and validate resolved capabilities apps/server/src/provider/Drivers/GrokDriver.ts, apps/server/src/provider/Drivers/GrokDriver.test.ts, docs/internals/providers.md	Snapshot enrichment now receives resolved capabilities. Tests cover configured and missing executables. Provider guidance describes the update command for resolved Grok executables.

Priority: ⬇️ Low

Estimated code review effort: 2 (Simple) | ~10 minutes

Change: Feature

Sequence Diagram(s)

sequenceDiagram
  participant GrokDriver
  participant MaintenanceResolver
  participant SnapshotEnrichment
  GrokDriver->>MaintenanceResolver: Resolve capabilities from executable context
  MaintenanceResolver-->>GrokDriver: Return updater or manual-only capabilities
  GrokDriver->>SnapshotEnrichment: Pass resolved capabilities to enrichGrokSnapshot

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Suggested reviewers: t3dotgg

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to 18049

Grok’s update command supports npm-managed installations, and missing executables retain manual update guidance. The change is mergeable after normal checks.

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly and concisely describes the main change: adding one-click Grok updates through grok update.
Description check	✅ Passed	The description explains what changed and why, includes UI evidence, verification details, and known limitations. The required checklist section is not included, but the description is otherwise compl…
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check. Docstring coverage is scoped to functions touched by this diff. Analyzed 0 functions across 2…
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

✨ Finishing Touches

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[macroscopeapp]

Approvability

Verdict: Not approved

Macroscope's review found this PR not approvable — The production driver adds one-click Grok updates and enables version advisories for existing Grok configurations by default. Because this changes default product behavior rather than requiring a new opt-in setting, human review is warranted.

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[github-actions]

Thread transfer impact

✅ Thread transfer remains within every enforced ceiling.

Provider	Metric	Main baseline	This PR	Impact	PR ceiling
Codex	Total thread wire	13.5 KiB	13.5 KiB	+11 B (+0.1%)	15.1 KiB	✅
Codex	Thread snapshot wire	7.1 KiB	7.1 KiB	−11 B (−0.2%)	7.3 KiB	✅
Codex	Live turn WebSocket wire	6.4 KiB	6.5 KiB	+22 B (+0.3%)	7.8 KiB	✅
Codex	Live turn WebSocket decoded	56.2 KiB	56.3 KiB	+44 B (+0.1%)	66.4 KiB	✅
Codex	Live turn messages	9	10	+1 (+11.1%)	21	✅
Claude	Total thread wire	13.5 KiB	13.5 KiB	−13 B (−0.1%)	15.1 KiB	✅
Claude	Thread snapshot wire	7.1 KiB	7.1 KiB	−2 B (−0.0%)	7.3 KiB	✅
Claude	Live turn WebSocket wire	6.4 KiB	6.4 KiB	−11 B (−0.2%)	7.8 KiB	✅
Claude	Live turn WebSocket decoded	57.0 KiB	57.0 KiB	0 B (0.0%)	66.4 KiB	✅
Claude	Live turn messages	9	9	0 (0.0%)	21	✅

Baseline: d4a3345 · PR result: 180494e · Source CI: success

Scenario and decoded snapshot size

10 historical turns, 5 command tools per turn, 878.9 KiB retained MCP result per historical turn, and a 1.05 MiB retained result in the measured turn.

• Codex decoded thread snapshot: 114.0 KiB
• Claude decoded thread snapshot: 114.7 KiB

Updated in place by a trusted workflow. PR artifacts are strictly validated and never executed.