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I'm using use-package in my init.el for all my package installations and configuration. I thought specifying :ensure t in use-package would make sure I always have the latest versions installed. But when I did M-x package-list-packages the minibuffer tells me I have a number of package updates waiting. Isn't it enough to specify :ensure t in use-package, do I have to manually check for and install updates using M-x package-list-packages? What is the best way to handle updates when using use-package?

Mikael Springer
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2 Answers2

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I use auto-package-update to automatically update packages.

(use-package auto-package-update
   :ensure t
   :config
   (setq auto-package-update-delete-old-versions t
         auto-package-update-interval 4)
   (auto-package-update-maybe))

With that setup, packages will be updated every 4 days, and the old packages will be removed.

casch-at
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    You might want to add this as an answer here: http://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/31872/how-to-update-packages-installed-with-use-package – glucas Apr 03 '17 at 18:10
  • It appears to me that the call to (auto-package-update-maybe) is not the value of one of use-package's keyword options. Should it perhaps be wrapped in a progn as part of the :config, like this: 
    (use-package auto-package-update
   :ensure t
   :config (progn
   (setq auto-package-update-delete-old-versions t
         auto-package-update-interval 4)
   (auto-package-update-maybe)))
    – malcook Nov 01 '19 at 17:43
  • should I do (when (not package-archive-contents) (package-refresh-contents)) before running this? – alper Oct 03 '20 at 01:41
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The :ensure option in use-package does not automatically keep packages up to date. It ensures that the package is installed. This might be useful if you pull your Emacs config on to a new machine (or are using it across several machines), because when you start up all your required packages would get installed.

You'll still need to deal with installing updates.

glucas
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    The reason I've heard as to why that's the case is because updating packages can break them, so it would regress in functionality. – zck Mar 31 '17 at 16:58
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    @zck I think it's more that use-package is meant to provide a quick startup and checking for updates would be slow. Also, the author of use-package doesn't use package.el packages, any related features (like :ensure) were tacked on afterwards by other users. In the original design, all packages are considered optional, your init.el just skips configuration of missing packages. – npostavs Mar 31 '17 at 17:57