Update PlusEMU

Update the emulator from a PlusEMU release. Running the installer again does not update the emulator or the client. It does fetch Atom CMS again and rewrite the web server configuration, so do not use it to update.

Prepare the update

1. Read the release notes for client, website, and configuration requirements.
2. Download the archive for your system: plusemu-linux-x64.tar.gz, plusemu-linux-arm64.tar.gz, or plusemu-win-x64.zip.
3. Check the archive against the release’s SHA256SUMS file. On Linux, run sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS in the download directory.
4. Back up the database, emulator configuration, website configuration, and camera photos.
5. Stop the emulator before replacing its executable.

On Linux:

sudo systemctl stop plusemu

On Windows:

Stop-Service PlusEMU

Extract the release into a separate directory. Compare its Config/config.json with your installed settings and add any required new keys. Keep your database password, the camera token (Camera.Bearer), and your custom settings.

Replace the installed executable and the snowstorm/ directory with the new ones. Compare Config/figuredata.xml with the release copy. Keep the previous files with your backup. On Linux, preserve executable permissions and allow the plusemu service account to read the new file.

Start the new version

On Linux:

sudo systemctl start plusemu
sudo journalctl -u plusemu -f

On Windows:

Start-Service PlusEMU
Get-Content C:\Hotel\emulator\service\shawl_for_PlusEMU_rCURRENT.log -Tail 50 -Wait

PlusEMU applies pending database migrations before loading the hotel. With the default settings, it writes a full database backup first and stops if that backup fails.

After startup, sign in, enter a room, and open the catalogue. Check the log for migration or configuration errors.

If you also update Volt, preserve its hotel configuration and restart the camera renderer so it loads the new camera.html build.

Inspect migrations separately

To see migration status, run the new executable from the directory containing your installed Config/. On Linux, run it as the plusemu service account, because only that account can read Config/config.json:

cd /var/www/hotel/emulator
sudo -u plusemu ./"Plus Emulator" --migrate-status

On Windows, use an Administrator PowerShell:

cd C:\Hotel\emulator
& '.\Plus Emulator.exe' --migrate-status

The status command changes nothing. To apply pending migrations and exit without starting the hotel, use --migrate instead. Keep the emulator service stopped while you run it. On Linux, also run --migrate as plusemu, so later backups can write to the backup directory.

Migration scripts are compiled into the executable. PlusEMU records applied migrations in schema_migrations. The release also includes Database/Migrations/ and Database/FreshInstall.sql for reference.

For a database from before migration 60, set Database.Migrations.FurnidataFile to the hotel’s existing FurnitureData.json if the emulator stops and asks for it.

Recover from a failed migration

Read the migration filename and failed statement in the log. Fix the cause before starting again, or restore the database backup and matching previous executable.

Database schema changes can remain after a failed migration. Replacing the executable alone does not restore the previous database state.

The default backup directory is backups under the emulator’s working directory. Database.Migrations.BackupDirectory can change it. These migration backups do not replace regular backups of the whole hotel.