Release Channels

Install OrchestKit from stable, beta, or alpha release channels using Claude Code's multiple-marketplace pattern.

OrchestKit offers three release channels. Each channel is a separate git branch that Claude Code resolves via the marketplace @ref syntax. The stable channel (default) is recommended for most users.

How It Works

Claude Code's plugin system uses git refs to resolve plugin versions. When you add a marketplace with @beta, CC clones the repo at the beta branch — which has a different version stamped into plugin.json (e.g., 7.2.0-beta.3 vs 7.2.0). CC caches each version separately at ~/.claude/plugins/cache/ork/<version>/.

main branch    →  marketplace.json version "7.2.0"          →  stable
beta branch    →  marketplace.json version "7.2.0-beta.3"   →  beta
alpha branch   →  marketplace.json version "7.2.0-alpha.42" →  alpha

Channel Comparison

Channel	Stability	Version Format	Who Should Use
Stable (default)	Production-ready	`7.2.0`	All users
Beta	Mostly functional	`7.2.0-beta.N`	Early adopters, experienced users
Alpha	Experimental	`7.2.0-alpha.N`	Contributors, advanced users only

Stable Channel (Default)

Stable is the default when you install OrchestKit. Thoroughly tested and recommended for production use.

Install stable

/plugin install yonatangross/orchestkit

CC < 2.1.80: Use claude plugin marketplace add yonatangross/orchestkit && claude plugin install ork

Verify installation

/ork:doctor

Look for: Plugin: ork v7.2.0 (stable)

What you get:

Fully tested features across macOS, Ubuntu, Windows
Regular bug fixes and security patches
Compatible with Claude Code >= 2.1.80

Update frequency: Weekly or as needed for bug fixes.

Beta Channel

Beta contains upcoming features that are largely functional but may have rough edges. The beta branch receives pre-release versions stamped by CI after passing the full test suite + cross-platform matrix (Node 18/20/22, macOS/Ubuntu/Windows).

Install beta

/plugin install yonatangross/orchestkit@beta

CC < 2.1.80: Use claude plugin marketplace add yonatangross/orchestkit@beta && claude plugin install ork

Verify channel

/ork:doctor

Look for: Plugin: ork v7.2.0-beta.3 (beta)

Update frequency: Multiple times per week as development progresses.

Alpha Channel

Alpha is cutting-edge and experimental. For contributors and advanced users only. May break, have missing features, or require manual fixes.

Install alpha

/plugin install yonatangross/orchestkit@alpha

CC < 2.1.80: Use claude plugin marketplace add yonatangross/orchestkit@alpha && claude plugin install ork

Update frequency: Multiple times per day as commits land.

Switching Channels

From Stable to Beta

claude plugin uninstall ork
/plugin install yonatangross/orchestkit@beta

From Beta/Alpha Back to Stable

claude plugin uninstall ork
/plugin install yonatangross/orchestkit

Note: Restart Claude Code after switching channels for the change to take effect.

Version Format

OrchestKit uses semantic versioning with pre-release identifiers:

MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH              →  Stable release
MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-CHANNEL.N    →  Pre-release build

Examples:
  7.2.0              Stable release
  7.2.0-beta.3       Beta build 3 of v7.2.0
  7.2.0-alpha.42     Alpha build 42 of v7.2.0

Pre-release versions are automatically stamped by CI into all plugin files (marketplace.json, plugin.json, package.json, pyproject.toml, CLAUDE.md, version.txt) before the GitHub Release is created. This ensures CC sees a distinct version for each channel.

Dogfooding Model

OrchestKit is tested daily across multiple real-world projects before any stable release. This "dogfooding-as-alpha" approach means:

Alpha signal: The maintainer's 6+ projects running OrchestKit daily serve as the alpha test matrix
Beta signal: Features stabilize on the beta branch after cross-project validation
Stable signal: Merging to main triggers release-please for automated versioning and changelog

The beta and alpha channels provide opt-in early access for external users who want bleeding-edge features, while the dogfooding loop ensures quality before anything reaches stable.

Checking Your Channel

/ork:doctor

Look for the version line:

Plugin:     ork v7.2.0 (stable)
            or
Plugin:     ork v7.2.0-beta.3 (beta)
            or
Plugin:     ork v7.2.0-alpha.42 (alpha)

Compatibility

All three channels require:

Claude Code >= 2.1.108
Node.js >= 18 (for hooks)
Git (for commit/PR workflows)

Pre-release builds may require a newer Claude Code version if they use unreleased CC APIs. The doctor health check will warn you of mismatches.

Reporting Issues

When reporting issues from beta or alpha:

Run /ork:doctor to get your exact version
Include the full version string (e.g., v7.2.0-beta.3)
Report on GitHub Issues with reproduction steps

Channel Stability Guarantee

Stable: No breaking changes within a major version (7.x → 8.0 is breaking, 7.1 → 7.2 is not)
Beta: Breaking changes possible before stable release
Alpha: All changes possible at any time