Automatic Updates

Note: This guide primarily describes features beneficial for Consumers – those using libraries managed by a Creator. The setup of the hook itself might be done by a Creator or an advanced Consumer.

KiLM provides a helper command kilm add-hook to easily create a basic post-merge Git hook that runs kilm update.

Using kilm add-hook (Recommended)

Navigate to the root of your Git repository containing your KiCad libraries and run:

kilm add-hook

This creates a .git/hooks/post-merge script that automatically executes kilm update every time you successfully run git pull or git merge in that repository.

Manual Hook Setup (Alternative)

If you prefer manual setup or want to customize the hook script further, you can follow these steps:

1. Create Hook Directory (if needed): Make sure the hooks directory exists in your repository:

   mkdir -p .git/hooks

2. Create Hook Script: Create a file named .git/hooks/post-merge.

3. Add Script Content: Add the commands you want to run.

   Example 1: Only update libraries (similar to kilm add-hook)

   #!/bin/bash
   echo "Updating KiCad libraries via KiLM..."
   kilm update
   echo "KiLM update hook finished."

   Example 2: Update libraries and run kilm setup (use with caution) This will attempt to reconfigure KiCad after every pull, which might be desirable but could also have unintended consequences if the pull introduces breaking changes or removes libraries unexpectedly.

   #!/bin/bash
   echo "Updating KiCad libraries and running setup via KiLM..."
   kilm update
   # Add this line to also run setup:
   kilm setup
   echo "KiLM update and setup hook finished."

   Note: You can also manually run git pull in library directories and kilm setup in your terminal.

4. Make Executable: Make the script executable:

   chmod +x .git/hooks/post-merge

Now, after a git pull or git merge, the commands in your post-merge script will execute automatically.