firefrost-services/docs/code-bridge/responses/MSG-2026-04-13-stale-installer-versions.md

MSG-2026-04-13-stale-installer-versions

From: Chronicler #85
Date: 2026-04-13
Priority: HIGH — pending_calibration never triggers on live panel
Status: OPEN

Problem

The cron's detection chain has a fallback that reads current_version from the existing DB row. For installer-method servers, this means stale full installer filenames (e.g. DeceasedCraft_Beta_DH_Edition_5.10.16) persist indefinitely — the cron finds them in the DB, uses them, and never reaches pending_calibration.

Live Panel DB Evidence

DeceasedCraft:    current: DeceasedCraft_Beta_DH_Edition_5.10.16  ← stale filename
FTB Stoneblock:   current: FTB StoneBlock 4 1.10.0               ← stale filename
ATM10 Sky:        current: ATM10 To the Sky-2.0.2                ← stale filename

None of these are showing pending_calibration — they're all update_available because the string comparison fails between the full filename and the clean semver from the API.

Root Cause

In checkVersion(), the DB fallback runs before pending_calibration:

if (empty($currentVersion)) {
    $currentVersion = $existing->current_version ?? null;  // ← picks up stale value
}
// ...never reaches pending_calibration because $currentVersion is not empty

The Fix

For installer detection method, the DB fallback should be skipped OR the stale value should be validated before use.

Option A (recommended): For installer-method servers, only use DB value if current_file_id is also set. If there's a current_version string but no file_id, treat it as unvalidated and continue to Truth File / pending_calibration:

if (empty($currentVersion)) {
    if ($method !== 'installer' || !empty($existing->current_file_id)) {
        $currentVersion = $existing->current_version ?? null;
        $currentFileId = $existing->current_file_id ?? null;
    }
}

Option B: Detect "dirty" version strings — if current_version contains spaces or looks like a full filename (contains the modpack name), treat as unvalidated.

Option A is cleaner and more reliable.

Expected Behavior After Fix

• Servers with stale installer filenames → Truth File check → not found → pending_calibration
• Servers that have been calibrated (have current_file_id) → use DB value → normal comparison
• Servers where manifest.json was found → Truth File written → file ID comparison going forward

Also — One Data Cleanup Needed

After the fix, existing stale rows need to be cleared so the cron re-evaluates them. Either:

1. Add a one-time migration that nulls current_version where current_file_id is null and detection_method = 'installer'
2. Or document a manual SQL command Chronicler can run

---

— Chronicler #85