DEPENDENCY_UPDATES.md•5.52 kB
# n8n Dependency Updates Guide
This guide explains how n8n-MCP keeps its n8n dependencies up to date with the weekly n8n release cycle.
## 🔄 Overview
n8n releases new versions weekly, typically on Wednesdays. To ensure n8n-MCP stays compatible and includes the latest nodes, we've implemented automated dependency update systems.
## 🚀 Update Methods
### 1. Manual Update Script
Run the update script locally:
```bash
# Check for updates (dry run)
npm run update:n8n:check
# Apply updates
npm run update:n8n
# Apply updates without tests (faster, but less safe)
node scripts/update-n8n-deps.js --skip-tests
```
The script will:
1. Check npm for latest versions of n8n packages
2. Update package.json
3. Run `npm install` to update lock file
4. Rebuild the node database
5. Run validation tests
6. Generate an update summary
### 2. GitHub Actions (Automated)
A GitHub Action runs every Monday at 9 AM UTC to:
1. Check for n8n updates
2. Apply updates if available
3. Create a PR with the changes
4. Run all tests in the PR
You can also trigger it manually:
1. Go to Actions → "Update n8n Dependencies"
2. Click "Run workflow"
3. Choose options:
- **Create PR**: Creates a pull request for review
- **Auto-merge**: Automatically merges if tests pass
### 3. Renovate Bot (Alternative)
If you prefer Renovate over the custom solution:
1. Enable Renovate on your repository
2. The included `renovate.json` will:
- Check for n8n updates weekly
- Group all n8n packages together
- Create PRs with update details
- Include links to release notes
## 📦 Tracked Dependencies
The update system tracks these n8n packages:
- `n8n` - Main package (includes n8n-nodes-base)
- `n8n-core` - Core functionality
- `n8n-workflow` - Workflow types and utilities
- `@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain` - AI/LangChain nodes
## 🔍 What Happens During Updates
1. **Version Check**: Compares current vs latest npm versions
2. **Package Update**: Updates package.json with new versions
3. **Dependency Install**: Runs npm install to update lock file
4. **Database Rebuild**: Rebuilds the SQLite database with new node definitions
5. **Validation**: Runs tests to ensure:
- All nodes load correctly
- Properties are extracted
- Critical nodes work
- Database is valid
## ⚠️ Important Considerations
### Breaking Changes
Always review n8n release notes for breaking changes:
- Check [n8n Release Notes](https://docs.n8n.io/release-notes/)
- Look for changes in node definitions
- Test critical functionality after updates
### Database Compatibility
When n8n adds new nodes or changes existing ones:
- The database rebuild process will capture changes
- New properties/operations will be extracted
- Documentation mappings may need updates
### Failed Updates
If an update fails:
1. **Check the logs** for specific errors
2. **Review release notes** for breaking changes
3. **Run validation manually**:
```bash
npm run build
npm run rebuild
npm run validate
```
4. **Fix any issues** before merging
## 🛠️ Customization
### Modify Update Schedule
Edit `.github/workflows/update-n8n-deps.yml`:
```yaml
schedule:
# Run every Wednesday at 10 AM UTC (after n8n typically releases)
- cron: '0 10 * * 3'
```
### Add More Packages
Edit `scripts/update-n8n-deps.js`:
```javascript
this.n8nPackages = [
'n8n',
'n8n-core',
'n8n-workflow',
'@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain',
// Add more packages here
];
```
### Customize PR Creation
Modify the GitHub Action to:
- Add more reviewers
- Change labels
- Update PR template
- Add additional checks
## 📊 Monitoring Updates
### Check Update Status
```bash
# See current versions
npm ls n8n n8n-core n8n-workflow @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain
# Check latest available
npm view n8n version
npm view n8n-core version
npm view n8n-workflow version
npm view @n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain version
```
### View Update History
- Check GitHub Actions history
- Review merged PRs with "dependencies" label
- Look at git log for "chore: update n8n dependencies" commits
## 🚨 Troubleshooting
### Update Script Fails
```bash
# Run with more logging
LOG_LEVEL=debug node scripts/update-n8n-deps.js
# Skip tests to isolate issues
node scripts/update-n8n-deps.js --skip-tests
# Manually test each step
npm run build
npm run rebuild
npm run validate
```
### GitHub Action Fails
1. Check Action logs in GitHub
2. Run the update locally to reproduce
3. Fix issues and push manually
4. Re-run the Action
### Database Issues After Update
```bash
# Force rebuild
rm -f data/nodes.db
npm run rebuild
# Check specific nodes
npm run test-nodes
# Validate database
npm run validate
```
## 🔐 Security
- Updates are tested before merging
- PRs require review (unless auto-merge is enabled)
- All changes are tracked in git
- Rollback is possible via git revert
## 🎯 Best Practices
1. **Review PRs carefully** - Check for breaking changes
2. **Test after updates** - Ensure core functionality works
3. **Monitor n8n releases** - Stay informed about major changes
4. **Update regularly** - Weekly updates are easier than monthly
5. **Document issues** - Help future updates by documenting problems
## 📝 Manual Update Checklist
If updating manually:
- [ ] Check n8n release notes
- [ ] Run `npm run update:n8n:check`
- [ ] Review proposed changes
- [ ] Run `npm run update:n8n`
- [ ] Test core functionality
- [ ] Commit and push changes
- [ ] Create PR with update details
- [ ] Run full test suite
- [ ] Merge after review