# First alpha version of Mender C++ client released

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/first-alpha-version-of-mender-c-client-released/5980>\
**Category:** Announcements\
**Tags:** mender-client\
**Created:** [July 5, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/first-alpha-version-of-mender-c-client-released/5980 "2023-07-05T13:14:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheYoctoJester](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/theyoctojester/32/1444_2.png) [@TheYoctoJester](https://hub.mender.io/u/TheYoctoJester)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/first-alpha-version-of-mender-c-client-released/5980/1 "2023-07-05T13:14:16Z")

</div>

We have reached the first milestone of the Mender client rewrite to C++: the first alpha version is now available! There are still a lot of features missing, but here are the ones that should be working:

- Standalone mode (command line client)
- Update Modules
- Root filesystem updates (provided by a `rootfs-image` Update Module)
- Installing, committing, and rolling back

One notable omission from the list is **State Scripts**. These will be added in a later iteration. There is also no help screen available at the moment, but the client accepts the same arguments as the existing Golang client for the implemented features.

The client already undergoes a fair amount of testing, but keep in mind that this is bleeding-edge software which is under daily, active development - so expect bugs! And there is no official support for this version (yet). Feel free to try, test, and provide feedback as we continue to develop this functionality.

## How to get it? (if you are brave enough)

There are three main avenues for getting the C++ client:

- Compile directly from source.

- Install the packages.

- Build using Yocto.

## Run it

The binary is not called `mender` anymore, it’s called `mender-update`. We may provide a wrapper using the old name later, but for now, just use `mender-update` in place of `mender` in all commands. For example:

```bash
mender-update install my-artifact.mender

```

## What now?

Give it a try, see what you like and see what you don’t like. Tell us about the former, and help us improve the latter. Although the client is under active development now, we would be happy to take applicable contributions. And if your idea is not applicable yet, then just check back in a few weeks. You can always find the current state on [GitHub](https://github.com/mendersoftware/mender/tree/feature-c++-client) and discuss on the [Mender Hub](https://hub.mender.io).

## Troubleshooting

### LMDB error

If you get a message like this:

```auto
Failed to intialize main context: LMDB error: mdb_env_open: No such file or directory

```

then you may need to create the `/var/lib/mender` and `device_type` manually:

```bash
mkdir /var/lib/mender
echo device_type=my_device_type > /var/lib/mender/device_type

```