How-to guides
Install a specific hbench version
Which hbench versions the site accepts, how to install a particular release, keep versions side by side, and check which one runs.
Install a particular hbench release when you need one; the install script otherwise installs the latest. The site accepts jobs from any release from 0.3.0 on.
Which versions the site accepts
Any release from 0.3.0 on, because those seal each job with manifest.json. The release after 0.2.6 was 0.3.0, so no 0.2 release is accepted; the site refuses an older job with local-hbench-version. It takes only versions published on node-q/hbench's releases, not a draft, a prerelease or a build of your own (local-hbench-unreleased).
Each job records its hbench version and results epoch in lock.json. A board ranks only the runs of the newest epoch it has, so a run of an older epoch leaves the board once newer runs arrive, and stays on Your bench.
Install a version
Set HBENCH_VERSION to the release's tag, with its leading v:
node-q/hbench lists the releases. A version without the v, such as 0.3.0, isn't found. If you downloaded the script to read it first, run HBENCH_VERSION=v0.3.0 sh install.sh. In GitHub Actions, the action's version input does the same.
Keep versions side by side
Set HBENCH_INSTALL_DIR to install somewhere other than ~/.local/bin:
Don't add that folder to your PATH if another version is in ~/.local/bin, or one hides the other. Run it by its full path, such as "$HOME/.local/hbench-0.3.0/hbench" run --config spec.json. hbench update installs into ~/.local/bin unless HBENCH_INSTALL_DIR is set.
Check which version runs
If which -a lists more than one, your shell runs the first.
When a new release comes out
hbench checks for a newer release at most once a day, and says so when it runs in a terminal. Run hbench update to install it, or set HBENCH_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1 to turn the notice off. #announcements on Discord also announces releases. You can finish an issued run with a newer release.
Reviewed on October 24, 2026.