===Advice about skipping versions===
Please see [[Updating_MX_to_new_version#Updating_from_a_very_old_version]] sub-section later on this page (and preceding sub-sections where relevant)
Early builds of MX were all assigned to the same version number, recently the version number seems to change with every new build. Thus the following simple advice about skipping versions might not be applicable in 2021 onwards.
The important point to make here is that when you do an update, you should copy in '''ALL''' files from the release distribution you want to run next. This is because there are dependencies between files within a distribution, so missing out any particular file may stop other files from working. However, if you are skipping versions, read the in-between release announcements to see if there are any one-off actions.
One would assume that, skipping minor releases in an update (from 3.x.y to 3.x.z, i.e. only final digit of version number changing is a minor release) would always be simple, even if several intermediate builds are skipped. Most developers would not introduce a new feature in a minor release that requires a one-off extra action for a successful upgrade. Unfortunately, some minor releases of MX have required you to do special actions.
One might assume that the ease of doing a major update (i.e. where middle part of version number changes) involves greater difficulty. Most developers would only classify a new release as a major update if there was new functionality being introduced that, depending on what functionality you use, might involve a one-off extra action to prepare for upgrade to that version. It is harder to understand why some MX releases are classified as major version number change, and some as minor version number change.
You may be using an old version of MX that is actually several versions behind, or even still using a beta version released by Steve Loft, don't worry because this article covers upgrading however old a version you are using. You can update skipping some major updates, but as that can be more complex, there is a separate section later with advice on how to update in stages from an early build to a recent build.
= Knowing when a new release is available =
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