Docs: the Claude Code update is one command, /plugin marketplace update cairn

.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "cairn",
-  "version": "2.8.0",
+  "version": "2.8.1",
   "description": "Local, searchable memory for AI coding agents - Claude Code, Codex, Cursor & Granola, indexed on-device with QMD.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Shav Vimalendiran"

.codex-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "cairn",
-  "version": "2.8.0",
+  "version": "2.8.1",
   "description": "Local, searchable memory across Claude, Codex, Cursor and Granola.",
   "skills": "./skills/",
   "onboardingSkill": "./skills/setup/SKILL.md",

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ All notable changes to this project are documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [2.8.1]
+
+### Changed
+- The Claude Code update instructions (README, the Claude harness reference) are one
+  command, `/plugin marketplace update cairn`: in a session it refreshes the marketplace
+  and updates the plugins installed from it, and closing the panel reloads them.
+  `/plugin update cairn@cairn` on its own reinstalls the version the marketplace last saw.
+
 ## [2.8.0]
 
 The fix for the two dead rounds in `docs/antigravity-soft-deny-postmortem.md`: a headless

README.md

@@ -118,10 +118,19 @@ codex plugin add cairn@cairn
 cairn hook install --harness codex
 ```
 
-Then restart Codex and review changed hooks. For Claude, upgrade the engine with
-`uv tool upgrade cairn`, run `/plugin update cairn@cairn` and `/reload-plugins`, then
-`cairn hook install --harness claude`. The guided workflow also refreshes existing
-cron entries and verifies incremental sync and search.
+Then restart Codex and review changed hooks.
+
+For a manual Claude Code update, in a session:
+
+```text
+/plugin marketplace update cairn   # refresh the marketplace and update the plugins installed from it
+```
+
+Closing the panel runs `/reload-plugins` for you; if it warns about the prompt cache, run
+`/reload-plugins --force`. Then upgrade the engine with `uv tool upgrade cairn` and run
+`cairn hook install --harness claude`. `/plugin update cairn@cairn` on its own reinstalls
+the version the marketplace last saw. The guided workflow also refreshes existing cron
+entries and verifies incremental sync and search.
 
 If your installed setup skill still says “fresh setup only”, refresh the plugin using
 the [Claude](references/harnesses/claude.md) or [Codex](references/harnesses/codex.md)

plugin.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://agent-plugins.org/schemas/1.0.0/plugin.schema.json",
   "name": "cairn",
-  "version": "2.8.0",
+  "version": "2.8.1",
   "description": "Local, searchable memory across Claude, Codex, Cursor and Granola.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Shav Vimalendiran"

references/harnesses/claude.md

@@ -65,8 +65,10 @@ Use the current session ID supplied by Claude or verified `CLAUDE_CODE_SESSION_I
 variable Claude Code exports to every tool process; `CLAUDE_SESSION_ID` is only a template
 variable inside skill text and is never set in a shell); pass it
 explicitly to mutations. The plugin manifest is `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`.
-Update the engine with `uv tool upgrade cairn`, then `/plugin update cairn@cairn` and
-`/reload-plugins`. Re-run `cairn hook install` after an engine reinstall.
+Update the engine with `uv tool upgrade cairn`, then `/plugin marketplace update cairn` in
+a session: it refreshes the marketplace and updates the plugins installed from it, and
+closing the panel runs `/reload-plugins` (`/reload-plugins --force` if it warned about the
+prompt cache). Re-run `cairn hook install` after an engine reinstall.
 
 Bundled `hooks/hooks.json` supplies SessionEnd through `hooks/launch.sh`. `cairn hook
 install` records absolute engine/config paths in `hook-launcher.env`; it does not add

src/cairn/__init__.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-__version__ = "2.8.0"
+__version__ = "2.8.1"
 
 from . import (
     cli,