Update or uninstall REA

Last updated: · By the RepoRead editorial team · Unofficial guide
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Quick answer

REA 6.5.0 (October 2026) updates with rea update for global installs or npx rea-agents@latest setup for npx users, and rea uninstall removes only REA-owned registrations and skill files.

GoalCommand
Update a global npm/Bun installrea update
Refresh agent setup via npxnpx rea-agents@latest setup
Remove REA-owned agent registrations + skillsrea uninstall
Also delete REA cache/state under ~/.rearea uninstall --purge-data

rea update updates only the npm or Bun global installation that owns the running CLI. It does not reopen full onboarding. After update, run the returned scoped setup plan, approve, and restart agents.

On this page

Update (global install)

rea update

Behavior (from docs):

  • Resolves the release from npm's configured registry (npm installs) or Bun's registry (Bun globals).
  • Installs into the owning global directory, then checks the new executable version.
  • Bun globals require Bun ≥ 1.2.17 (bun info). Older Bun: upgrade Bun yourself; REA does not upgrade Bun.
  • Returns a maintenance plan for existing REA registrations/skills without applying it.

Then:

# run the scoped setup command printed by update
rea setup   # or the exact command returned
# restart affected agents

Update (npx users)

npx rea-agents@latest setup

Review changes, approve, restart. For one-off CLI:

npx rea-agents@latest <command>

What uninstall removes vs keeps

rea uninstall
rea uninstall --purge-data
Removed by uninstallKept
REA-owned agent registrationsHopper
REA skill filesNode.js
With --purge-data: REA cache/state under ~/.reaEvidence files, captures
Unrelated skills / other MCP servers

Notes from upstream:

  • Malformed/unreadable/unsafe client config stops the operation before removals.
  • A purge path that is a symlink is retained and reported, not followed.
  • Backups: setup/uninstall retain .rea.backup rather than replacing the first snapshot; recovery copies may appear as .rea.backup.<sha256>.recovery.

FAQ

Does rea update change my agent config automatically?

No. It prints a plan; you approve a scoped setup afterward.

I installed with npx only — will rea update work?

rea update targets the owning global installation. For npx-only workflows, run npx rea-agents@latest setup / npx … commands instead.

Will uninstall delete Ghidra?

No. Ghidra/JDK installs are external. Uninstall does not remove them.

Is --purge-data reversible?

It removes REA's cache/state under ~/.rea. Prefer plain uninstall if you may reinstall soon.

Sources