Identify the installed project and intended version
Before updating LibreELEC, record its installed version, hardware project and architecture. A compressed image intended for another board is not a generic update. Keep the current configuration and a separate copy of important media protected before changing the system.
Decide whether the task is a minor maintenance update or a major-version move. The LibreELEC update guide describes different automatic behavior for those cases. Do not interpret a major update not appearing automatically as proof that the device has no network access. Check the actual release and update route.
Choose one documented update method
LibreELEC documents updating through its Settings add-on or by placing a matching update file in the device’s update location. It supports its documented tar and compressed image update formats. Follow the route appropriate to the installed hardware and current release; filenames in an old documentation example are not current download recommendations.
If using the graphical settings route, read the selected channel and version before starting. If using a transferred file, obtain the exact official build for the device and retain its identity in the notes. Keep the image’s origin attached to the file rather than saving several indistinguishable downloads.
Complete staging before initiating the update
For the documented Samba route, the destination is the LibreELEC UPDATE share; the USB-file route uses the local update directory. Let the transfer complete before rebooting. A file visible while copying may still be incomplete, and restarting during that stage removes the clean separation between transfer failure and update failure.
Keep power and storage stable during the normal update process. Avoid placing several speculative images in the update location. One known matching input makes the result easier to assess and reduces the chance of selecting a file meant for another device or an older installation.
Verify the actual result and recovery boundary
After the system returns, inspect the installed LibreELEC and Kodi versions and open one known local item. Then check any important source and add-on separately. Reaching the home screen is useful, but it does not establish that every dependency survived a major change.
The developer cautions that moving back across major Kodi versions is not an ordinary supported downgrade of existing state. Preserve the pre-change backup and a clean-install recovery route. The expected outcome is a known update on the intended device, not a promise that every old add-on or configuration is compatible.
Questions answered
Is a documentation example filename the image I should install today?
No. Select the actual official release for the device’s project and architecture and retain that identity with the update.
Why finish the file transfer before rebooting?
It separates a complete staged update from an interrupted copy. A partially transferred file is not a valid completed preparation step.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.