You update SAMSON to get a fix or continue a project, then an extension you rely on fails to load. It is a frustrating interruption, especially when the extension itself has not changed. One useful way to diagnose the problem is to separate two version numbers that are easy to confuse: the version of SAMSON and the SDK version used to build the extension.
SAMSON uses a public release label, such as 2026 R1, and an internal semantic version, such as 11.0.0. Extension compatibility is determined using the internal SAMSON and SDK versions—not by comparing the public release label or the extension’s own version number.
Check the SDK version, not just the extension number
Each extension has its own major.minor.patch version, which can describe updates to that extension. But SAMSON uses the SDK version with which the extension was built to decide whether it can load. A familiar extension version number therefore does not, by itself, tell you whether it is compatible with your installed SAMSON.
Under the documented compatibility rule, an SDK version can be used by a SAMSON version when:
- The SDK and SAMSON have the same major version number.
- The SDK minor version is lower than the SAMSON minor version.
The patch numbers do not appear in this compatibility test. For instance, SDK 1.6.4 meets the documented rule for SAMSON 1.7.8: the major numbers match, and 6 is lower than 7. SDK 1.8.5 does not meet it for SAMSON 1.7.8, because its minor version is higher. An extension built with a newer SDK may rely on functionality that the installed SAMSON does not yet provide.
What a version change means in practice
SAMSON follows semantic versioning for its internal releases. A major version increase signals a non-backwards-compatible update. A minor increase adds functionality while maintaining backwards compatibility, and a patch increase delivers a backwards-compatible bug fix. During the beta period, when the major version is zero, the minor and patch numbers serve adjusted roles; the documentation describes those rules separately.
For extension users, a major-version mismatch is a clear warning sign: extensions built for one major SDK version are not considered compatible with a different SAMSON major version. A minor-version difference also matters, because the SDK minor must be strictly lower than the SAMSON minor under the compatibility rule. So when troubleshooting, compare the complete internal versions and pay particular attention to the major and minor numbers.
Why an extension may update—or stay put
SAMSON can automatically update extensions when a compatible newer version is available on SAMSON Connect and an internet connection is available. For example, an extension built with SDK 1.5.2 can load in SAMSON 1.7.8. If a compatible update built with SDK 1.6.4 is published, SAMSON can update the extension during startup.
But automatic updating does not make incompatible builds compatible. If SAMSON remains at 1.7.8 while an extension’s newer release was built with SDK 2.0.0, SAMSON will not install that incompatible update; it can keep the compatible extension version instead. Updating SAMSON may allow you to use a newer extension build, but always check that the installed versions meet the compatibility rule.
A quick troubleshooting checklist
- Find SAMSON’s internal version; the current documented public release,
2026 R1, is based on internal version11.0.0. - Find the SDK version used to build the extension.
- Compare the major numbers, then check that the SDK minor number is lower than SAMSON’s minor number.
- If the versions do not meet the rule, look for an extension build made with a compatible SDK or update SAMSON when an appropriate release is available.
This distinction can save time: an extension’s displayed release number may be unchanged while its SDK build changes, and conversely, a newer extension release is not automatically compatible with every SAMSON installation. For the full versioning details, see the SAMSON versioning documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.