fix(cli): guard startup update check

changelog.md

@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Pending
 
+### Fixes
+
+- Prevent startup update checks from crashing when installed package metadata is incomplete.
+
 
 ## 2026-05-10 - 2.16.0
 

ts/gitzone.cli.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as plugins from "./plugins.js";
 import * as paths from "./paths.js";
 import { GitzoneConfig } from "./classes.gitzoneconfig.js";
 import { getRawCliMode } from "./helpers.climode.js";
+import { commitinfo } from "./00_commitinfo_data.js";
 
 const gitzoneSmartcli = new plugins.smartcli.Smartcli();
 
@@ -11,20 +12,29 @@ export let run = async () => {
 
   // get packageInfo
   const projectInfo = new plugins.projectinfo.ProjectInfo(paths.packageDir);
+  const projectInfoVersion = (projectInfo.npm as any)?.version;
+  const packageVersion =
+    typeof projectInfoVersion === "string" && projectInfoVersion.length > 0
+      ? projectInfoVersion
+      : commitinfo.version;
 
   // check for updates
   if (rawCliMode.checkUpdates) {
     const smartupdateInstance = new plugins.smartupdate.SmartUpdate();
+    try {
       await smartupdateInstance.check(
         "gitzone",
-      projectInfo.npm.version,
+        packageVersion,
         "http://gitzone.gitlab.io/gitzone/changelog.html",
       );
+    } catch {
+      // Update checks must never block actual CLI commands.
+    }
   }
   if (rawCliMode.output === "human") {
     console.log("---------------------------------------------");
   }
-  gitzoneSmartcli.addVersion(projectInfo.npm.version);
+  gitzoneSmartcli.addVersion(packageVersion);
 
   // ======> Standard task <======