Changelog

0.3.0 — 2026-10-22#

cli: ncode-0.3.0-darwin-arm64.tar.gz sha256 c9f2bf13449efff838e9672515cc7623bd26293c5e14aa317af8600dfd0b4d82
desktop: ncode-0.3.0.dmg sha256 8604015c525bf54620abdc8a0fe634eb3a6c1eda96c69a688659f1d4d81d418b

The Mac app and the command-line app now share one version number. This release comes from a review of both apps (85 findings): most of it makes everyday work safer and steadier, and it brings skills, a sandbox and a new start screen for the terminal.

What's new in the Mac app#

Safer Auto mode. A command that loads a shell startup file (bash --rcfile x.sh -c …) or runs a project file named like a system tool (./env, ./bash) now asks first instead of running as a "safe" command.
Pause really pauses. While a run is paused, the clock of its helper agents stops too, so a long pause no longer times them out and loses their work.
Queued messages always start. A message queued with Option+Enter starts when its turn ends, even if no window shows that conversation. It runs once, and it is never lost when a start fails or two windows are open.
Edit & resend stops what the old turn started. Swarms and workflows the edited turn launched are stopped with it, so they no longer keep working on the old instructions.
Skills load. Agents can load the skills you add for a project or for yourself. A skill never reads a file outside its project.
@ file mentions in the message box, review notes and Revert hunk in Changes, a context meter, language servers, and images that agents can read.
Commands take arguments ($1 to $9, with quotes), and there is an /init command.
MCP prompts from your MCP servers appear as slash commands.
An opt-in sandbox. Put "sandbox": "workspace-write" in a project's .swarm_code/config.json and the agents' commands run in the macOS sandbox. A run can also be given extra folders to read.
Drafts stay put. Typed text and pasted images stay with their own conversation when you switch.
Many sessions at once. A "Needs you" inbox and toasts show every conversation that waits for you. Approvals and questions wait until you answer, an answer cut short keeps its partial text, long transcripts load in pages, and many runs share one limit and cooldown per provider instead of tripping over each other's rate limits.
Steadier long runs. Saving progress no longer holds up approvals or Stop, and the app will not start while an ncode command-line session is using your data.

What's new in the command-line app#

A Home screen. ncode now opens Home over your latest conversation: a map of your projects and their conversations, a searchable list to pick one up again, what needs you, and the month's spend against your budget. Esc continues the conversation; --continue (-c) skips Home.
Answer workflow questions. A workflow that asks you something can be answered from the question card, from the workflow commands and from ncode -p, which no longer waits forever.
Closing the terminal keeps runs going. Runs keep going without a screen until they finish or wait for you, then ncode exits cleanly.
Custom commands and workflows in /. The / list and /help show your custom commands and workflows.
More for scripts. -p takes --image PATH and -o FILE, follows the swarms and workflows a run launches, and reports a reason in --json. A command that starts no run ends at once.
New commands. --add-dir DIR and /add-dir let agents read another folder, /btw asks a follow-up about the last finished run, ncode update installs the newest version, and ncode acp lets editors such as Zed use ncode through the Agent Client Protocol.
Skills, the sandbox and the safer Auto mode of the Mac app, through the same engine.
Fixes. A queued prompt is never lost or started twice, pasted text survives a stash, a rewind answer goes to the message box that asked for it, and the saved message-box height and side-panel width apply at launch.

Both apps read the same database as 0.2.2; no data format changed. This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon. The Mac app is not notarized; follow the first-launch guide. To update the command-line app, run ncode update or the one-line installer again; see Install.

CLI 0.2.2 — 2026-10-08#

cli: ncode-0.2.2-darwin-arm64.tar.gz sha256 9c18bcd46799903d4aeae417f810c872ef73cba8a9c4534d188005d3ab88162c

What's new in the command-line app#

Effort follows a default. The /effort picker and the /worker_effort picker always start with a default row, and /effort default (or /worker_effort default) clears the conversation's own level so it follows the default again. Typing a space after either command lists default first too.
NCODE_EFFORT is honoured. With NCODE_EFFORT=medium set and no /effort yet, the session now runs at that level, the status line shows it, and the /effort list and picker mark it as the one in force, saying where it comes from. An /effort you type still wins for the conversation.
The choice list opens on what you have. The list under the composer opens with the cursor on the value in force, and marks it with a muted dot before its description instead of the words "(current)". Enter on an untouched list runs the current value again.
New scheduled tasks match the Mac app. A task made in the terminal starts with its effort on default (it follows Settings' Scheduled effort; the form names the level) instead of a fixed medium, and its time zone starts on your Mac's zone instead of UTC.
A truthful quit summary. The Files changed line of the summary printed when you quit lists the net change of the session: a file that is back to what it was before the session, for example after /rewind, is no longer listed.
Every call is a bar. In the speed history of the side panel, one bar is one finished model call, so two calls that end in the same second are no longer drawn as one, and a lone sample is drawn at half height instead of as a full block.

The command-line app reads the same database as the Mac app 0.2.2; no data format changed. This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon and installs with the one-line installer; see Install. Run the installer again to update from 0.2.1, 0.2.0 or 0.1.0.

0.2.2 — 2026-10-08#

desktop: ncode-0.2.2.dmg sha256 9ca9409d0140b0d95b59efe6886855194f556a17ed08261488873cb30447eccc

What's new in the Mac app#

A 1M context window by default. A model that has no context window of its own in Settings → Pricing now gets 1,000,000 tokens, where it used to be held to a budget of about 120,000 (160,000 for Claude models), so long conversations are no longer cut short for models that can take them. A window you set per model still wins. If a provider's real window is smaller and it refuses a long history, ncode trims under what the provider named, keeps that smaller budget for the rest of the run and carries on.
A workflow can run in another approval mode. The engine can now start a workflow in an approval mode for that run only, the way a chat turn can; the command-line app's --approval uses it. The project's own mode never changes, an untrusted project still refuses Auto and Full access, and the Mac app's own workflow launcher is unchanged.
Retries say why. A retried request now reads retrying 2/5 · HTTP 500 (or HTTP 429) when the provider answered with a status, instead of a bare count.
A truer Read-only row. The approval menu says Read-only "asks before every write and command", which is what it has done since 0.2.1.

This version changes no data format. The command-line app has its own release, CLI 0.2.1, which goes with it. This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon. The Mac app is not notarized; follow the first-launch guide.

CLI 0.2.1 — 2026-10-08#

cli: ncode-0.2.1-darwin-arm64.tar.gz sha256 35f5b10d4df133b3d1b13322781515f8e54230cf1eb046d0164c3b19de8353af

What's new in the command-line app#

Speed and memory at the top of the side panel. The first block of the panel shows the output tokens per second of every model the conversation uses (main, worker, validator, with a small history line for each) and how much memory ncode takes, as a gauge with the number. Idle models are dimmed so only what is streaming catches the eye. With the panel hidden, or as a one-line strip, the busiest model's tokens per second and the memory move to the strip or the status line (the new vitals item of the status line).
The effort picker works. In /effort the arrow keys now move a visible cursor, and Enter picks the level it shows. The same picker serves the worker.
Worker, not swarm. The helper agents' slot is called Worker everywhere, as in the Mac app: the status line says worker <model>, and the commands are /worker_model and /worker_effort. /swarm_model and /swarm_effort still work, but are no longer listed.
Choices as you type. After /panel, /effort, /approval, /theme and the other commands with a fixed set of values, a list of the choices opens under the composer, filtered by what you typed, with the current one marked. Up and Down move, Tab completes, Enter completes and runs, and Esc closes the list and nothing else. The command word itself is coloured, and an unknown /word is muted.
Fetch models saves. Fetching a provider's models, or every provider's, now saves the list the endpoint names: a renamed model's old id disappears, and ids with a slash such as ms/glm-5.2 work. The screen where you started it says what happened, for example 12 models · 3 new · 2 removed, or the error in a sentence.
A 1M context window by default, per model. The status line shows what is used against the model's window (8k/1M). A model with no window of its own gets 1,000,000 tokens; set one per model in Settings → Models & effort (context windows) or in Pricing. A smaller real window is learned from the provider's refusal once.
From the Mac app. /profile applies a profile of the project file, /resume-run skips runs that were already resumed or rewound, and a workflow launched with --approval runs in that mode for that run only. The engine is the one of Mac app 0.2.2, so the retry line reads retrying 2/5 · HTTP 500.

0.2.1 — 2026-10-08#

desktop: ncode-0.2.1.dmg sha256 d2771c02414c5d4b715e0c0975c0923178841f8a0df2fec3f46cc16313d4e018

What's new in the Mac app#

Read-only asks. In read-only mode ncode now asks before each write and each command, instead of blocking them. Allow this one, deny it, or deny it and stop the run.
Rewind from a turn. Pick a turn and go back: the files that turn and the later turns changed are restored, and the conversation returns with them, so you can edit the prompt and send it again.
Permission rules and hook events. The project config file takes permission rules, and project hooks can now react to more events.
A live plan for multi-step work. When a task takes several steps, the agent keeps a plan that updates as it works, so you can see what is done and what is next.
Effort slider. The effort setting is now a slider that follows the theme colours.
Fixes. Clearer messages when a rewind or a shell command cannot finish, and a round of smaller fixes.

The command-line app has its own release, CLI 0.2.0, which goes with this version. This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon. The Mac app is not notarized; follow the first-launch guide.

CLI 0.2.0 — 2026-10-08#

cli: ncode-0.2.0-darwin-arm64.tar.gz sha256 3a5d4c6bf376f10c56738d9b423c206ea83ccc1e748f427677f96f842bbc81e8

What's new in the command-line app#

Same engine as the Mac app. The command-line app now shares the Mac app's 0.2 engine, so conversations, approvals, rewind and workflows behave the same in both. If the Mac app has upgraded your database to a version this command-line app does not know, it says so and leaves the database untouched. A database file with the wrong permissions gets its own message and the chmod 600 command to fix it.
Read-only asks. In read-only mode, ncode now asks before it writes or runs a command, instead of refusing outright. Allow this one, deny it, or deny it and stop the run. Manual approval picks trust the project like the Mac app does and say so.
Rewind. /rewind, or Esc twice, lists your turns. Going back restores the files that turn and the later turns changed, and takes the conversation back with them, so you can edit the prompt and send it again.
A steadier terminal. A slow terminal no longer ends your session, and a busy terminal pipe no longer crashes the screen. Queued messages survive switching conversation or quitting, /queue lists, edits and removes them, and a failed run shows the HTTP status and how to retry it.
Faster to drive. Shift-Tab cycles Ask, Auto and Plan with one notice. Ctrl-R searches earlier prompts, Ctrl-V pastes an image, a draft that starts with ! runs a shell command, drafts can be stashed, and Option-Left and Option-Right move by word. Pickers and lists are sized to their rows. The Worker and Validator model names match the Mac app, and the exit summary shows what the session spent.
Scripts and automation. ncode -p reads UTF-8 input and writes the same output under any locale. --output-format text|json|stream-json, --max-turns, --max-budget-usd, --approval read-only|auto|full and --fail-on-denied make a headless run predictable, and --resume takes a conversation title or id prefix.
First run and settings. A first run with no provider opens the Providers page. ncode config shows and edits settings from the shell, and permission rules, project hooks and the plan tool follow the Mac app.
Clean shutdown. Closing the terminal window or sending SIGTERM now stops the session's runs and closes the session cleanly, with the summary printed, and the session-end hooks run when you quit.

This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon and installs with the one-line installer; see Install. Run the installer again to update from 0.1.0. Your conversations, settings and keys are kept.

0.2.0 — 2026-10-06#

desktop: ncode-0.2.0.dmg sha256 57f84ceec543458ea8cb8d1313a73e5c00ee8ecb821aad2b5829b82c249084e9

What's new in the Mac app#

Ultra missions. In Ultra mode the orchestrator plans big work as a mission: a validation contract, features and milestones, an approval card above the message box, parallel isolated workers, scrutiny and user-testing validators, fix rounds, and a Mission Control view. Approving a mission lets its workers run non-dangerous commands without asking. See Ultra missions.
Worker model. The "Sub agent model" setting is now called Worker model.
Validator model. A new Validator model setting chooses the model that checks a mission's work. By default it is the same as your main model.
Speed monitor. The sidebar shows tokens per second and time to first token next to the memory chip: one row for chat, two rows (Main and Worker) for consensus or swarm runs, and three rows (Orchestrator, Worker and Validator) in Ultra. It shows a live estimate while a reply streams and the exact figure when it finishes.

The command-line app has its own release, CLI 0.2.0. This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon. The Mac app is not notarized; follow the first-launch guide.

0.1.0 — 2026-10-04#

cli: ncode-0.1.0-darwin-arm64.tar.gz sha256 78585c7667f906e7ef12f6252436213fa17f62da723a857fe46f28d550fd3ed7
desktop: ncode-0.1.0.dmg sha256 d4634033708c0d7117b15a8110fb761b2c1b66484a93227bb5457c3b4ca1813e

What's in this preview#

A local-first coding assistant for the terminal and the Mac desktop, sharing conversations and settings on your machine.
Bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI-compatible provider key and choose models for different roles.
Work in chat, swarm, consensus, plan or goal mode, with deterministic workflows and multi-step research.
Keep control with project trust, command approvals, questions and guidance for running agents.
Connect MCP tools, inspect activity and usage, and rewind file-tool edits to saved checkpoints.

This developer preview requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon. The Mac app is not notarized; follow the first-launch guide.