Before Shlexball's model is downloaded or used, each Mac account reads and signs the end-user licence: tick the box, type your name and choose "Agree and sign". The licence text is unchanged (version 1). The signed record stays on this Mac, with a copy of the text, and is sent to Shlexball's model service when a model is authorized; it contains no searches or files. Decline leaves the model off.
Faster start: preparing the model begins before the artwork and log backup, which now happen when needed or in the background, and the model warms up with a few steps instead of a whole answer.
Stronger protection for the search engine: its Python runtime starts isolated from environment overrides, and Shlexball checks its whole signed app, runtime and scripts included, before handing over the model key. The app ships without debugging symbols or build paths.
Folder confinement, read-only execution, Allow/Don't and sharing choices are unchanged. No model update, and search answers are unchanged: 436/479 executed tests, the same as 1.7.2.
1.7.2 — 2026-09-27
Find System Settings panes like apps: "keyboard", "backlight" or a misspelling such as "keyborad" suggests the matching pane, and clicking it opens that pane.
One "Check for updates…" button in Settings replaces the separate app and model buttons. It checks for a newer model first and downloads one only if it exists, then checks for a newer Shlexball. The old app button did nothing while Settings was open.
Clearer Settings: grouped Search, Privacy and diagnostics, and Plan sections, readable descriptions, links that look like links, a wide always-visible scroll bar with a "More settings below" hint, and a tooltip on every button, checkbox and link. "Use previous model" moved under Troubleshooting.
Folder confinement, read-only execution, Allow/Don't and sharing choices are unchanged. No model update.
1.7.1 — 2026-09-25
Show OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox logos in the bottom-right corner of cloud result thumbnails, with the provider named on hover.
Keep explicit filesystem paths such as open ./Calculator in file search instead of mistaking them for installed apps.
Treat online-only file refusals as explained partial searches even when there are no skipped cloud folders. Searches and previews still never download file contents.
1.7.0 — 2026-09-25
Find and open installed apps by name with their icons. Apps are suggested as you type ("sla" shows Slack); "open zoom", "video apps" or "show my apps" answer at once, need no folder, and do not use a free search. An app opens only when you click it.
Search OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive under ~/Library/CloudStorage. Online-only files are found by name and are never downloaded by a search. A cloud folder that has never been opened on this Mac is not searched; Shlexball says how many it skipped, and opening one in Finder includes it.
Clear results returns the results panel to a blank screen without starting a new search.
Clearer search field: softer placeholder and instruction text, the clear button no longer overlaps long requests, and app suggestions are never clipped.
Folder confinement, read-only execution, Allow/Don't and sharing choices are unchanged. No model update.
1.6.1 — 2026-09-24
Give the Display dial more clearance from the control-panel border. Replace the flat Pin switch with textured brass hardware and distinct ON/OFF lever poses while keeping its mounting plate and screws fixed.
1.6.0 — 2026-09-24
Preserve the lifetime free-search allowance across supported reinstalls with a server ledger, Keychain identity and limited offline permits.
Keep Private searches unlimited without debiting free searches; show connection and recovery states separately from exhaustion.
Drag Shlexball from its casing, header and empty panel space. Pin now controls always-on-top, remembers its setting, and uses a fixed-frame lever.
Check for app updates automatically and install downloaded updates at an idle search boundary.
Weathered control panel around the existing software area. Preserve Shlexball size, animations and folding.
Opaque screen by default. Turn Display to adjust transparency; Pin visibly switches on and off.
Local previews for common images including iPhone HEIC, with file metadata, path copying, Finder actions and drag-to-copy.
Remove obsolete allowance notices after Private activation. Preserve saved search counts when replacing the app.
Remove the temporary visual-only launch mode; verify Find and Enter submit searches.
1.4.2 — 2026-09-23
Correct Shlexball copyright and product records to reflect its independent identity. Keep entitlement fallback requests on shlexball.com.
Search Excel (.xlsx/.xlsm), CSV and TSV filenames and contents alongside existing document formats. Include worksheet names, cell values and cached formula results, with previews and the existing Finder action.
Cache extracted spreadsheet text and stream Excel cells with bounded file, expansion, text and time budgets. Report unreadable or oversized workbooks as incomplete instead of silently treating them as empty.
Recognize spreadsheet and Excel format requests without changing the search model. Macros and formulas are never executed; legacy .xls, .xlsb, .ods and .numbers content remains unsupported.
1.4.1 — 2026-09-23
Update the search model to Jeremiah v6 for filename requests inside nested projects, including requests without “find.”
Existing-search tests improve overall. One ambiguous request now receives a time-range refusal instead of a clarification request; both versions refuse it.
Keep the panel design with calm dark surfaces, softer warm accents, a familiar sans-serif font and larger supporting text.
Stop failed or incomplete filename commands from triggering an unrelated document search.
Preserve directory constraints when a filename search returns no matches.
Give concurrent searches independent sandbox profiles, preventing intermittent profile corruption while preserving read and write restrictions.
Prevent the Python sidecar from writing bytecode caches inside the signed application, preserving its resource seal and the source hash used for future Sparkle delta updates.
Existing installations that already contain runtime caches may use Sparkle's full-update fallback once to reach this repaired version.
1.4.0 — 2026-09-22
Shlexball's panels now share the orange bot's casing, with art deco trim, dark inset screens, plum controls and warm amber primary buttons.
Settings and dialogs use the same palette; both free and private tiers keep the same visual identity.
Fixed scoped filename searches with “file” or “files”, including “find .env files under bash_training repo”, so they stay in the requested folder and do not fall back to unrelated document results.
Make diagnostic sharing optional for free and paid users, off until explicit consent. Declining preserves the same allowance and features. Existing users make a new choice.
Add a reviewed one-off Report this search action, sharing withdrawal, local-history deletion and an email action to request uploaded-record deletion.
Expire unsent diagnostics after 7 days and uploaded raw records from the active database after 30 days.
Clarify data collection in pricing, privacy, terms and in-app help.
Fix explicit `.env` filename searches within a named repository or folder. Preserve the exact filename and folder scope even when the model refuses the request or proposes a document search; an empty filename result no longer falls back to unrelated document contents. This app-side fix does not require retraining.
Fix header text overlapping the controls, button label wrapping, and folder-row alignment.
1.2.0 — 2026-09-22
Automatically prepare the model on first launch, with visible progress and resumable downloads. No account or email is needed to try Shlexball.
Keep verified models separately on your Mac for offline use; add authenticated model updates and recovery.
Add signed application updates through Check for Updates. Existing versions need this one manual upgrade.