Ribbon 0.2.0 beta 2

Ribbon 0.2.0 beta 2

Smoother window movement, with less work behind it.

Move left or right without losing the neighboring tile. When resizing makes
room for a hidden window, it can return sooner and restores its visible size
immediately, instead of waiting for a fixed-width cutoff.

What changed

• More consistent movement in both directions and better visibility beside a
  centered or resized window.
• Safer ordering when tiles leave or return, including focusing hidden windows
  through normal application activation.
• Fewer native window queries and intermediate resize operations. Controlled
  two-monitor fixture tests measured about 32% less engine CPU time than the
  uncapped, sequential comparison mode. This is not a system-wide or FPS claim.
• More focused verification of resize returns, keyboard navigation, pairing and
  recovery. App-imposed minimum sizes still apply.
• A project handoff and agent guide for continuing development.

Pairing, independent thirds arrangements, vertical stacks, customizable
shortcuts and automatic app inclusion with exclusions remain available.

Install or update

Download Ribbon-macOS-arm64.zip. Pause and quit an existing Ribbon session,
unzip the archive, then replace Ribbon.app in Applications. Open it,
allow Accessibility access if requested, and enable Settings → General →
Window management when ready.

Requires Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later. Public packages must pass
Developer ID signing, Apple notarization, stapling and Gatekeeper assessment.
SHA256SUMS.txt and release-manifest.json accompany the verified archive.

Getting started · Keyboard shortcuts · Report an issue

Beta limits

The performance checkpoint was tested on both physical monitors. The final
resize-return follow-up was verified on the laptop after relocation; fresh
physical two-monitor verification of that follow-up remains outstanding. Native
application activation was tested; actual Raycast Quicklink UI execution remains
separate. Busy third-party redraw, compositor frame pacing, mixed-scale display
transfers, reconnects and sleep/wake need further physical testing.

Pairs last for the current session. Some apps enforce minimum sizes, and macOS
can leave a small edge of a hidden window visible. Intel builds and automatic
updates are not included. Pause Ribbon before switching window managers.

No account or telemetry is required. Built on
Paneru, with upstream MIT notices preserved.

Ribbon 0.2.0

Your agents, right beside your work.

The first public beta of Ribbon: a native scrolling window manager for Apple silicon Macs.

In this release

• Move through a horizontal strip with the keyboard or modifier-scroll.
• Choose ⅓, ½, ⅔, ¾, or full width, or let fitting columns fill the available space.
• Pair neighboring columns and use ½–½, ⅓–⅔, or ⅔–⅓ arrangements.
• Find and reorder windows in the icon overview, including hidden tiles.
• Use vertical stacks, independent display strips, and customizable shortcuts.
• Manage normal open apps automatically, with exclusions when you need them.
• Use the Cobalt app icon, adaptive appearances, and native sidebar settings.

Install

Download Ribbon-macOS-arm64.zip, unzip it, and move Ribbon.app to Applications. Open Ribbon, allow Accessibility access, then enable Settings → General → Window management.

Requires Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later. The release is Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and includes a stapled ticket. SHA256SUMS.txt and release-manifest.json provide archive integrity and source provenance.

Getting started · Keyboard shortcuts · Report an issue

Beta limits

Pairs last for the current session. Some apps enforce minimum sizes, and macOS can leave a small edge of a hidden window visible. Physical multi-display pairing, mixed-scale transfers, reconnects, and sleep/wake need more testing. Intel builds and automatic updates are not included.

Pause Ribbon before switching window managers. No account or telemetry is required.

Built on Paneru, with upstream MIT notices preserved.