System Trace v0.4.2 - Critical fix: the app could not launch after a restart

System Trace v0.4.2 - Critical fix: the app could not launch after a restart

A critical patch. In v0.4.0 / v0.4.1 the app could fail to open after a reboot
or restart. This release fixes that and is the recommended version for everyone.

Website: https://system-trace.pages.dev

If you installed v0.4.1, please update to v0.4.2. v0.4.1 stores its encryption
key in a way that did not survive a restart, so after a reboot the app would
not open. v0.4.2 stores the key in your OS credential store, so it persists.

Download

Platform	File
Windows 10 / 11	System.Trace_0.4.2_x64-setup.exe or .msi
macOS (Apple Silicon)	System.Trace_0.4.2_aarch64.dmg
Linux (Debian / Ubuntu)	System.Trace_0.4.2_amd64.deb
Linux (any distro)	System.Trace_0.4.2_amd64.AppImage
Linux (RHEL / Fedora)	System.Trace-0.4.2-1.x86_64.rpm
Browser extension (optional)	system-trace-extension-v0.4.2.zip

Windows is not yet code-signed (SmartScreen may warn: More info -> Run anyway).
macOS is not yet notarized (right-click -> Open on first launch).

What changed

• Fixed: the app would not launch after a restart. The encryption key was only
  kept in memory (the keyring library ships no persistent store by default
  and silently used an in-memory one), so it was lost on exit. The key is now
  stored in the real OS credential store - Windows Credential Manager, macOS
  Keychain, or the Linux Secret Service - so it persists across restarts and
  reboots. Verified end-to-end.
• If the key is ever genuinely missing (for example after upgrading from the
  broken build), the app now recovers gracefully - it sets aside the
  unreadable data and starts fresh, instead of refusing to open.

Note on upgrading from v0.4.1: because v0.4.1's key was never saved, any history
recorded by it cannot be decrypted and is reset on first launch of v0.4.2. From
here your data persists correctly.

Everything from v0.4.x is included: at-rest encryption, media-aware idle and
lock detection, real app icons, per-app goals, the strict-limit lockout, PDF
report export, notification-click-to-open, and the companion browser extension.

Full changelog: https://github.com/anandsundaramoorthysa/System-Trace/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Platform support

Windows is hand-tested on Windows 11, including the reboot/restart fix (the key
now persists and the app reopens with data intact). macOS and Linux installers
are built and verified by CI but not yet hand-tested on real hardware - please
open an issue if you hit anything. macOS builds are Apple Silicon only for now;
Linux Wayland active-window capture is not yet supported (X11 / XWayland apps
are tracked).

System Trace v0.3.0

System Trace v0.3.0 - Productivity tools, personalization, and data safety

A broad quality release on top of the tracking core: real productivity
tools, personalization, data safety, and an important CI fix.

Website: https://system-trace.pages.dev

Download

Platform	File
Windows 10 / 11	System.Trace_0.3.0_x64-setup.exe or .msi
macOS (Apple Silicon)	System.Trace_0.3.0_aarch64.dmg
Linux (Debian / Ubuntu)	System.Trace_0.3.0_amd64.deb
Linux (any distro)	System.Trace_0.3.0_amd64.AppImage
Linux (RHEL / Fedora)	System.Trace-0.3.0-1.x86_64.rpm

Windows is not yet code-signed (SmartScreen may warn: More info -> Run anyway).
macOS is not yet notarized (right-click -> Open on first launch).

New in 0.3.0

• Search history - find when you used an app across all tracked time, grouped by day.
• App icons - colored per-app icons in Top Apps, the Apps list, and search.
• Goal streaks - a flame badge per category goal showing consecutive days met.
• Focus-session notes - jot what you worked on; saved with each session, listed under Recent sessions.
• Date-range export - export everything or just a chosen From/To window.
• Backup and restore - snapshot and restore your local database in one click.
• Global pause hotkey - toggle tracking from anywhere with Ctrl + Alt + P.
• Accent palettes - Signal, Slate, Solar, or Cocoa, applied live.
• Check for updates - reads the public GitHub releases API and tells you if a newer version exists (nothing is sent).
• i18n scaffolding and an accessibility pass.

Fixed

• The 0.2.0 onboarding flow broke the WebdriverIO CI E2E job (a fresh test
  database dropped the app on the welcome screen, hiding the dashboard the
  smoke tests assert on). Test mode now boots straight to the dashboard.

Catching up

This release also carries everything from 0.2.0 (the Day / Week / Month
history explorer, productivity scoring, category goals, distraction nudges,
block-list schedules, bedtime grayscale, and always-on background tracing),
which had not yet been published as a release.

Full changelog: https://github.com/anandsundaramoorthysa/System-Trace/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Platform support

Windows is hand-tested on Windows 11. macOS and Linux installers are built and
verified by CI but not yet hand-tested on real hardware - please open an issue
if you hit anything.

System Trace v0.1.0

System Trace v0.1.0 - Initial open-source release

The first public release of System Trace - a free, local-first,
cross-platform desktop screen-time tracker built with Tauri 2, Rust,
React, and SQLite.

Website: https://system-trace.pages.dev

Download

Pick the installer for your OS below.

Platform	File	Notes
Windows 10 / 11	System.Trace_0.1.0_x64-setup.exe or .msi	Not yet code-signed; SmartScreen may warn the first time - choose "More info, Run anyway".
macOS (Apple Silicon)	System.Trace_0.1.0_aarch64.dmg	Not yet notarized; right-click the app and choose Open on first launch.
Linux (Debian / Ubuntu)	System.Trace_0.1.0_amd64.deb
Linux (any distro)	System.Trace_0.1.0_amd64.AppImage	Runs without installing.
Linux (RHEL / Fedora)	System.Trace-0.1.0-1.x86_64.rpm

Highlights

• Automatic tracking with smart, media-aware idle detection
• Local-first SQLite storage - no cloud, no telemetry, no account
• Dashboard with screen-time today, hourly chart, top apps, categories
• Day / Week / Month history explorer with a prev / next stepper, a
  reset-to-present chip, and left / right arrow key navigation
• Per-app daily limits with strict and soft strictness
• Focus mode with app and (optional) website blocking
• Break reminders and quiet hours
• Dark and light themes using the "Signal" palette - no emoji, only
  lucide-react icons
• System tray, single-instance, autostart, daily / weekly summaries

Platform support

Windows is hand-tested on Windows 11. macOS and Linux installers are
built and verified by CI but have not yet been hand-tested on real
hardware - please open an issue
if you hit anything.

What's next

See open ssoc26-tagged issues
for upcoming work: Linux Wayland watcher, macOS window-title capture,
hard-kill enforcement on limits, hosts-blocker verification, Playwright
E2E tests, and more.

Acknowledgements

System Trace is participating in
Social Summer of Code (SSoC) Season 5 - 2026.
Contributions are welcome - see CONTRIBUTING.md.

Full changelog: https://github.com/anandsundaramoorthysa/System-Trace/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md