v0.5.8 — the small-model release: measured fixes

[dea6cat]

Every fix in this release was measured on real models, mostly Qwen2.5-Coder 3B. The numbers:

• Routing: the first request names the tool it needs (Remember, TodoWrite, plan mode, CronCreate, AskUserQuestion, Data, Map), so the model does not have to ask. Right tool in 30 of 35 trials, up from 1 of 35.
• Tool lists: no descriptions for models of about 3.7B parameters or fewer. The 3B called Remember 1 of 6 times with descriptions, 6 of 6 without; first-turn calls across six tools went from 39 of 60 to 50 of 60. The first request shrank from about 3,070 to about 1,880 tokens.
• Fixed: the context window no longer starves the machine. It used to fill about 75% of the RAM left after the weights — on an 18 GB Mac that gave qwen3:4b 68,608 tokens and macOS restarted with a watchdog panic. It now counts free memory, keeps a 3 GB reserve, and holds weights plus cache under 35% of RAM.
• Fixed: a model sending the same tool call again and again no longer burns the turn limit — after two identical calls the third is refused. On the 3B, 12 identical calls became 2.
• Fixed: field-by-field descriptions for AskUserQuestion, TodoWrite and Map (valid AskUserQuestion calls went from 0 of 10 to 10 of 10), CronCreate teaches the schedule format (20/24 → 24/24), Mistral's nine-character tool ids are rewritten, and a lone surrogate character no longer poisons every later request.
• Telemetry: anonymous usage counters, on for a new install with a notice, off after one ask for anyone who already had Clyde. Counts, flags and fixed-set words only — a prompt, path, model name or error message cannot be recorded. clyde telemetry show prints what is queued, off deletes it, and CLYDE_TELEMETRY=off or DO_NOT_TRACK=1 always win.
• clyde tune can apply its own recommendation (Ollama variables and an app restart), editors get the /settings toggles over ACP, and the site counts visits anonymously (no cookie; Do Not Track respected).

Full list: CHANGELOG.md

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This discussion was created from the release v0.5.8 — the small-model release: measured fixes.