AnswerCue v2.8.10

Release date: 2026-10-08

Summary

AnswerCue v2.8.10 updates the desktop runtime and stabilizes macOS application/helper identities to reduce Dock registration churn. It addresses the reported disappearing duplicate icons while retaining the lean package, cloud transcription, and persistent interview features.

What's New

• Current Electron runtime: Updated from Electron 33.4.11 to 44.7.0 for current macOS behavior.
• Golden Gate release validation: CI tests the packaged app on macOS 27, including a real BrowserWindow and repeated native Dock hide/show transitions without recording audio or calling provider APIs.

Improvements

• Keeps macOS app identity separate from disguise presentation. Explicit disguises still change process/window presentation and available icons; they no longer rename the Mac application or inject a CFBundleName environment override into child processes.
• Retains electron-builder's canonical helper names, bundle identifiers, and background flags instead of changing helper bundle names to CoreServices.
• Initial normal mode uses the packaged Dock icon. Repeated identical disguise requests are idempotent, and normal mode does not schedule repeated process-title refreshes.
• Keeps the architecture-specific dependency allowlist and packaged runtime checks introduced in v2.8.8.

Fixes

• Updates native rebuild/ABI tooling and the SQLite addon for Electron 44’s V8 API. Removes the deprecated duplicate electron-rebuild package. Database storage paths and schema are retained.
• Removed repeated Mac application-name and default-icon updates during startup.
• Removes the inherited CFBundleName override before creating the normal app windows and helpers.
• Adds regression checks for stable Mac identity and idempotent disguise/icon behavior.

Technical

• Bumped package version to 2.8.10; source and release notes are public in this fork.
• The user's diagnostic showed one foreground AnswerCue process and one accessory plugin helper. The extra icons disappeared when clicked. This rules out three registered foreground instances and points to stale Dock registrations, but does not prove which operation originally created them.
• The original v2.8.8 launch/reopen tests showed one Dock entry on clean macOS 14, 26, and 27 runners. The debugger-based visibility test was inconclusive; this release adds an isolated packaged native visibility harness.
• Full automated suite: 1,057 passed, zero failed, 41 skipped. Renderer/production builds, packaged database/keytar/audio loading, image conversion, PDF/DOCX/TXT imports, per-architecture inventory, signatures, DMGs, and updater ZIP checks remain release requirements.
• Electron type checking retains existing fork diagnostics. Live provider-key transcription and installed-user microphone/system audio still require user-machine checks.
• Clean-runner validation cannot guarantee repair of a Dock cache already corrupted on another Mac. Existing ghost entries may need a one-time killall Dock after replacing and quitting the old app. This update avoids the unnecessary identity mutations that can contribute to future registration inconsistencies.
• User settings, keys, custom instructions, Persona, and interview history use the existing storage paths. No global Dock preferences or other applications' history are changed by the app.

Platform Downloads

macOS

• Apple Silicon: AnswerCue-2.8.10-arm64.dmg or AnswerCue-2.8.10-arm64-mac.zip.
• Intel: AnswerCue-2.8.10-x64.dmg or AnswerCue-2.8.10-mac.zip.
• Auto-update metadata: latest-mac.yml and ZIP blockmaps.

Ad-hoc signed and unnotarized. Replace the earlier app in Applications. If Gatekeeper blocks this trusted fork build:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/AnswerCue.app

Windows

• Windows x64: AnswerCue-Setup-2.8.10.exe.
• Auto-update metadata: latest.yml and installer blockmap.

Unsigned build. Windows may display an unknown-publisher or SmartScreen warning. Azure signing remains available when all signing credentials are configured.

Linux

No Linux package is included in this release.