BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0 Preview 9 — Native macOS Beta

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.9 is a controlled macOS native beta built from public main commit 4236f65. It includes the current signed-manifest updater path and the artifact-family guard that prevents a newer CLI-only stable release from hiding a native preview update.\n\nThis release contains the universal macOS DMG and ZIP, RELEASE-NOTICE.txt, SHA256SUMS, and SHA256SUMS.sig. The detached manifest was signed locally through the owner-controlled Keychain and verified before publication.\n\nPreview 7 users with the current project trust key can discover this same-key preview through Help → Check for Updates and must explicitly approve installation. Preview 1–6 and the historical v0.1.5 CLI require a one-time manual migration because their binaries either lack the updater or cannot verify the current project key.\n\nThis is ad-hoc signed and not Apple Developer ID signed or notarized. macOS may require first-launch approval. It is a controlled beta, not a silent classroom-wide update or a guarantee of Google availability, quotas, model identity, or unlimited use.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.8

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.8 is a macOS universal open-source preview.

This release includes the reviewed v0.2 Studio reliability and credential-route work. It is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity, not Apple Developer ID signed, and not notarized; macOS may require first-launch approval.

The native updater verifies the project-signed manifest and asks for explicit user consent. It does not silently replace or restart the app. This release is a controlled preview, not a promise of Google availability, quotas, model identity, or unlimited use.

Install the DMG by dragging BOB Gemini Free to Applications. For the updater, the running app must be installed in a writable application directory. See RELEASE-NOTICE.txt and the repository release documentation for the exact trust and rollout boundaries.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.6

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.6

Controlled macOS universal beta built from public main at f9b3410e74d7ccc08487dc03788b54a201e12ade. This preview includes the current 0.2 source follow-ups, version-aware desktop gateway coexistence, explicit credential-route guidance, and fail-closed BOB access-key transport for non-loopback HTTP.

Install

1. Download bob-gemini-free-macos-universal.dmg.
2. Open it and drag BOB Gemini Free.app to Applications.
3. On an unsigned/notarized-free macOS build, approve the first launch in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway if macOS asks.

The app is a complete native bundle and does not require Go, Node, Rust, SQLite, or a separate server at runtime. It is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity, not Apple Developer ID signed or notarized.

Updating

Use Help → Check for Updates. The updater checks the official preview channel, verifies the signed SHA256SUMS manifest, asks for explicit consent, stages safely, and keeps rollback protection. It never silently replaces the app. A writable installation in /Applications or another writable location is required.

Preview 7, Preview 1–5, provider availability, Google limits, clean-device rollback, and broad student rollout remain separate acceptance gates. No Google cookie, session, API key, or private release key is included.

See docs/engineering/PREVIEW-6-LOCAL-VERIFICATION-2026-08-31.md, docs/engineering/RELEASE-AUDIT-2026-08-31.md, and CHANGELOG.md.

GitHub Actions are not required for this release.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.5

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.5

Controlled macOS beta

Preview 5 is the next immutable macOS universal preview, built from public
main merge commit 757898cadd45904b0c0f0f454bb5ab30096e974c (the signed
package receipt records clean build checkout 88f2881). It is intended for
controlled evaluation before the v0.2.0 stable gate. The release does
not require GitHub Actions, a Go installation on the student's Mac, a database,
or a separate memory service.

What changed since Preview 4

• Config now shows the active web-session or Google Developer API route before
  sending, including gateway-auth state, provider-key state, cookie ownership,
  and model compatibility.
• An explicitly selected Developer API route fails closed before creating a
  chat turn or sending a request when its key, endpoint trust, or model/think
  settings are incompatible.
• The two credential fields have independent clear actions, are masked by
  default, and are cleared from the retained modal DOM when Config closes.
• Narrow credential and installer rows are responsive at phone widths; the
  generated web bundle is synchronized with the embedded Studio source.
• README, routing guidance, the failure register, and the verification matrix
  now state the credential boundary and release evidence consistently.

Distribution and trust

• The macOS package is universal for arm64 and x86_64.
• The DMG includes a visible /Applications drag target.
• The app bundle is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity; it is not Apple
  Developer ID signed and is not notarized. macOS may therefore show Open
  Anyway or a first-launch warning.
• Project release assets use the checked-in Ed25519 public key and a detached
  signature over SHA256SUMS. The private signing key remains outside the
  repository in the owner's local Keychain.
• The updater is user-consented. It may discover and verify a newer signed
  package, but it does not silently download, replace, or restart the app.

Credential boundary

The BOB Gateway Access Key, the student's Google Gemini Developer API
key, and engine-owned web-session cookies are different credentials. BOB
does not persist either page-entered key in browser storage or chat history,
and the Google key is sent only on the explicitly selected Developer API route.
Google quota, billing, model availability, account policy, and network limits
remain provider-dependent. A working local app and a valid project signature
do not prove a successful Google generation.

Acceptance status

Local source, full-test, race-sensitive, static, package, manifest, and
one-host /healthz startup/shutdown checks passed. Public asset
byte-reconciliation, a writable /Applications installed-bundle update,
rollback, clean-device Gatekeeper behavior, and staged pilot acceptance are
separate release gates. See
PREVIEW-5-LOCAL-VERIFICATION-2026-08-31.md
and RELEASE-AUDIT-2026-08-31.md.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.4

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.4

This is the next controlled macOS universal preview, built from the reviewed
public main source after Preview 3. It is intended for owner and pilot
validation before any stable or broad student rollout.

Published manually as a GitHub prerelease from public main commit
abfeebaaaaabc740ea29602b602591a0b707fbc2:

v0.2.0-preview.4

The five public assets were downloaded again after publication, passed the
detached Ed25519 signature/checksum verifier, and matched the locally signed
inputs byte-for-byte. No GitHub Actions workflow was used.

What changed since v0.2.0-preview.3

• Explicit Google HTTP 401/403 responses now invalidate only the cached
  dynamic /app page token and build identifier. The configured cookie file
  and guest cookie remain intact, and the rejected generation is not replayed.
• An invalidation generation prevents an older in-flight bootstrap from
  restoring dynamic tokens after the rejection.
• Buffered and streaming authentication rejection, forced refresh, configured
  credential preservation, non-invalidation of quota responses, and the
  in-flight ordering race are covered by deterministic tests.
• The preview packager defaults to the new immutable v0.2.0-preview.4
  identity so an unqualified packaging command cannot recreate Preview 3.

Trust and installation boundary

• The package is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity, not Apple Developer ID
  signed, notarized, or stapled. macOS may require Open Anyway on first
  launch.
• SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig authenticate the project release assets;
  they do not create Apple platform trust.
• The private release key stays outside GitHub and outside the application.
  The app contains only the public verification key.
• The updater asks for explicit user consent and retains rollback evidence. It
  is not a silent fleet-push mechanism.

Provider boundary

The app can start locally without a Go, Node, Rust, SQLite, or separate server
installation. Successful local startup does not guarantee that Google will
accept a request: anonymous access, cookies, API keys, model availability,
quota, rate limits, and network reputation remain upstream-dependent. Never
share a student's cookie or API key.

Pilot instructions

1. Download the exact macOS .dmg or .zip asset from the GitHub release.
2. Copy BOB Gemini Free.app to /Applications or another writable app
   directory, then launch it and approve the normal macOS warning if shown.
3. Confirm the displayed version and actual loopback gateway endpoint, then
   send one bounded smoke prompt using the student's own authorized provider
   route.
4. Use Help → Check for Updates only after the app is outside a mounted
   disk image. Confirm the displayed target before choosing Install Update.

This preview is not stable, notarized, or evidence of a completed 20–30-device
rollout. Record clean-device update, restart, rollback, and configuration
preservation evidence before announcing a broader deployment.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.3

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.3

This is a controlled macOS universal beta preview built from the public
repository. It is intended for owner and pilot testing before any stable or
broad student rollout.

What changed since v0.2.0-preview.2

• Bounded cancellation-aware retry handling for transient GitHub release
  metadata timeouts.
• Actionable, calm native update-check, staging, and startup-recovery dialogs.
• Responsive tablet/phone drawer semantics with initial focus, keyboard Tab
  trapping, Escape close, and focus return.
• Branded BOB Gemini Free.app bundle naming in both the ZIP and DMG install
  surfaces.
• Local browser smoke evidence at desktop, tablet, and phone widths with no
  document horizontal overflow or browser console warnings/errors.
• A version-aware package notice so the downloaded artifact identifies its
  exact preview version and does not carry historical migration instructions.

Trust and installation boundary

• The package is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity, not Apple Developer ID
  signed, notarized, or stapled. macOS may require Open Anyway on first
  launch.
• SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig authenticate the project release assets;
  they do not create Apple platform trust.
• The private release key stays outside GitHub and outside the application.
  The app contains only the public verification key.
• The updater asks for explicit user consent and retains rollback evidence. It
  is not a silent fleet-push mechanism.

Provider boundary

The app can start locally without a Go, Node, Rust, SQLite, or separate server
installation. Successful local startup does not guarantee that Google will
accept a request: anonymous access, cookies, API keys, model availability,
quota, rate limits, and network reputation remain upstream-dependent. Never
share a student's cookie or API key.

Pilot instructions

1. Download the exact macOS .dmg or .zip asset from the GitHub release.
2. Copy BOB Gemini Free.app to /Applications or another writable app
   directory, then launch it and approve the normal macOS warning if shown.
3. Confirm the app reaches its loopback endpoint and send a bounded smoke
   prompt using the student's own authorized provider route.
4. Use Help → Check for Updates only after the app is installed outside a
   mounted disk image. Confirm the displayed target version before choosing
   Install Update.

This preview is not stable, notarized, or evidence of a completed 20–30-device
rollout. Record clean-device update, restart, rollback, and configuration
preservation evidence before announcing a broader deployment.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.2 — Controlled macOS Preview

BOB Gemini Free macOS open-source beta package

This is the complete BOB Gemini Free desktop application for open-source
evaluation. It is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity, but it is not signed by
Apple Developer ID or notarized; macOS may require first-launch approval.
That platform-trust limitation does not change the product identity or the
fact that this is a genuine build from the public source repository.
The package is a beta and should be tested before a broad student rollout.
No Google session, cookie, API key, or private release key is included. A
signed preview build may contain a public Ed25519 key for verifying future
project release manifests; this does not provide Apple Developer ID signing
or notarization.
The already-published v0.1.7-preview.7 binary can discover this same-key
bridge preview because it queries the preview channel. The bridge contains the
new stable-first updater and can then discover a later stable v0.2.0 release.
This is still an explicit two-step update, not a silent fleet update.

BOB Gemini Free v0.2.0-preview.1 — Preview 7 migration bridge

Migration bridge for existing Preview 7 Macs

This controlled preview is the same-key migration bridge for the already-published v0.1.7-preview.7 macOS fleet.

• Existing Preview 7 builds can discover this preview through Help → Check for Updates.
• After installing this bridge and restarting, the new updater checks stable first and can later move to stable v0.2.0 after that release is published.
• This release is not the stable v0.2.0 release.
• The update is explicit and user-consented; it does not silently update or push to other computers.
• Install BOB in /Applications or another writable directory before staging an update; do not run it from a mounted DMG.
• The macOS package is universal for Apple Silicon and Intel, ad-hoc signed, and not Apple Developer ID signed or notarized. A first-launch Open Anyway approval may remain necessary.
• SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig authenticate the exact project release bytes. They do not remove macOS Gatekeeper warnings.

Use the Preview 7 to v0.2.0 Migration Runbook for the one-Mac, pilot, and 30-device rollout sequence.

BOB Gemini Free v0.1.7 Preview 7

BOB Gemini Free v0.1.7-preview.7

BOB Gemini Free Preview 7 is a manually published, open-source macOS
universal beta package for controlled evaluation.

Important migration note

Preview 7 uses the project update-signing key documented by the repository's
public-key file. The original Preview 6 private signing key was not
recoverable, so existing Preview 6 installations cannot automatically accept
Preview 7. Each Preview 6 device must install this release once manually,
then later releases signed with the Preview 7 key can be installed through
Help -> Check for Updates after the user gives consent.

The updater is explicit and user-consented. It does not silently check on
startup or push an update to other computers.

Included macOS assets

• bob-gemini-free-macos-universal.dmg
• bob-gemini-free-macos-universal.zip
• RELEASE-NOTICE.txt
• SHA256SUMS
• SHA256SUMS.sig

The project manifest authenticates the exact release bytes. The application
is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity but is not Apple Developer ID signed or
notarized; macOS may require first-launch approval in Privacy & Security.

Preview 7 changes

• Explicit Google policy/rejection responses are no longer retried
  automatically; transport and server failures retain bounded retry behavior.
• Cumulative stream retry deduplication and cookie-pool recovery remain
  regression-tested.
• Provider failures are visible in the desktop studio instead of appearing as
  completed empty responses.
• Manual retries are bounded and generation controls are locked while a
  request is active.
• Responsive drawers remain below the New/model toolbar.
• The local-only /healthz endpoint and aggregate metrics remain available.

Known boundaries

• Google availability, session validity, quotas, model identity, context
  limits, and shared-network behavior remain upstream-dependent.
• Do not distribute a Google cookie or API key with the application.
• This beta is not a notarized production release and is not a claim of
  unlimited or guaranteed Google access.

Verification

The repository records the local test, race, vet, build, benchmark, and
release-candidate evidence in docs/engineering/. Verify the downloaded
asset against SHA256SUMS and the detached signature before installation.

BOB Gemini Free v0.1.7 Preview 6

BOB Gemini Free v0.1.7 Preview 6

This is a manually published, no-GitHub-Actions macOS universal preview.

Included

• Native macOS BOB Gemini Free app with the embedded Go gateway.
• Signed project update manifest (SHA256SUMS plus detached signature).
• English/Hindi core studio UI refinement, native maximise behaviour, and
  default-browser external links from the native window.
• Updater reliability hotfix: bounded GitHub preview-release lookup and
  actionable guidance when an app is launched from a read-only DMG/App
  Translocation path.

Honest preview boundary

The app is ad-hoc signed for bundle integrity, not Apple Developer ID signed
or notarized. macOS may require the user to approve the first launch in
Privacy & Security. This is an evaluation beta, not a production 30-device
student release. Windows/Linux native assets are not included in this
release. The update action is explicit and user-consented; it is not a silent
background updater. Google access remains session-, entitlement-, quota-,
and network-dependent, and no cookie or provider credential is bundled.

Install the .dmg by dragging BOB Gemini Free.app to Applications, then
launch the copy in Applications before using Help > Check for Updates.