PackMan 1.9.1
This release includes the new macOS app and the latest Windows implementation, both versioned 1.9.1.
macOS
The Mac update brings package details, recovery, persistent history and cache previews to the native Mac app, with improvements to verification and process reliability. Version 1.9.1 supersedes both 1.8.2 and the previously published macOS 1.9 rebuild.
- Click a package name for its identity, manager, versions, warnings, evidence, links and command output. Update and verification are separate actions.
- App Store updates remain manual, with App Store/Terminal handoff and installed-version verification.
- Update history retains the latest 500 attempts, including interrupted, cancelled and not-started packages. Preview redacted diagnostics before exporting.
- Preview configured cache locations and cleanup scope; refresh before confirmation. Shared Homebrew cleanup runs once. NuGet global packages are opt-in.
- Recheck available sources, inspect their environments, filter by source/status, and retain window/table preferences. Optionally check casks that update themselves.
- Verification reads installed inventory and reports missing, ambiguous or uncomparable versions without inventing success. Search and ignored packages no longer change scan truth.
- Share Homebrew inventory, refresh stale tool capabilities, bound subprocess output, and wait for process cleanup when cancelling or quitting.
- Self-update validates and stages a complete replacement, waits for PackMan to exit, and restores the old app if swapping fails.
Windows
Includes the latest Windows v1.9 implementation, rebuilt with v1.9.1 version metadata. There are no Windows functionality changes in this patch.
- Package details with full identity, repository, versions, warnings and command output; separate retry/verification and interactive WinGet actions.
- Persistent history for 500 attempts, observed versions, mixed results, reboot requirements and redacted diagnostic export.
- Selective cache previews/cleanup, with explicit NuGet global-package scope.
- Correct Chocolatey success/reboot handling, WinGet repository identity and unknown-version policy, and fixes for standalone/renamed executable self-updates.
Updating and downloads
Use PackMan → Check for Updates… on macOS or Help → Check for Updates on Windows, then Install and Restart. Both platforms can update from v1.9 to v1.9.1.
| Platform | Downloads | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | DMG · ZIP | macOS 14+; Apple Silicon or Intel |
| Windows | ZIP · Standalone EXE | Windows 10/11 x64 and .NET 10 Desktop Runtime |
SHA-256 checksum files accompany each download. The Windows ZIP includes identical PackMan.exe and PackMan-Windows-x64.exe compatibility entries; use either for manual installation. Windows v1.8.0/v1.8.1 and older clients with user-renamed executables may need a manual update once.
The Mac app remains ad-hoc signed. First-time browser downloads may require System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway; see the installation instructions.
Validation
Local Mac validation passed 135 unit/integration tests and 11 UI tests, with one optional live App Store test skipped. Light/dark layouts were inspected. Disposable signed apps exercised the production self-update helper from both 1.8.2 and 1.9.0, including rollback and failed relaunch. Universal architectures, bundle metadata, signatures and archive checksums were verified. Release assets are built by GitHub Actions after each platform's test suite passes.
Physical Intel hardware, macOS 14 runtime compatibility and real package/App Store updates were not exercised locally. See the implementation record for the scope of validation.