Hotch 2.4.0

Hotch is a companion for a glance at AI plan usage, active Claude Code and Codex work, and how your computer is doing. 2.4.0 teaches the Mac app to update itself, tells Linux users when a new version is out, and puts the GNOME top-bar button back.

On 2.2.0 or 2.3.0? Download this version once. Those versions cannot update themselves. From 2.4.0, new versions arrive in the app.

Download for Mac: Hotch-2.4.0.dmg below (universal: Apple silicon and Intel, macOS 14 or later). Open it, drag Hotch into Applications, then open Hotch from your Applications folder.

Signing: signed with Developer ID (Hojae Jung, team WCJ787853P) and notarised by Apple, with the ticket stapled to the app and the disk image.

SHA-256: 1e95dbc6ee66820eb828e25d1971a006ae0c1793c2ba78f08dce759c36f42855

New on Mac: updates inside the app

• Once a day Hotch checks for a new version and shows what changed, with Install, Remind Me Later and Skip This Version. Check for Updates… is in Settings → App updates and the Hotch menu.
• It never interrupts: no update window over the welcome or during a Focus run. A line in the card says an update is ready and brings the window back.
• Download and install updates automatically is opt-in in Settings. It waits until the card is closed and no Focus timer or Backpack session is running. A restart that would end a Backpack session asks first, and a running Focus timer carries on in the new version.
• Privacy: the check is one plain request a day to hotch.hotherside.com (served by GitHub Pages) that names only the Hotch and Sparkle versions. No system profile is sent, and you can turn the check off in Settings → App updates. Every update is signed with Hotch's own key and notarised by Apple.
• Hotch-2.4.0-update.zip is the file the app downloads when it updates itself. You don't need to download it.

Linux (experimental)

• The GNOME top-bar button is back. 2.3.0 left it out of the panel, so the default top-bar home showed nothing. Fixed by Simon (@sire6), who tested it on Ubuntu 26.04 and GNOME Shell 50. Thank you, Simon.
• Update notice: at most once a day, and on demand with hotch update-check or Check now in Settings, Hotch asks GitHub whether a newer Linux release exists. A quiet line in the card footer and a tray menu item link to the release page, with Skip this version. Hotch never downloads or installs anything. Turn it off in Settings or with hotch settings set updateChecks false.
• On 2.3.0, install this version once. From 2.4.0, Hotch tells you when there is a newer one.

Downloads (attached automatically a few minutes after this release is published):

• hotch_2.4.0-1_amd64.deb or hotch_2.4.0-1_arm64.deb
• hotch-gnome-2.4.0.zip: the GNOME extension on its own; it still needs the hotch binary
• SHA256SUMS-linux.txt

sudo apt install ./hotch_2.4.0-1_amd64.deb
# Log out and back in so GNOME loads the updated extension.

See the Linux guide for building from source, the feature matrix and the tray on other desktops.

Known limits

• Linux is experimental. The packages are built and tested in CI on Ubuntu 24.04 (amd64 and arm64). Simon has run the top-bar fix on a real desktop, but the maintainer has not yet validated Linux on one. Reports and pull requests are very welcome.
• Ubuntu 24.04 ships GNOME 46, which the extension does not support; use the tray there.
• Linux packages are not signed. Check them against SHA256SUMS-linux.txt.
• Grok, Kimi and DeepSeek, Backpack mode, session handoff, in-app installs and hardware sensor readings are macOS only.
• Provider data depends on each vendor's accounts and interfaces, which can change.
• Hotch is independent and not affiliated with Apple, Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, Moonshot AI or DeepSeek.

See CHANGELOG.md for the full list.

Found a problem? Open an issue. Security reports go to hello@hotherside.com (see SECURITY.md).

Hotch 2.3.0

Hotch is a companion for a glance at AI plan usage, active Claude Code and Codex work, and how your computer is doing. 2.3.0 adds an experimental Linux version alongside the macOS app.

Mac users: the macOS app is the same as 2.2.0 apart from its version number. If you already run 2.2.0, there is nothing new for you to install.

Download for Mac: Hotch-2.3.0.dmg below (universal: Apple silicon and Intel, macOS 14 or later). Open it, drag Hotch into Applications, then open Hotch from your Applications folder.

Signing: signed with Developer ID (Hojae Jung, team WCJ787853P) and notarised by Apple, with the ticket stapled to the app and the disk image.

SHA-256: d10e6be8351cc6a679d93c79aa2889cdad271d1f3a181ac08c020ec872333312

New: Hotch for Linux (experimental)

The Linux port was started by Simon (@sire6) as Hotch's first outside contribution. Thank you, Simon.

• GNOME 48 to 50: a Hotch companion in the top bar, or as a pill, orb or left, right or bottom screen edge. Includes Settings, light and dark appearance, a Focus timer and stopwatch, and optional clipboard history held only in memory.
• Other desktops (KDE, Xfce, Cinnamon, waybar, or GNOME without the extension): a tray icon with the same readings.
• CLI: hotch all --json and hotch settings.
• Claude and Codex plan usage, live sessions, CPU, memory and battery.

Downloads (attached automatically a few minutes after this release is published):

• hotch_2.3.0-1_amd64.deb or hotch_2.3.0-1_arm64.deb
• hotch-gnome-2.3.0.zip: the GNOME extension on its own; it still needs the hotch binary
• SHA256SUMS-linux.txt

sudo apt install ./hotch_2.3.0-1_amd64.deb
# Log out and back in so GNOME loads the extension, then:
gnome-extensions enable hotch@hotherside.com

See the Linux guide for building from source, the feature matrix and the tray on other desktops.

Known limits

• Linux is experimental. The packages are built and tested in CI on Ubuntu 24.04 (amd64 and arm64), but have not yet been tried on a real Linux desktop by the maintainer. Rendering, Wayland behaviour and live provider accounts are unverified. Reports and pull requests are very welcome.
• Ubuntu 24.04 ships GNOME 46, which the extension does not support; use the tray there.
• Linux packages are not signed. Check them against SHA256SUMS-linux.txt.
• Grok, Kimi and DeepSeek, Backpack mode, session handoff and hardware sensor readings are macOS only.
• Provider data depends on each vendor's accounts and interfaces, which can change.
• Hotch is independent and not affiliated with Apple, Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, Moonshot AI or DeepSeek.

See CHANGELOG.md for the full list.

Found a problem? Open an issue. Security reports go to hello@hotherside.com (see SECURITY.md).

Hotch 2.2.0

Hotch is a native macOS companion for a glance at AI plan usage, active Claude Code and Codex work, and how your Mac is doing. This is the first public download.

Download: Hotch-2.2.0.dmg below (universal: Apple silicon and Intel, macOS 14 or later). Open it, drag Hotch into Applications, then open Hotch from your Applications folder. A short welcome does the rest.

Signing: signed with Developer ID (Hojae Jung, team WCJ787853P) and notarised by Apple, with the ticket stapled to the app and the disk image.

SHA-256: f86d4d638ce037ebd122dc6444f5625b1ab7aebd8380e258825c8523a5fe62d3

What's new in 2.2.0

• A welcome letter and one setup screen for placement, provider detection and clipboard history. When you finish, Hotch points to where it now lives.
• A taller, gentler screen-edge rail with all six sections, smaller live readouts and steadier hover switching.
• A quieter home view: attention first, clearer AI capacity and freshness, and a concise Mac summary.
• A new companion icon, plus better text, keyboard focus and accessibility support.
• Notch placement is back, alongside screen edges, floating companions and the menu bar.
• Focus simplified into Timer and Stopwatch, with the clock kept on your companion.
• Backpack mode keeps agents working with the lid closed, after a one-time helper approval in System Settings.
• Clipboard history starts off on fresh installs. Session handoffs are confirmed before the panel closes. Locally stored API keys get tighter file permissions.
• A fresh install no longer asks for access to the folder Hotch was opened from.

See CHANGELOG.md for the full list.

Known limits

• Tested on Apple silicon. Intel Macs and macOS 14 haven't been checked on real hardware yet; reports are very welcome.
• Provider data depends on each vendor's accounts and interfaces, which can change.
• Hotch is independent and not affiliated with Apple, Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, Moonshot AI or DeepSeek.

Found a problem? Open an issue. Security reports go to hello@hotherside.com (see SECURITY.md).