0.5.0

Download

Platform	File	Requirements
macOS, Apple Silicon	Houston-0.5.0-arm64.dmg	macOS 13 Ventura or newer. Open the .dmg and drag Houston to Applications.
macOS, Intel	Houston-0.5.0-x64.dmg	macOS 13 Ventura or newer. Open the .dmg and drag Houston to Applications.
Windows, x64	Houston-0.5.0-x64-setup.exe	Windows 10 or newer. Per-user install, no admin needed. Not code-signed yet: in the SmartScreen prompt choose More info, then Run anyway.
Linux, x64	Houston-0.5.0-x86_64.AppImage Houston-0.5.0-amd64.deb	glibc 2.35 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04+). The AppImage shows a banner when a new version is out. The .deb does not check, so download new versions yourself.
Terminal CLI: macOS, Windows, Linux	houston-cli.cjs	Node 22 or newer, on x64 or Arm. Run node houston-cli.cjs --help to start.

To check a download, compare it against SHA256SUMS, which is signed with GPG and cosign. Verifying downloads has the steps.

The other files below are the auto-update feeds, signatures, build provenance and SBOMs. You do not need them to install Houston.

What's changed

Share Houston from anywhere, smarter in-place updates, clearer connection errors, and live review findings.

This release also tightens shell permission matching and tidies saved rules.

Breaking changes

• None.

Required steps

• If you use shell permission rules, open Settings > Tools & Permissions and click "Clean up rules" to migrate saved rules: pure-scaffolding allows are dropped and keyword-prefixed allows (like do wc) unwrap to the real command. This closes a case where loop and subshell bodies could auto-approve or dodge a deny. (#85, #84)

Added

• Share Houston: a one-click share action in the sidebar footer, a "Share Houston…" menu item, a command palette entry, and /share in the terminal UI. macOS opens the native share menu; Windows and Linux copy the invite and offer email; the TUI copies over OSC 52 (works over SSH) and always prints the link. (#93)
• Automatic update checks every 6 hours while Houston is open, not just at launch. (#83)
• The "Check for Updates…" dialog now has an Update button that downloads and restarts into the new version on signed macOS. (#83)
• A "Check for Updates…" item in a new Help menu on Windows and Linux. (#88)
• Review findings now appear live under the review row as each reviewer reports, with verification status, skeptic votes, and a severity tally, instead of only in the final report. (#24)

Fixed

• Windows connection failures now trust the OS certificate store, so chats and title generation work behind TLS-inspecting proxies and endpoint security. (#87)
• Connection errors now include the real underlying cause (for example, an unresolved host or missing issuer certificate) instead of a bare "Connection error." (#87)
• "Clean up rules" now actually removes redundant and dead shell allow rules and shows a status line (removed N / already tidy / error). (#82)
• Count-only head/tail allow rules (like tail -60, head -c 4000) collapse to the bare program, so the Permissions panel no longer fills with near-duplicates. Rules naming a file or using tail -f stay exact. (#84)
• Replaced em dashes in retry, step-limit, output-limit, and verification notices in the chat transcript. (#89)

Changed

• Update downloads on Windows and Linux now go to the website instead of the GitHub Releases asset list. (#88)
• The Updates controls moved out of Settings > Appearance into their own Updates tab. (#88)
• "What's new" now appears as a non-modal card in the bottom-right corner that does not steal focus, instead of a centered modal. (#83)
• Restarting to install an update, and quitting with ⌘Q, now ask first when chats or background tasks (terminals, backgrounded shells) are still running. (#83)