P5 Archive Browser 0.21 (Build 36)

Build 36 makes P5 inventory imports schema-safe and extends generation support from LTO-5 through LTO-10.

Highlights

• Imports both the six-column P5 Archive Export/direct nsdchat inventory and P5 Web GUI's eight-column Volume Inventory.
• Shows Review Inventory Columns before manual file, folder, or combined CSV + TSV import.
• Validates every row before changing the catalog and preserves the previous inventory when a replacement is unknown, mixed, malformed, or invalid.
• Reads file size from the correct schema column and preserves an empty trailing checksum field.
• Records detected schema and ordered field mapping as inventory-source provenance.
• Marks unknown watched layouts as needs_column_mapping instead of guessing.
• Adds cyan/teal LTO-5 and magenta LTO-10 indicators, including official LTO-10 LA/PA media identifiers and LTO-10 source folders.
• Documents official LTO-5 through LTO-10 native and advertised compressed capacities separately from content-size inference.
• Labels size-derived generation as “LTO-X or newer,” not exact media identification.

Compatibility

• macOS 14.6 or later.
• Existing six-column TSV inventories remain supported.
• P5 Web GUI eight-column inventories no longer require conversion.
• Unknown custom TSV layouts are rejected safely; an unrestricted custom field mapper is not included in this release.

Safety

P5 Archive Browser remains read-only toward the P5 server. Inventory imports change only the local catalog. Back up the catalog from Settings ▸ Catalog Data before large production tests.

Catalog storage and update checks

P5 Archive Browser v0.20 (Build 35)

Build 35 makes large local catalogs easier to manage and adds the same public
GitHub update-check workflow used by the other P5 apps.

What changed

• Catalog storage total: Settings ▸ Catalog Data reports the main SQLite
  database plus active WAL and shared-memory sidecars.
• Preferred Backup Folder: Manual backup panels start in the chosen folder,
  and automatic pre-reset backups use it. The destination can be on another
  mounted drive.
• Unavailable-drive protection: If the preferred backup folder is missing
  or not writable, reset stops before changing the catalog.
• Clean backup names: Manual backups end in exactly one .sqlite.
• Public update checks: Browser checks
  macvfx/P5-Archive-Browser at most once per day and alerts only when a newer
  version/build exists. P5 Archive Browser ▸ Check for Updates… performs an
  immediate check.

Update checks read public GitHub release metadata only. Browser never downloads
or installs an update automatically; Download opens the public release page.

Moving the active catalog database to another drive remains planned. That will
require a guarded backup, database close, verified copy, relaunch, and rollback
workflow rather than moving an open SQLite file.

This remains a read-only archive-catalog application. It does not load tapes,
restore files, submit archive jobs, or modify data on the P5 server.

See the
Tester Notes
for the recommended test pass and the
full pre-release notes
for the complete feature list.

Safer catalog maintenance

P5 Archive Browser v0.19 (Build 33)

Build 33 adds safer catalog maintenance and fixes metadata reconciliation
problems found while testing P5 exports.

What changed

• Catalog backup: Settings ▸ Catalog Data can create a consistent,
  standalone SQLite backup while the app remains open.
• Guarded catalog reset: Back Up and Reset Catalog stops the Watch Folder
  and requires an automatic dated backup to succeed before imported tapes,
  inventories, Archive Groups, and watch history are cleared. P5/project
  settings and the Keychain password are preserved.
• Quoted CSV repair: Balanced SQL-style outer single quotes are removed
  before matching volume IDs, labels, and barcodes. Settings can also remove
  narrowly identified quote-polluted CSV records when they contain no imported
  files.
• Location display: P5 Location remains visible and read-only. P5's
  <empty> sentinel displays as a dash and no longer creates a sidebar map pin;
  genuine shelf, slot, drive, or note values still display and remain
  searchable.
• Import guidance: The documentation now distinguishes the supported
  six-column P5 Archive Export/direct nsdchat TSV layout from Archiware's
  currently unsupported eight-column Web UI layout.

Build 33 also includes the v0.19 Archive Groups, durable Watch Folder history,
single-file TSV selection, P5-native vol_inventory filename handling,
barcode resolution by P5 volume ID, and bounded P5 connection preflights.

Important TSV compatibility note

Use the six-column order:

index path, ppath, size, handle, btime, mtime

Do not import the eight-column P5 Web UI order yet. It moves file size from
column 3 to column 4 and requires the schema-aware importer planned for a later
build.

This remains a read-only archive-catalog application. It does not load tapes,
restore files, submit archive jobs, or modify data on the P5 server.

See the
Tester Notes
for the recommended test pass and the
full pre-release notes
for the complete feature list.

Browse P5 inventory offline

P5 Archive Browser v0.19 (build 32)

This early test release adds user-managed catalog organization, safer and more
flexible P5 inventory imports, and network connection checks that prevent an
unreachable P5 server from needless timeouts.

Highlights

• Fast indexed file search across imported tape inventories.
• Files and Projects search modes with Recent and Saved searches.
• Search labels use query-first wording such as Apple - Files and
  Apple - Projects.
• File results open the matching tape and return to retained search results.
• Project tape rows open the selected project path and return to Project results.
• Large tape inventories load folder by folder instead of constructing the
  complete tree in memory.
• Tape-local searches retain the complete match count and display a bounded
  result list.
• Tape rows identify LTO generation by disc color and show visible indicators
  for a missing barcode, inferred generation, location, and live online/offline
  state. The User Guide includes the complete legend.
• Persistent Archive Groups organize tapes independently from TSV source-folder
  provenance.
• Archive Groups support create, rename, reorder, merge, safe deletion, search,
  multi-selection, and bulk tape moves.
• Collapsed disclosure groups and tape counts keep large sidebars compact.
• Reimports preserve manual Archive Group assignments.
• Combined Archive Folder import loads one top-level volume-list CSV before its
  root and generation-folder TSV inventories.
• Import File Inventory (TSV)… accepts either one selected TSV from a larger
  folder or the existing folder-based bulk import.
• P5-native Volume Inventory filenames such as the synthetic example
  90002_vol_inventory.tsv retain the numeric P5 volume ID and correctly leave
  Barcode empty; vol_inventory is a description, not a barcode.
• Build 31's mistaken vol barcode repairs automatically without
  clearing real, unusual, CSV, P5, or user-entered values.
• Barcode-less tapes with a P5 volume ID offer Resolve from P5 in Info &
  Notes. The lookup matches P5's volume list by label or numeric ID, then checks
  the individual volume detail.
• When P5 supplies a real label for a numeric TSV stub, the app merges the tape
  identity while preserving searchable inventory and Archive Group placement.
• Watch Folder history records source state, successful fingerprints,
  runs, attempts, interruption recovery, and inventory provenance.
• Bulk and single-tape P5 metadata refreshes run a bounded preflight and display
  a clear stopping message when P5 is unavailable.
• CSV and P5 API metadata provenance is visible separately from TSV inventory.
• P5 Tools lists archive indexes and archive plans.
• Read-only file verification automatically checks all discovered archive
  indexes and can show possible volume, barcode, and P5 location information.
• In-app help explains importing, searching, browsing, verification, and the
  restore handoff.
• Documentation recommends
  P5 Archive Export's Volume Export
  workflow for generating compatible per-volume TSV inventories, the optional
  volume-list CSV, and LTO-generation folders.

See Tester Notes for installation limitations and the
recommended test pass.

Browse P5 archive TSVs

Browse your P5 Archive TSV inventory offline, on your Mac.

Pro Tip: Create P5 Archive TSV with P5 Archive Export