Perch 0.3.0 · Your dashboard in the menu bar

Perch now connects the website and menu bar companion without requiring monitoring setup on the viewing Mac.

• Choose Keep in menu bar on your signed-in dashboard, review its address in Perch, and Save and open. The bird’s View my machines opens that dashboard in your default browser.
• Viewing and Monitor this Mac are separate paths. Saving a dashboard needs no machine token and never starts collection. Existing monitoring settings stay intact.
• Google sign-in remains in the browser. Handoff links carry only an HTTPS origin, with no cookies, tokens, or snapshots. Unsafe URL forms and unexpected link parameters are rejected.

Validation: 36 Node tests, 17 browser/accessibility checks, and 12 Swift tests pass. GitHub macOS CI built the universal DMG and checked the heartbeat wire format. A live signed-in website → installed app → browser round trip was verified with local monitoring left unconfigured.

Developer preview: macOS 13+, Apple silicon and Intel. Ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized by Apple; macOS may block this download. Do not disable Gatekeeper. Native heartbeat cloud integration and login-item relaunch remain unverified; the existing Node agent integration was verified separately.

The DMG includes Perch.app, an Applications shortcut, and updated installation notes. Use the accompanying SHA-256 file to check the download.

Perch 0.2.1 — One window at a time

Fixes the connection window and menu panel appearing together.

• Opening the bird menu hides the connection window.
• Returning to setup preserves the fields you have typed.
• Opening Settings cancels a queued menu-panel presentation.
• The Connect this Mac action stays in the fixed top bar.

Download the universal DMG below for macOS 13+ on Apple silicon or Intel. No Node.js runtime is required. Quit the previous app, then replace Perch.app in Applications.

Developer preview: ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized by Apple. macOS may block it from opening. Do not disable Gatekeeper. A SHA-256 checksum is included for download integrity.

Connect only to your own configured Perch server. The project’s public website is not a shared monitoring service. The native setup does not create Google or Redis accounts. Stop an older Terminal agent before connecting the native app.

Locally verified: menu/setup switching, setup draft preservation, and the updated download links. Real Mini heartbeat interruption/recovery and login-item relaunch remain unverified.

Perch 0.2.0 — Mac developer preview

The bird now lives in your Mac's menu bar. This first native developer preview includes connection setup, heartbeat receipts, pause/resume, a private-dashboard link, Keychain token storage, and optional Open at login.

The connection window keeps Connect this Mac and validation feedback in a fixed header while the form scrolls.

Download

Choose Perch-0.2.0-developer-preview.dmg below. The DMG contains Perch.app, an Applications shortcut, and installation notes. Requires macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. No Node.js runtime is required.

Developer preview: ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized by Apple. macOS may block this download from opening. A signed installation experience is still pending. Do not disable Gatekeeper. The SHA-256 file checks download integrity; it is not independent proof of authenticity.

Connect your own Mac

Configure your own Perch server, then enter its HTTPS origin, machine ID, and write-only token. The public project website is not a shared monitoring service. Nothing is collected or sent before you connect. Stop an earlier Perch Terminal agent before connecting the native app.

tmux metadata and this Mac's Tailscale addresses are separate opt-ins, off by default. Tokens remain in this Mac's Keychain. The app does not provide terminal access or remote execution.

Verification and remaining work

The native test suite covers transport boundaries, configuration validation, bounded collectors, and pause/failure/recovery behavior using test fixtures. Native UI checks cover blank-field validation, optional settings, and the fixed connection action. Web/API and browser checks cover the existing dashboard and download links.

Hosted Google sign-in and Redis, a real Mac heartbeat interruption/recovery, clean downloaded installation, signed-update Keychain continuity, and login-item relaunch still need integration verification. A missing heartbeat means unknown current state, not proof the Mac is powered off.