chore: Bump version to 1.6.2

CLAUDE.md's release-notes convention says "write them to
releases/v<version>/RELEASE_NOTES.md BEFORE running the script" — but
the script's git-clean preflight rejected any working-tree state
including that exact file as untracked. Chicken-and-egg: you couldn't
follow the documented flow.

Preflight now whitelists releases/v<VERSION>/RELEASE_NOTES.md as the one
allowed untracked path. Everything else still fails the check.

Caught while running v1.6.2.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitignore

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # Xcode
 build/
+.gh-pages-worktree/
 DerivedData/
 *.pbxuser
 !default.pbxuser
@@ -46,3 +47,8 @@ scarf/standards/backups/
 
 # Scarf project dashboards (user-specific)
 .scarf/
+
+# Release artifacts — GitHub Releases hosts the binaries; no need to bloat git
+# history. RELEASE_NOTES.md stays tracked (committed with the version bump).
+releases/v*/*.zip
+releases/v*/appcast-entry.xml

CLAUDE.md

@@ -39,6 +39,26 @@ scarf/scarf/           Xcode project root (PBXFileSystemSynchronizedRootGroup
 xcodebuild -project scarf/scarf.xcodeproj -scheme scarf -configuration Debug build
 ```
 
+## Releases
+
+Shipped via a single local script. **Never run manual `xcodebuild archive` / `notarytool` / `gh release create` steps — use the script so nothing is skipped or misordered.**
+
+```bash
+./scripts/release.sh <version>           # full release: notarize → appcast → gh-pages → tag
+./scripts/release.sh <version> --draft   # draft: everything builds + notarizes, but appcast/tag are skipped
+```
+
+The script bumps version, archives Universal (arm64 + x86_64) + ARM64-only variants, signs with Developer ID, notarizes via `xcrun notarytool` (keychain profile `scarf-notary`), staples, EdDSA-signs the appcast entry with Sparkle's key, pushes the appcast to `gh-pages`, and creates a GitHub release with both zips attached. Draft mode stops after the release is uploaded so the current version stays "latest" until explicitly promoted.
+
+**Release notes convention:** write them to `releases/v<version>/RELEASE_NOTES.md` BEFORE running the script — it's auto-included in the version-bump commit and used as the GitHub release body. If absent, a placeholder is used.
+
+**Canonical prompts (any of these trigger the flow):**
+- "Release v1.6.2" — full release
+- "Release v1.6.2 as draft" — draft mode
+- "Prepare v1.6.2 release notes from recent commits, then release" — generate notes first, then run
+
+**Prerequisites (one-time, already set up on Alan's machine):** Developer ID Application cert in login Keychain (team `3Q6X2L86C4`), notarytool keychain profile `scarf-notary`, Sparkle EdDSA private key in Keychain item `https://sparkle-project.org`, `gh-pages` branch + GitHub Pages enabled. See the header of [scripts/release.sh](scripts/release.sh) and the Releases section in [README.md](README.md) for details.
+
 ## Hermes Version
 
 Targets Hermes v0.9.0 (v2026.4.13). Log lines may carry an optional `[session_id]` tag between the level and logger name — `HermesLogService.parseLine` treats the session tag as an optional capture group, so older untagged lines still parse.

README.md

@@ -101,10 +101,12 @@ If a Hermes update changes the database schema or CLI output format, Scarf may n
 Download the latest build from [Releases](https://github.com/awizemann/scarf/releases):
 
 - `Scarf-vX.X.X-Universal.zip` — Apple Silicon + Intel (recommended)
-- `Scarf-vX.X.X-ARM64.zip` — Apple Silicon only (smaller)
+- `Scarf-vX.X.X-ARM64.zip` — Apple Silicon only (smaller download)
 
 1. Unzip and drag **Scarf.app** to Applications
-2. On first launch, right-click and choose **Open** (or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway)
+2. Launch normally — builds are Developer ID signed and notarized, so Gatekeeper accepts them on first launch
+
+Scarf checks for updates automatically on launch via [Sparkle](https://sparkle-project.org) and daily thereafter. You can disable automatic checks or trigger a manual check from **Settings → General → Updates** or the menu bar icon.
 
 ### Build from Source
 
@@ -178,6 +180,7 @@ The app opens `state.db` in read-only mode to avoid WAL contention with Hermes.
 | Package | Purpose |
 |---------|---------|
 | [SwiftTerm](https://github.com/migueldeicaza/SwiftTerm) | Terminal emulator for the Chat feature |
+| [Sparkle](https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle) | Auto-updates from the GitHub-hosted appcast |
 
 Everything else uses system frameworks: SQLite3 C API, Foundation JSON, AttributedString markdown, SwiftUI Charts, GCD file watching.
 
@@ -327,6 +330,20 @@ Your agent can update the dashboard as part of cron jobs, after builds, or whene
 
 Each section defines a grid with 1–4 columns. Widgets flow left-to-right, wrapping to new rows. See [DASHBOARD_SCHEMA.md](scarf/docs/DASHBOARD_SCHEMA.md) for the full schema reference with examples of every widget type.
 
+## Releases
+
+Scarf ships through GitHub releases — the App Store is not supported because Scarf spawns the user-installed `hermes` binary and reads `~/.hermes/` directly, both of which App Sandbox forbids.
+
+Each release goes through a single local script: [scripts/release.sh](scripts/release.sh). The script archives a universal binary, signs it with the Developer ID Application cert, submits to `notarytool`, staples the ticket, produces the distribution zip, signs an appcast entry with Sparkle's EdDSA key, pushes an updated `appcast.xml` to the `gh-pages` branch, creates the GitHub release, and tags `main`.
+
+The Sparkle appcast is served from [awizemann.github.io/scarf/appcast.xml](https://awizemann.github.io/scarf/appcast.xml).
+
+Signing prerequisites (one-time):
+
+- `Developer ID Application` certificate in the login Keychain
+- `scarf-notary` keychain profile registered via `xcrun notarytool store-credentials`
+- Sparkle EdDSA private key in Keychain item `https://sparkle-project.org` (back this up — without it, shipped apps can never receive updates)
+
 ## Contributing
 
 Contributions are welcome. Please open an issue to discuss what you'd like to change before submitting a PR.

releases/v1.6.1/RELEASE_NOTES.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+## What's New in 1.6.1
+
+### Auto-updates
+
+Scarf now ships with [Sparkle](https://sparkle-project.org). On launch (and daily thereafter) it checks an EdDSA-signed appcast at [awizemann.github.io/scarf/appcast.xml](https://awizemann.github.io/scarf/appcast.xml). When a new version is available you'll get an in-app update prompt — no more manually downloading zips and dragging into Applications.
+
+You can disable automatic checks or trigger a manual one from **Settings → General → Updates**, the menu bar icon, or the **Scarf → Check for Updates…** menu item.
+
+### Notarized & Developer ID signed
+
+This is the first release that's properly Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. Gatekeeper accepts it on first launch — no more right-click → Open dance, no more "Scarf cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified" warnings.
+
+### Fixes
+
+- Chat works correctly when no terminal hermes session is running, and surfaces the real error when it can't reach the agent (b6df…)
+
+### Under the hood
+
+- Tracked `Info.plist` (replacing auto-generation) so signing-relevant keys live in version control
+- New `UpdaterService` wraps Sparkle and is injected via SwiftUI `.environment()`
+- One-command release pipeline at [scripts/release.sh](https://github.com/awizemann/scarf/blob/main/scripts/release.sh) handles archive → sign → notarize → staple → appcast → GitHub release → tag
+
+---
+
+**Migrating from 1.6.0:** unzip and replace your existing `Scarf.app` in `/Applications`. After this release, future updates install in-place via Sparkle.

releases/v1.6.2/RELEASE_NOTES.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+## What's New in 1.6.2
+
+### Fixes
+
+- **No more bogus "missing credentials" banner on Chat.** The orange "No AI provider credentials detected" warning was firing on the Chat tab whenever no session was selected, even for users whose credentials were configured and working. Root cause: the preflight check only inspected `~/.hermes/.env` and shell environment variables, missing the Credential Pools file at `~/.hermes/auth.json` (the in-app flow introduced in 1.6.0) and `api_key:` fields in `config.yaml`. The check now covers all four locations Hermes itself reads at runtime, so if you've added credentials via **Configure → Credential Pools**, the warning stays hidden.
+
+### Polish
+
+- Banner subtitle updated to point users at the in-app Credential Pools flow first, rather than prescribing `.env` edits.
+
+---
+
+**Upgrading from 1.6.1:** Sparkle will offer the update automatically. You can also trigger a check via **Scarf → Check for Updates…** or the menu bar icon.

scarf/scarf.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 /* Begin PBXBuildFile section */
 		53495AB62F7B992C00BD31AD /* SwiftTerm in Frameworks */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; productRef = 53SWIFTTERM0001 /* SwiftTerm */; };
+		53SPARKLE00010 /* Sparkle in Frameworks */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; productRef = 53SPARKLE00011 /* Sparkle */; };
 /* End PBXBuildFile section */
 
 /* Begin PBXContainerItemProxy section */
@@ -33,9 +34,22 @@
 		534959592F7B83B700BD31AD /* scarfUITests.xctest */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; explicitFileType = wrapper.cfbundle; includeInIndex = 0; path = scarfUITests.xctest; sourceTree = BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR; };
 /* End PBXFileReference section */
 
+/* Begin PBXFileSystemSynchronizedBuildFileExceptionSet section */
+		534959AA2F7B83B600BD31AD /* Exceptions for "scarf" folder in "scarf" target */ = {
+			isa = PBXFileSystemSynchronizedBuildFileExceptionSet;
+			membershipExceptions = (
+				Info.plist,
+			);
+			target = 5349593F2F7B83B600BD31AD /* scarf */;
+		};
+/* End PBXFileSystemSynchronizedBuildFileExceptionSet section */
+
 /* Begin PBXFileSystemSynchronizedRootGroup section */
 		534959422F7B83B600BD31AD /* scarf */ = {
 			isa = PBXFileSystemSynchronizedRootGroup;
+			exceptions = (
+				534959AA2F7B83B600BD31AD /* Exceptions for "scarf" folder in "scarf" target */,
+			);
 			path = scarf;
 			sourceTree = "<group>";
 		};
@@ -57,6 +71,7 @@
 			buildActionMask = 2147483647;
 			files = (
 				53495AB62F7B992C00BD31AD /* SwiftTerm in Frameworks */,
+				53SPARKLE00010 /* Sparkle in Frameworks */,
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 		};
@@ -118,6 +133,7 @@
 			name = scarf;
 			packageProductDependencies = (
 				53SWIFTTERM0001 /* SwiftTerm */,
+				53SPARKLE00011 /* Sparkle */,
 			);
 			productName = scarf;
 			productReference = 534959402F7B83B600BD31AD /* scarf.app */;
@@ -203,6 +219,7 @@
 			minimizedProjectReferenceProxies = 1;
 			packageReferences = (
 				53SWIFTTERM0002 /* XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference "SwiftTerm" */,
+				53SPARKLE00012 /* XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference "Sparkle" */,
 			);
 			preferredProjectObjectVersion = 77;
 			productRefGroup = 534959412F7B83B600BD31AD /* Products */;
@@ -407,23 +424,20 @@
 				CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS = scarf/scarf.entitlements;
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
 				COMBINE_HIDPI_IMAGES = YES;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 11;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 18;
 				DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 3Q6X2L86C4;
 				ENABLE_APP_SANDBOX = NO;
 				ENABLE_HARDENED_RUNTIME = YES;
 				ENABLE_PREVIEWS = YES;
-				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_CFBundleDisplayName = Scarf;
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_LSApplicationCategoryType = "public.app-category.utilities";
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSHumanReadableCopyright = "";
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSMicrophoneUsageDescription = "Scarf uses the microphone for Hermes voice chat.";
+				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = NO;
+				INFOPLIST_FILE = scarf/Info.plist;
 				LD_RUNPATH_SEARCH_PATHS = (
 					"$(inherited)",
 					"@executable_path/../Frameworks",
 				);
 				MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 14.6;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.0;
-				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarf;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.2;
+				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarf.app;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				REGISTER_APP_GROUPS = YES;
 				STRING_CATALOG_GENERATE_SYMBOLS = YES;
@@ -444,23 +458,20 @@
 				CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS = scarf/scarf.entitlements;
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
 				COMBINE_HIDPI_IMAGES = YES;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 11;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 18;
 				DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 3Q6X2L86C4;
 				ENABLE_APP_SANDBOX = NO;
 				ENABLE_HARDENED_RUNTIME = YES;
 				ENABLE_PREVIEWS = YES;
-				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_CFBundleDisplayName = Scarf;
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_LSApplicationCategoryType = "public.app-category.utilities";
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSHumanReadableCopyright = "";
-				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSMicrophoneUsageDescription = "Scarf uses the microphone for Hermes voice chat.";
+				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = NO;
+				INFOPLIST_FILE = scarf/Info.plist;
 				LD_RUNPATH_SEARCH_PATHS = (
 					"$(inherited)",
 					"@executable_path/../Frameworks",
 				);
 				MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 14.6;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.0;
-				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarf;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.2;
+				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarf.app;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				REGISTER_APP_GROUPS = YES;
 				STRING_CATALOG_GENERATE_SYMBOLS = YES;
@@ -477,11 +488,11 @@
 			buildSettings = {
 				BUNDLE_LOADER = "$(TEST_HOST)";
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 4;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 18;
 				DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 3Q6X2L86C4;
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
 				MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 26.2;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.5.0;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.2;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarfTests;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				STRING_CATALOG_GENERATE_SYMBOLS = NO;
@@ -498,11 +509,11 @@
 			buildSettings = {
 				BUNDLE_LOADER = "$(TEST_HOST)";
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 4;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 18;
 				DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 3Q6X2L86C4;
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
 				MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 26.2;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.5.0;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.2;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarfTests;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				STRING_CATALOG_GENERATE_SYMBOLS = NO;
@@ -518,10 +529,10 @@
 			isa = XCBuildConfiguration;
 			buildSettings = {
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 4;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 18;
 				DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 3Q6X2L86C4;
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.5.0;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.2;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarfUITests;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				STRING_CATALOG_GENERATE_SYMBOLS = NO;
@@ -537,10 +548,10 @@
 			isa = XCBuildConfiguration;
 			buildSettings = {
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 4;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 18;
 				DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = 3Q6X2L86C4;
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.5.0;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 1.6.2;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.scarfUITests;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				STRING_CATALOG_GENERATE_SYMBOLS = NO;
@@ -594,6 +605,14 @@
 /* End XCConfigurationList section */
 
 /* Begin XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference section */
+		53SPARKLE00012 /* XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference "Sparkle" */ = {
+			isa = XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference;
+			repositoryURL = "https://github.com/sparkle-project/Sparkle";
+			requirement = {
+				kind = upToNextMajorVersion;
+				minimumVersion = 2.6.0;
+			};
+		};
 		53SWIFTTERM0002 /* XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference "SwiftTerm" */ = {
 			isa = XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference;
 			repositoryURL = "https://github.com/migueldeicaza/SwiftTerm.git";
@@ -605,6 +624,11 @@
 /* End XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference section */
 
 /* Begin XCSwiftPackageProductDependency section */
+		53SPARKLE00011 /* Sparkle */ = {
+			isa = XCSwiftPackageProductDependency;
+			package = 53SPARKLE00012 /* XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference "Sparkle" */;
+			productName = Sparkle;
+		};
 		53SWIFTTERM0001 /* SwiftTerm */ = {
 			isa = XCSwiftPackageProductDependency;
 			package = 53SWIFTTERM0002 /* XCRemoteSwiftPackageReference "SwiftTerm" */;

scarf/scarf/Core/Models/HermesConstants.swift

@@ -19,10 +19,30 @@ enum HermesPaths: Sendable {
     nonisolated static let errorsLog: String = home + "/logs/errors.log"
     nonisolated static let agentLog: String = home + "/logs/agent.log"
     nonisolated static let gatewayLog: String = home + "/logs/gateway.log"
-    nonisolated static let hermesBinary: String = userHome + "/.local/bin/hermes"
     nonisolated static let scarfDir: String = home + "/scarf"
     nonisolated static let projectsRegistry: String = scarfDir + "/projects.json"
     nonisolated static let mcpTokensDir: String = home + "/mcp-tokens"
+
+    /// Install locations we look for the `hermes` binary in, in priority order.
+    /// Checked every access so a user installing via a different method doesn't
+    /// need to relaunch Scarf.
+    nonisolated static let hermesBinaryCandidates: [String] = [
+        userHome + "/.local/bin/hermes",   // pipx / pip --user (default)
+        "/opt/homebrew/bin/hermes",        // Homebrew on Apple Silicon
+        "/usr/local/bin/hermes",           // Homebrew on Intel / manual install
+        userHome + "/.hermes/bin/hermes"   // Some self-install layouts
+    ]
+
+    /// Resolved path to the `hermes` executable. Returns the first candidate
+    /// that exists and is executable; falls back to the pipx default so error
+    /// messages ("Expected at …") still make sense on a fresh machine.
+    nonisolated static var hermesBinary: String {
+        for path in hermesBinaryCandidates
+        where FileManager.default.isExecutableFile(atPath: path) {
+            return path
+        }
+        return hermesBinaryCandidates[0]
+    }
 }
 
 // MARK: - SQLite Constants

scarf/scarf/Core/Services/ACPClient.swift

@@ -24,6 +24,27 @@ actor ACPClient {
     private(set) var currentSessionId: String?
     private(set) var statusMessage = ""
 
+    /// Ring buffer of recent stderr lines from `hermes acp` — used to attach
+    /// a diagnostic tail to user-visible errors. Capped to avoid unbounded
+    /// growth when the subprocess logs heavily.
+    private var stderrBuffer: [String] = []
+    private static let stderrBufferMaxLines = 50
+
+    /// Returns the last ~`stderrBufferMaxLines` stderr lines captured from the
+    /// `hermes acp` subprocess, joined by newlines.
+    var recentStderr: String {
+        stderrBuffer.joined(separator: "\n")
+    }
+
+    fileprivate func appendStderr(_ text: String) {
+        for line in text.split(separator: "\n", omittingEmptySubsequences: true) {
+            stderrBuffer.append(String(line))
+        }
+        if stderrBuffer.count > Self.stderrBufferMaxLines {
+            stderrBuffer.removeFirst(stderrBuffer.count - Self.stderrBufferMaxLines)
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Check if the underlying process is still alive and connected.
     var isHealthy: Bool {
         guard isConnected, let process else { return false }
@@ -398,7 +419,8 @@ actor ACPClient {
             await self?.handleReadLoopEnded()
         }
 
-        // Read stderr in background for diagnostic logging
+        // Read stderr in background for diagnostic logging AND ring-buffer
+        // capture so we can attach a tail to user-visible errors.
         stderrTask = Task.detached { [weak self] in
             let handle = stderr.fileHandleForReading
             while !Task.isCancelled {
@@ -407,6 +429,7 @@ actor ACPClient {
                 if let text = String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines),
                    !text.isEmpty {
                     await self?.logger.info("ACP stderr: \(text.prefix(500))")
+                    await self?.appendStderr(text)
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -516,3 +539,35 @@ enum ACPClientError: Error, LocalizedError {
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// Maps a raw error message (RPC message or captured stderr) to a short
+/// human-readable hint for the chat UI. Pattern-matches the most common
+/// fresh-install failure modes. Returns nil when no known pattern matches.
+enum ACPErrorHint {
+    static func classify(errorMessage: String, stderrTail: String) -> String? {
+        let haystack = errorMessage + "\n" + stderrTail
+        if haystack.range(of: #"No\s+(Anthropic|OpenAI|OpenRouter|Gemini|Google|Groq|Mistral|XAI)?\s*credentials\s+found"#,
+                          options: .regularExpression) != nil
+            || haystack.contains("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY")
+            || haystack.contains("ANTHROPIC_TOKEN")
+            || haystack.contains("claude setup-token")
+            || haystack.contains("claude /login") {
+            return "Hermes can't find your AI provider credentials. Set `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` (or similar) in `~/.hermes/.env` or your shell profile, then restart Scarf."
+        }
+        if let match = haystack.range(of: #"No such file or directory:\s*'([^']+)'"#,
+                                      options: .regularExpression) {
+            let matched = String(haystack[match])
+            if let nameStart = matched.range(of: "'"),
+               let nameEnd = matched.range(of: "'", range: nameStart.upperBound..<matched.endIndex) {
+                let name = String(matched[nameStart.upperBound..<nameEnd.lowerBound])
+                return "Hermes couldn't find `\(name)` on PATH. If you use nvm/asdf/mise, make sure it's exported in `~/.zprofile` (not only `~/.zshrc`), then restart Scarf."
+            }
+            return "Hermes couldn't find a required binary on PATH. Check that your shell's PATH is exported in `~/.zprofile`, then restart Scarf."
+        }
+        if haystack.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("rate limit")
+            || haystack.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("429") {
+            return "Your AI provider returned a rate-limit error. Try again in a moment."
+        }
+        return nil
+    }
+}

scarf/scarf/Core/Services/HermesFileService.swift

@@ -1203,58 +1203,66 @@ struct HermesFileService: Sendable {
     }
 
     nonisolated func hermesBinaryPath() -> String? {
-        let candidates = [
-            ("\(NSHomeDirectory())/.local/bin/hermes"),
-            "/opt/homebrew/bin/hermes",
-            "/usr/local/bin/hermes"
-        ]
-        return candidates.first { FileManager.default.isExecutableFile(atPath: $0) }
+        // Single source of truth for install-location candidates lives in
+        // HermesPaths.hermesBinaryCandidates — keeps pipx/brew/manual lookups
+        // consistent across the app.
+        return HermesPaths.hermesBinaryCandidates
+            .first { FileManager.default.isExecutableFile(atPath: $0) }
     }
 
-    /// PATH cobbled together from the user's login shell — needed because
-    /// .app bundles launched from Finder/Dock get a minimal PATH (no Homebrew,
-    /// no nvm, no asdf, no mise). Without this, MCP servers using `npx`,
-    /// `node`, `python`, `uv`, etc. fail to launch with `[Errno 2] No such
-    /// file or directory`. Computed once and cached.
-    private static let enrichedPath: String = {
-        let pipe = Pipe()
-        let errPipe = Pipe()
-        let process = Process()
-        process.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/bin/zsh")
-        // -l sources the user's login files (.zprofile, .zshrc via /etc/zshrc
-        // chain on macOS) so PATH manipulations made there are picked up.
-        // Skip -i to avoid hangs from interactive prompts.
-        process.arguments = ["-l", "-c", "echo $PATH"]
-        process.standardOutput = pipe
-        process.standardError = errPipe
-        defer {
-            try? pipe.fileHandleForReading.close()
-            try? pipe.fileHandleForWriting.close()
-            try? errPipe.fileHandleForReading.close()
-            try? errPipe.fileHandleForWriting.close()
+    /// Keys queried from the user's login shell. PATH is needed because .app
+    /// bundles launched from Finder/Dock get a minimal PATH (no Homebrew, no
+    /// nvm, no asdf, no mise). The credential keys are needed because Hermes
+    /// resolves AI provider auth by reading env vars — a GUI-launched Scarf
+    /// subprocess sees none of the `export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=…` lines from
+    /// the user's shell init files.
+    private static let shellEnvKeys: [String] = [
+        "PATH",
+        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "ANTHROPIC_TOKEN", "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL",
+        "OPENAI_API_KEY", "OPENAI_BASE_URL",
+        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY",
+        "GEMINI_API_KEY", "GOOGLE_API_KEY",
+        "GROQ_API_KEY", "MISTRAL_API_KEY", "XAI_API_KEY",
+        "CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN"
+    ]
+
+    /// Env vars harvested from the user's login shell. Computed once and cached.
+    ///
+    /// Probing strategy — two attempts, best result wins:
+    /// 1. `zsh -l -i` (login + interactive) — sources BOTH `.zprofile` and
+    ///    `.zshrc`, which is required for nvm/asdf/mise PATH on most setups
+    ///    (those tools inject PATH from `.zshrc`, not `.zprofile`).
+    ///    Interactive mode can hang on prompt frameworks (oh-my-zsh,
+    ///    powerlevel10k, starship) so we suppress prompts via env and bound
+    ///    with a 5-second timeout.
+    /// 2. If that yields no PATH (timed out / prompt framework broke it),
+    ///    fall back to `zsh -l` (login only) with a 3-second timeout.
+    /// 3. If that also fails, hardcoded sane-default PATH; no credentials.
+    private static let enrichedShellEnv: [String: String] = {
+        // Build a shell script that prints `KEY\0VALUE\0` for each key.
+        // Using printf with \0 as separator lets us unambiguously split the
+        // output even if a value contains newlines.
+        let script = shellEnvKeys.map { key in
+            #"printf '%s\0%s\0' "\#(key)" "$\#(key)""#
+        }.joined(separator: "; ")
+
+        // Attempt 1: login + interactive (covers nvm/asdf/mise in .zshrc).
+        if let result = runShellProbe(script: script, interactive: true, timeout: 5.0),
+           result["PATH"] != nil {
+            return result
         }
-        do {
-            try process.run()
-            let deadline = Date().addingTimeInterval(3)
-            while process.isRunning && Date() < deadline {
-                Thread.sleep(forTimeInterval: 0.05)
-            }
-            if process.isRunning { process.terminate() }
-            process.waitUntilExit()
-            let data = pipe.fileHandleForReading.readDataToEndOfFile()
-            let path = (String(data: data, encoding: .utf8) ?? "")
-                .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
-            if process.terminationStatus == 0 && !path.isEmpty {
-                return path
-            }
-        } catch {
-            // Fall through to default below.
+        // Attempt 2: login only (safe fallback if interactive hangs).
+        if let result = runShellProbe(script: script, interactive: false, timeout: 3.0),
+           result["PATH"] != nil {
+            return result
         }
+
         // Fallback when the login shell can't be queried (zsh missing,
         // sandbox restriction, timeout). Covers Apple Silicon + Intel
-        // Homebrew plus the standard system paths.
+        // Homebrew plus the standard system paths. No credential env is
+        // inferred — the user will see the missing-credentials hint instead.
         let home = NSHomeDirectory()
-        return [
+        let fallbackPath = [
             "\(home)/.local/bin",
             "/opt/homebrew/bin",
             "/usr/local/bin",
@@ -1263,18 +1271,160 @@ struct HermesFileService: Sendable {
             "/usr/sbin",
             "/sbin"
         ].joined(separator: ":")
+        return ["PATH": fallbackPath]
     }()
 
+    /// Runs a zsh probe with the given script and returns the parsed
+    /// `KEY\0VALUE\0`-delimited output. Returns nil on timeout/failure.
+    /// When `interactive` is true, injects env vars that suppress common
+    /// prompt frameworks so the shell doesn't hang waiting for terminal setup.
+    private static func runShellProbe(script: String, interactive: Bool, timeout: TimeInterval) -> [String: String]? {
+        let pipe = Pipe()
+        let errPipe = Pipe()
+        let process = Process()
+        process.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/bin/zsh")
+        process.arguments = interactive ? ["-l", "-i", "-c", script] : ["-l", "-c", script]
+        process.standardOutput = pipe
+        process.standardError = errPipe
+
+        if interactive {
+            // Defang prompt frameworks so -i doesn't hang on async prompt init.
+            // We still inherit the parent env (HOME, USER etc.) so rc files resolve.
+            var env = ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment
+            env["TERM"] = "dumb"                       // disables fancy prompt setup
+            env["PS1"] = ""
+            env["PROMPT"] = ""
+            env["RPROMPT"] = ""
+            env["POWERLEVEL9K_INSTANT_PROMPT"] = "off" // p10k
+            env["STARSHIP_DISABLE"] = "1"              // starship (some versions)
+            env["ZSH_DISABLE_COMPFIX"] = "true"        // oh-my-zsh compaudit hang
+            process.environment = env
+        }
+
+        defer {
+            try? pipe.fileHandleForReading.close()
+            try? pipe.fileHandleForWriting.close()
+            try? errPipe.fileHandleForReading.close()
+            try? errPipe.fileHandleForWriting.close()
+        }
+        do {
+            try process.run()
+            let deadline = Date().addingTimeInterval(timeout)
+            while process.isRunning && Date() < deadline {
+                Thread.sleep(forTimeInterval: 0.05)
+            }
+            if process.isRunning {
+                process.terminate()
+                // Brief grace period for SIGTERM to take; then the defer
+                // cleanup closes the pipes regardless.
+                Thread.sleep(forTimeInterval: 0.1)
+                return nil
+            }
+            process.waitUntilExit()
+            let data = pipe.fileHandleForReading.readDataToEndOfFile()
+            guard process.terminationStatus == 0, !data.isEmpty else { return nil }
+            var result: [String: String] = [:]
+            let parts = data.split(separator: 0, omittingEmptySubsequences: false)
+            var i = 0
+            while i + 1 < parts.count {
+                if let key = String(data: Data(parts[i]), encoding: .utf8),
+                   let value = String(data: Data(parts[i + 1]), encoding: .utf8),
+                   !key.isEmpty, !value.isEmpty {
+                    result[key] = value
+                }
+                i += 2
+            }
+            return result.isEmpty ? nil : result
+        } catch {
+            return nil
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Environment to hand any subprocess that may itself spawn user-installed
-    /// binaries (Hermes spawning MCP servers, ACP tool calls, etc.). Identical
-    /// to ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment but with PATH replaced by the
-    /// login-shell PATH.
+    /// binaries (Hermes spawning MCP servers, ACP tool calls, etc.). Starts
+    /// from ProcessInfo.environment and overlays PATH + allowlisted credential
+    /// env vars harvested from the user's login shell.
     nonisolated static func enrichedEnvironment() -> [String: String] {
         var env = ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment
-        env["PATH"] = enrichedPath
+        for (key, value) in enrichedShellEnv where !value.isEmpty {
+            // Shell wins for PATH (we explicitly want the enriched one). For
+            // credential keys, also let the shell win — GUI env rarely has
+            // them, and if it does, the shell-exported value is usually the
+            // one the user actually maintains.
+            env[key] = value
+        }
         return env
     }
 
+    /// True if any known AI-provider credential is reachable. Hermes itself
+    /// resolves credentials from four locations at runtime, so the preflight
+    /// mirrors that set to avoid false "no credentials" warnings:
+    ///   1. Current process env + login-shell env (queried once at startup)
+    ///   2. `~/.hermes/.env`
+    ///   3. `~/.hermes/auth.json` — Credential Pools (v1.6+ blessed flow)
+    ///   4. `~/.hermes/config.yaml` — embedded `api_key:` for auxiliary /
+    ///      delegation tasks
+    /// Used by Chat to warn the user before `hermes acp` fails on send with
+    /// "No Anthropic credentials found".
+    nonisolated static func hasAnyAICredential() -> Bool {
+        let credentialKeys = shellEnvKeys.filter { $0 != "PATH" && $0 != "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL" && $0 != "OPENAI_BASE_URL" }
+        let env = enrichedEnvironment()
+        for key in credentialKeys {
+            if let value = env[key], !value.isEmpty {
+                return true
+            }
+        }
+        // Scan ~/.hermes/.env for KEY= lines. Uses a simple substring check —
+        // good enough for a preflight hint; hermes itself does the real parse.
+        let envPath = HermesPaths.home + "/.env"
+        if let data = try? String(contentsOfFile: envPath, encoding: .utf8) {
+            for line in data.split(separator: "\n") {
+                let trimmed = line.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
+                if trimmed.isEmpty || trimmed.hasPrefix("#") { continue }
+                for key in credentialKeys where trimmed.hasPrefix("\(key)=") || trimmed.hasPrefix("export \(key)=") {
+                    // Must have a non-empty value after `=`
+                    if let eq = trimmed.firstIndex(of: "="),
+                       trimmed.index(after: eq) < trimmed.endIndex {
+                        let value = trimmed[trimmed.index(after: eq)...]
+                            .trimmingCharacters(in: CharacterSet(charactersIn: "\"' "))
+                        if !value.isEmpty { return true }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // Scan ~/.hermes/auth.json — the Credential Pools file written by the
+        // Configure → Credential Pools UI. Schema is
+        //   { "credential_pool": { "<provider>": [ { "access_token": "...", ... }, ... ] } }
+        // Defensive parse: any malformed input falls through to the next check.
+        let authPath = HermesPaths.home + "/auth.json"
+        if let data = try? Data(contentsOf: URL(fileURLWithPath: authPath)),
+           let root = try? JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data) as? [String: Any],
+           let pool = root["credential_pool"] as? [String: Any] {
+            for (_, entries) in pool {
+                guard let list = entries as? [[String: Any]] else { continue }
+                for cred in list {
+                    if let token = cred["access_token"] as? String, !token.isEmpty {
+                        return true
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // Scan ~/.hermes/config.yaml for `api_key:` lines with a non-empty
+        // value. Covers both `auxiliary.<task>.api_key` and `delegation.api_key`
+        // without needing to parse the YAML structure — any leaf `api_key: ...`
+        // with a value means Hermes has a credential to fall back on.
+        if let text = try? String(contentsOfFile: HermesPaths.configYAML, encoding: .utf8) {
+            for line in text.split(separator: "\n") {
+                let trimmed = line.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
+                guard trimmed.hasPrefix("api_key:") else { continue }
+                let value = trimmed.dropFirst("api_key:".count)
+                    .trimmingCharacters(in: CharacterSet(charactersIn: "\"' "))
+                if !value.isEmpty { return true }
+            }
+        }
+        return false
+    }
+
     @discardableResult
     nonisolated func runHermesCLI(args: [String], timeout: TimeInterval = 60, stdinInput: String? = nil) -> (exitCode: Int32, output: String) {
         guard let binary = hermesBinaryPath() else { return (-1, "") }

scarf/scarf/Core/Services/UpdaterService.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import Foundation
+import Sparkle
+
+/// Thin wrapper around Sparkle's `SPUStandardUpdaterController`.
+///
+/// Sparkle reads `SUFeedURL`, `SUPublicEDKey`, and check-interval defaults from Info.plist.
+/// This service exposes the bits the UI needs: a "check now" trigger, a toggle for automatic
+/// checks, and observable state for the Settings screen.
+@MainActor
+@Observable
+final class UpdaterService: NSObject {
+    private let controller: SPUStandardUpdaterController
+
+    /// User-facing toggle. Mirrors `updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates`.
+    var automaticallyChecksForUpdates: Bool {
+        get { controller.updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates }
+        set { controller.updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates = newValue }
+    }
+
+    /// Last time Sparkle checked the appcast (nil before the first check).
+    var lastUpdateCheckDate: Date? {
+        controller.updater.lastUpdateCheckDate
+    }
+
+    override init() {
+        // startingUpdater: true → Sparkle scans for updates on launch per Info.plist schedule.
+        // Default delegates are sufficient for a non-sandboxed app.
+        self.controller = SPUStandardUpdaterController(
+            startingUpdater: true,
+            updaterDelegate: nil,
+            userDriverDelegate: nil
+        )
+        super.init()
+    }
+
+    /// Triggers a user-initiated update check. Sparkle handles the UI (alert, progress, install).
+    func checkForUpdates() {
+        controller.checkForUpdates(nil)
+    }
+}

scarf/scarf/Features/Chat/ViewModels/ChatViewModel.swift

@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
     var isACPConnected: Bool { acpClient != nil && hasActiveProcess }
     var acpStatus: String = ""
     var acpError: String?
+    /// Human-readable hint derived from error + stderr (e.g. "set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY").
+    /// Shown above the raw error in the UI when present.
+    var acpErrorHint: String?
+    /// Tail of stderr captured from `hermes acp` at the time of the last
+    /// failure — shown in a collapsible details section so users can copy/paste.
+    var acpErrorDetails: String?
+    /// True when `hasAnyAICredential()` returned false at last preflight.
+    var missingCredentials: Bool = false
 
     private static let maxReconnectAttempts = 5
     private static let reconnectBaseDelay: UInt64 = 1_000_000_000 // 1 second
@@ -39,6 +47,34 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
         FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: HermesPaths.hermesBinary)
     }
 
+    /// Re-checks env + `~/.hermes/.env` for AI-provider credentials and
+    /// updates `missingCredentials`. Cheap — safe to call from view `.task`.
+    func refreshCredentialPreflight() {
+        missingCredentials = !HermesFileService.hasAnyAICredential()
+    }
+
+    /// Clears the error/hint/details triplet so future failures overwrite
+    /// cleanly instead of stacking on top of stale state.
+    private func clearACPErrorState() {
+        acpError = nil
+        acpErrorHint = nil
+        acpErrorDetails = nil
+    }
+
+    /// Populates acpError, acpErrorHint, acpErrorDetails from an error + the
+    /// stderr tail the ACP client captured, and logs the failure with a
+    /// site-specific context label. Call on any failure path.
+    @MainActor
+    private func recordACPFailure(_ error: Error, client: ACPClient?, context: String) async {
+        let msg = error.localizedDescription
+        logger.error("\(context): \(msg)")
+        let stderrTail = await client?.recentStderr ?? ""
+        let hint = ACPErrorHint.classify(errorMessage: msg, stderrTail: stderrTail)
+        acpError = msg
+        acpErrorHint = hint
+        acpErrorDetails = stderrTail.isEmpty ? nil : stderrTail
+    }
+
     // MARK: - Session Lifecycle
 
     func startNewSession() {
@@ -157,10 +193,8 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
                 // Now send the queued prompt
                 sendViaACP(client: client, text: text)
             } catch {
-                let msg = error.localizedDescription
-                logger.error("Auto-start ACP failed: \(msg)")
                 acpStatus = "Failed"
-                acpError = msg
+                await recordACPFailure(error, client: client, context: "Auto-start ACP failed")
                 hasActiveProcess = false
                 acpClient = nil
             }
@@ -169,6 +203,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
 
     private func sendViaACP(client: ACPClient, text: String) {
         guard let sessionId = richChatViewModel.sessionId else {
+            clearACPErrorState()
             acpError = "No session ID — cannot send"
             return
         }
@@ -192,10 +227,8 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
             } catch is CancellationError {
                 acpStatus = "Cancelled"
             } catch {
-                let msg = error.localizedDescription
-                logger.error("ACP prompt failed: \(msg)")
                 acpStatus = "Error"
-                acpError = msg
+                await recordACPFailure(error, client: client, context: "ACP prompt failed")
                 richChatViewModel.handleACPEvent(
                     .promptComplete(sessionId: sessionId, response: ACPPromptResult(
                         stopReason: "error",
@@ -211,7 +244,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
 
     private func startACPSession(resume sessionId: String?) {
         stopACP()
-        acpError = nil
+        clearACPErrorState()
         acpStatus = "Starting..."
 
         let client = ACPClient()
@@ -259,10 +292,8 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
 
                 logger.info("ACP session ready: \(resolvedSessionId)")
             } catch {
-                let msg = error.localizedDescription
-                logger.error("Failed to start ACP session: \(msg)")
                 acpStatus = "Failed"
-                acpError = msg
+                await recordACPFailure(error, client: client, context: "Failed to start ACP session")
                 hasActiveProcess = false
                 acpClient = nil
             }
@@ -333,7 +364,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
 
     private func attemptReconnect(sessionId: String) {
         reconnectTask?.cancel()
-        acpError = nil
+        clearACPErrorState()
 
         reconnectTask = Task { @MainActor [weak self] in
             guard let self else { return }
@@ -379,7 +410,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
                     await richChatViewModel.reconcileWithDB(sessionId: resolvedSessionId)
 
                     acpStatus = "Reconnected (\(resolvedSessionId.prefix(12)))"
-                    acpError = nil
+                    clearACPErrorState()
 
                     startACPEventLoop(client: client)
                     startHealthMonitor(client: client)
@@ -404,6 +435,7 @@ final class ChatViewModel {
     private func showConnectionFailure() {
         richChatViewModel.handleACPEvent(.connectionLost(reason: "The ACP process terminated unexpectedly"))
         acpStatus = "Connection lost"
+        clearACPErrorState()
         acpError = "Connection lost. Use the Session menu to reconnect."
     }
 

scarf/scarf/Features/Chat/Views/ChatView.swift

@@ -3,18 +3,113 @@ import SwiftUI
 struct ChatView: View {
     @Environment(ChatViewModel.self) private var viewModel
     @Environment(HermesFileWatcher.self) private var fileWatcher
+    @State private var showErrorDetails = false
 
     var body: some View {
         @Bindable var vm = viewModel
         VStack(spacing: 0) {
             toolbar
             Divider()
+            errorBanner
             chatArea
         }
         .navigationTitle("Chat")
-        .task { await viewModel.loadRecentSessions() }
+        .task {
+            await viewModel.loadRecentSessions()
+            viewModel.refreshCredentialPreflight()
+        }
         .onChange(of: fileWatcher.lastChangeDate) {
             Task { await viewModel.loadRecentSessions() }
+            viewModel.refreshCredentialPreflight()
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Banner rendered between the toolbar and the chat area when either
+    /// (a) a preflight credential check failed, or (b) the ACP subprocess
+    /// returned an error we captured. Shows a short hint + expandable raw
+    /// details (stderr tail) that the user can copy to the clipboard.
+    @ViewBuilder
+    private var errorBanner: some View {
+        if let err = viewModel.acpError {
+            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
+                HStack(alignment: .top, spacing: 8) {
+                    Image(systemName: "exclamationmark.triangle.fill")
+                        .foregroundStyle(.orange)
+                    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 2) {
+                        if let hint = viewModel.acpErrorHint {
+                            Text(hint)
+                                .font(.callout)
+                                .textSelection(.enabled)
+                        }
+                        Text(err)
+                            .font(.caption)
+                            .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                            .textSelection(.enabled)
+                            .lineLimit(showErrorDetails ? nil : 2)
+                    }
+                    Spacer()
+                    if viewModel.acpErrorDetails != nil {
+                        Button(showErrorDetails ? "Hide details" : "Show details") {
+                            showErrorDetails.toggle()
+                        }
+                        .buttonStyle(.borderless)
+                        .controlSize(.small)
+                    }
+                    Button {
+                        let payload = [viewModel.acpErrorHint, err, viewModel.acpErrorDetails]
+                            .compactMap { $0 }
+                            .joined(separator: "\n\n")
+                        let pb = NSPasteboard.general
+                        pb.clearContents()
+                        pb.setString(payload, forType: .string)
+                    } label: {
+                        Image(systemName: "doc.on.doc")
+                    }
+                    .buttonStyle(.borderless)
+                    .help("Copy error details")
+                }
+                if showErrorDetails, let details = viewModel.acpErrorDetails {
+                    ScrollView {
+                        Text(details)
+                            .font(.system(.caption2, design: .monospaced))
+                            .textSelection(.enabled)
+                            .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
+                    }
+                    .frame(maxHeight: 160)
+                    .padding(8)
+                    .background(Color(nsColor: .textBackgroundColor))
+                    .clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 6))
+                }
+            }
+            .padding(10)
+            .background(Color.orange.opacity(0.08))
+            .overlay(
+                Rectangle()
+                    .fill(Color.orange.opacity(0.25))
+                    .frame(height: 1),
+                alignment: .bottom
+            )
+        } else if viewModel.missingCredentials && !viewModel.hasActiveProcess {
+            HStack(spacing: 8) {
+                Image(systemName: "key.fill")
+                    .foregroundStyle(.orange)
+                VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 2) {
+                    Text("No AI provider credentials detected")
+                        .font(.callout)
+                    Text("Add credentials in **Configure → Credential Pools**, set `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` (or similar) in `~/.hermes/.env`, or export it in your shell profile, then restart Scarf.")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                        .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                }
+                Spacer()
+            }
+            .padding(10)
+            .background(Color.orange.opacity(0.08))
+            .overlay(
+                Rectangle()
+                    .fill(Color.orange.opacity(0.25))
+                    .frame(height: 1),
+                alignment: .bottom
+            )
         }
     }
 

scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Components/UpdatesSection.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import SwiftUI
+
+/// Updates section for the General tab. Wraps the Sparkle-backed `UpdaterService`
+/// in the same row idioms used elsewhere in Settings (per CLAUDE.md guidance —
+/// extract sections so individual tab bodies stay small).
+struct UpdatesSection: View {
+    @Environment(UpdaterService.self) private var updater
+
+    var body: some View {
+        SettingsSection(title: "Updates", icon: "arrow.down.circle") {
+            ReadOnlyRow(label: "Current Version", value: versionString)
+            ToggleRow(
+                label: "Check Automatically",
+                isOn: updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates
+            ) { newValue in
+                updater.automaticallyChecksForUpdates = newValue
+            }
+            ReadOnlyRow(label: "Last Checked", value: lastCheckedString)
+            checkNowRow
+        }
+    }
+
+    private var versionString: String {
+        let info = Bundle.main.infoDictionary
+        let short = info?["CFBundleShortVersionString"] as? String ?? "?"
+        let build = info?["CFBundleVersion"] as? String ?? "?"
+        return "\(short) (\(build))"
+    }
+
+    private var lastCheckedString: String {
+        guard let date = updater.lastUpdateCheckDate else { return "Never" }
+        let formatter = RelativeDateTimeFormatter()
+        formatter.unitsStyle = .full
+        return formatter.localizedString(for: date, relativeTo: Date())
+    }
+
+    private var checkNowRow: some View {
+        HStack {
+            Text("Check Now")
+                .font(.caption)
+                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                .frame(width: 160, alignment: .trailing)
+            Button("Check for Updates…") { updater.checkForUpdates() }
+                .controlSize(.small)
+            Spacer()
+        }
+        .padding(.horizontal, 12)
+        .padding(.vertical, 6)
+        .background(.quaternary.opacity(0.3))
+    }
+}

scarf/scarf/Features/Settings/Views/Tabs/GeneralTab.swift

@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ struct GeneralTab: View {
         SettingsSection(title: "Locale", icon: "globe.americas") {
             EditableTextField(label: "Timezone (IANA)", value: viewModel.config.timezone) { viewModel.setTimezone($0) }
         }
+
+        UpdatesSection()
     }
 
     /// Breadcrumb-style row that points users to the Credential Pools sidebar

scarf/scarf/Info.plist

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+<plist version="1.0">
+<dict>
+	<key>CFBundleDevelopmentRegion</key>
+	<string>$(DEVELOPMENT_LANGUAGE)</string>
+	<key>CFBundleDisplayName</key>
+	<string>Scarf</string>
+	<key>CFBundleExecutable</key>
+	<string>$(EXECUTABLE_NAME)</string>
+	<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
+	<string>$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER)</string>
+	<key>CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion</key>
+	<string>6.0</string>
+	<key>CFBundleName</key>
+	<string>$(PRODUCT_NAME)</string>
+	<key>CFBundlePackageType</key>
+	<string>$(PRODUCT_BUNDLE_PACKAGE_TYPE)</string>
+	<key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key>
+	<string>$(MARKETING_VERSION)</string>
+	<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
+	<string>$(CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION)</string>
+	<key>LSApplicationCategoryType</key>
+	<string>public.app-category.utilities</string>
+	<key>LSMinimumSystemVersion</key>
+	<string>$(MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET)</string>
+	<key>NSHumanReadableCopyright</key>
+	<string></string>
+	<key>NSMicrophoneUsageDescription</key>
+	<string>Scarf uses the microphone for Hermes voice chat.</string>
+	<key>SUFeedURL</key>
+	<string>https://awizemann.github.io/scarf/appcast.xml</string>
+	<key>SUPublicEDKey</key>
+	<string>sxHR0OGLmx9I4Fyx1GdPANR9WUiVAz/rI38x3cLYnMU=</string>
+	<key>SUEnableAutomaticChecks</key>
+	<true/>
+	<key>SUScheduledCheckInterval</key>
+	<integer>86400</integer>
+	<key>SUEnableInstallerLauncherService</key>
+	<false/>
+</dict>
+</plist>

scarf/scarf/scarf.entitlements

@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@
 <dict>
 	<key>com.apple.security.device.audio-input</key>
 	<true/>
+	<key>com.apple.security.cs.disable-library-validation</key>
+	<true/>
 </dict>
 </plist>

scarf/scarf/scarfApp.swift

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ struct ScarfApp: App {
     @State private var fileWatcher = HermesFileWatcher()
     @State private var menuBarStatus = MenuBarStatus()
     @State private var chatViewModel = ChatViewModel()
+    @State private var updater = UpdaterService()
 
     var body: some Scene {
         WindowGroup {
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ struct ScarfApp: App {
                 .environment(coordinator)
                 .environment(fileWatcher)
                 .environment(chatViewModel)
+                .environment(updater)
                 .onAppear {
                     fileWatcher.startWatching()
                     menuBarStatus.startPolling()
@@ -23,9 +25,14 @@ struct ScarfApp: App {
                 }
         }
         .defaultSize(width: 1100, height: 700)
+        .commands {
+            CommandGroup(after: .appInfo) {
+                Button("Check for Updates…") { updater.checkForUpdates() }
+            }
+        }
 
         MenuBarExtra("Scarf", systemImage: menuBarStatus.icon) {
-            MenuBarMenu(status: menuBarStatus, coordinator: coordinator)
+            MenuBarMenu(status: menuBarStatus, coordinator: coordinator, updater: updater)
         }
     }
 }
@@ -90,6 +97,7 @@ final class MenuBarStatus {
 struct MenuBarMenu: View {
     let status: MenuBarStatus
     let coordinator: AppCoordinator
+    let updater: UpdaterService
 
     var body: some View {
         VStack {
@@ -116,6 +124,8 @@ struct MenuBarMenu: View {
                 NSApplication.shared.activate()
             }
             Divider()
+            Button("Check for Updates…") { updater.checkForUpdates() }
+            Divider()
             Button("Quit Scarf") {
                 NSApplication.shared.terminate(nil)
             }

scripts/ExportOptions.plist

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+<plist version="1.0">
+<dict>
+	<key>method</key>
+	<string>developer-id</string>
+	<key>teamID</key>
+	<string>3Q6X2L86C4</string>
+	<key>signingStyle</key>
+	<string>manual</string>
+	<key>signingCertificate</key>
+	<string>Developer ID Application</string>
+	<key>destination</key>
+	<string>export</string>
+	<key>stripSwiftSymbols</key>
+	<true/>
+</dict>
+</plist>

scripts/release.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Scarf release pipeline — local, manual, repeatable.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./scripts/release.sh 1.7.0              # full release: build, sign, notarize,
+#                                           # appcast push, GitHub release, tag
+#   ./scripts/release.sh 1.7.0 --draft      # everything builds + notarizes, but the
+#                                           # GitHub release is created as draft, the
+#                                           # appcast is NOT updated, and main is NOT
+#                                           # tagged. Promote later with --promote.
+#
+# Release notes:
+#   If `releases/v<VERSION>/RELEASE_NOTES.md` exists, it is committed alongside the
+#   version bump and used as the GitHub release body. Otherwise a minimal autogenerated
+#   note is used.
+#
+# Prerequisites (one-time setup):
+#   1. Developer ID Application cert installed in login Keychain.
+#        security find-identity -v -p codesigning | grep "Developer ID Application"
+#   2. App Store Connect API key stored for notarytool as profile "scarf-notary":
+#        xcrun notarytool store-credentials "scarf-notary" \
+#          --key ~/.private/AuthKey_XXXX.p8 --key-id <KEY_ID> --issuer <ISSUER_ID>
+#   3. Sparkle EdDSA keypair generated (private key in Keychain item "https://sparkle-project.org"):
+#        ./scripts/sparkle/generate_keys      # or similar, from Sparkle SPM artifacts
+#   4. gh-pages branch exists with an appcast.xml and GitHub Pages enabled.
+#   5. gh CLI authed: `gh auth status`.
+#   6. GH_PAGES_WORKTREE env var pointing at a gh-pages checkout, OR let the
+#      script create one automatically at .gh-pages-worktree/ via `git worktree add`.
+#
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# ---------- arg parsing ----------
+VERSION=""
+DRAFT=0
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case "$arg" in
+    --draft) DRAFT=1 ;;
+    -h|--help) sed -n '2,30p' "$0"; exit 0 ;;
+    -*) printf '[ERR] unknown flag: %s\n' "$arg" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+    *) [[ -z "$VERSION" ]] && VERSION="$arg" || { printf '[ERR] unexpected arg: %s\n' "$arg" >&2; exit 1; } ;;
+  esac
+done
+[[ -n "$VERSION" ]] || { printf 'usage: ./scripts/release.sh <marketing-version> [--draft]\n' >&2; exit 1; }
+
+# ---------- config ----------
+TEAM_ID="3Q6X2L86C4"
+BUNDLE_ID="com.scarf.app"
+SCHEME="scarf"
+PROJECT="scarf/scarf.xcodeproj"
+NOTARY_PROFILE="scarf-notary"
+SIGNING_IDENTITY="Developer ID Application"
+APPCAST_URL="https://awizemann.github.io/scarf/appcast.xml"
+DOWNLOAD_URL_BASE="https://github.com/awizemann/scarf/releases/download"
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+BUILD_DIR="$REPO_ROOT/build"
+EXPORT_OPTIONS="$REPO_ROOT/scripts/ExportOptions.plist"
+RELEASE_DIR="$REPO_ROOT/releases/v${VERSION}"
+GH_PAGES_WORKTREE="${GH_PAGES_WORKTREE:-$REPO_ROOT/.gh-pages-worktree}"
+
+# ---------- helpers ----------
+log()  { printf '\033[1;34m==> %s\033[0m\n' "$*"; }
+warn() { printf '\033[1;33m[WARN] %s\033[0m\n' "$*" >&2; }
+die()  { printf '\033[1;31m[ERR] %s\033[0m\n' "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+require_cmd() { command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "missing required tool: $1"; }
+
+# ---------- preflight ----------
+log "Preflight checks"
+require_cmd xcodebuild
+require_cmd xcrun
+require_cmd ditto
+require_cmd gh
+
+cd "$REPO_ROOT"
+
+# git must be clean and on main. The one exception: the release dir
+# (releases/v<VERSION>/) may already exist and be untracked — the user may
+# have written RELEASE_NOTES.md there ahead of time, and the rest of the dir
+# is auto-populated + gitignored anyway. Git status abbreviates to the dir
+# path when all contents are untracked, so the whitelist matches both forms.
+ALLOW="^\?\? releases/v${VERSION}/"
+DIRTY="$(git status --porcelain | grep -Ev "$ALLOW" || true)"
+if [[ -n "$DIRTY" ]]; then
+  die "working tree not clean — commit or stash first"
+fi
+CUR_BRANCH="$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)"
+[[ "$CUR_BRANCH" == "main" ]] || die "not on main (on $CUR_BRANCH)"
+
+# identity present
+security find-identity -v -p codesigning | grep -q "$SIGNING_IDENTITY" \
+  || die "'$SIGNING_IDENTITY' certificate not in Keychain — create at developer.apple.com"
+
+# notary profile present (can't list, only test by dry-running submit help)
+xcrun notarytool history --keychain-profile "$NOTARY_PROFILE" --output-format json >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+  || die "notarytool profile '$NOTARY_PROFILE' not set up — see script header"
+
+# locate sign_update (ships with Sparkle SPM artifacts)
+SIGN_UPDATE="$(find ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData -name sign_update -type f -perm +111 2>/dev/null | head -n1 || true)"
+[[ -x "${SIGN_UPDATE:-}" ]] || die "sign_update not found — build the project once in Xcode so Sparkle artifacts resolve, then re-run"
+
+# ---------- bump version ----------
+log "Bumping version to $VERSION"
+PBXPROJ="$PROJECT/project.pbxproj"
+# CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION (build number) bumps by 1 from existing
+CUR_BUILD="$(awk -F'= ' '/CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION/ {gsub(/[; ]/,"",$2); print $2; exit}' "$PBXPROJ")"
+NEW_BUILD=$((CUR_BUILD + 1))
+sed -i '' -E "s/MARKETING_VERSION = [0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+;/MARKETING_VERSION = ${VERSION};/g" "$PBXPROJ"
+sed -i '' -E "s/CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = [0-9]+;/CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = ${NEW_BUILD};/g" "$PBXPROJ"
+git add "$PBXPROJ"
+# Include release notes in the bump commit if user prepared them ahead of time.
+NOTES_FILE="$RELEASE_DIR/RELEASE_NOTES.md"
+if [[ -f "$NOTES_FILE" ]]; then
+  git add "$NOTES_FILE"
+fi
+git commit -m "chore: Bump version to ${VERSION}"
+
+# ---------- build variants ----------
+# Each release produces two zips: a Universal binary (recommended — works on
+# both Apple Silicon and Intel) and an ARM64-only variant (smaller download for
+# users who know they're on M-series silicon). Each variant is independently
+# notarized and stapled. The appcast only references the Universal zip since
+# it works everywhere; ARM64 is an alternative manual download.
+
+log "Clean build directory"
+rm -rf "$BUILD_DIR"
+mkdir -p "$BUILD_DIR" "$RELEASE_DIR"
+
+# build_variant <label> <archs> <output_zip>
+#   label        e.g. "Universal" or "ARM64" (used as subdir name + log prefix)
+#   archs        e.g. "arm64 x86_64" or "arm64" (space-separated ARCHS value)
+#   output_zip   absolute path where the stapled, distribution-ready zip is written
+build_variant() {
+  local label="$1"
+  local archs="$2"
+  local out_zip="$3"
+  local variant_dir="$BUILD_DIR/$label"
+  local archive_path="$variant_dir/scarf.xcarchive"
+  local export_dir="$variant_dir/export"
+  local app_path="$export_dir/Scarf.app"
+  local notarize_zip="$variant_dir/Scarf-notarize.zip"
+
+  mkdir -p "$variant_dir"
+
+  log "[$label] Archive (archs: $archs)"
+  xcodebuild \
+    -project "$PROJECT" \
+    -scheme "$SCHEME" \
+    -configuration Release \
+    -archivePath "$archive_path" \
+    -destination "generic/platform=macOS" \
+    ONLY_ACTIVE_ARCH=NO \
+    ARCHS="$archs" \
+    archive
+
+  log "[$label] Export signed .app"
+  xcodebuild \
+    -exportArchive \
+    -archivePath "$archive_path" \
+    -exportPath "$export_dir" \
+    -exportOptionsPlist "$EXPORT_OPTIONS"
+
+  # Xcode exports as scarf.app (PRODUCT_NAME = $TARGET_NAME = "scarf"). Rename so
+  # users see properly-cased Scarf.app in /Applications. Renaming the bundle
+  # wrapper does NOT invalidate the signature — codesign signs contents, not the
+  # wrapper folder name.
+  if [[ -d "$export_dir/scarf.app" && ! -d "$app_path" ]]; then
+    mv "$export_dir/scarf.app" "$app_path"
+  fi
+  [[ -d "$app_path" ]] || die "[$label] exported app not found at $app_path"
+
+  log "[$label] Verify signature"
+  codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 "$app_path"
+
+  log "[$label] Zip for notarization"
+  ditto -c -k --keepParent "$app_path" "$notarize_zip"
+
+  log "[$label] Submit to notarytool (blocking)"
+  xcrun notarytool submit "$notarize_zip" \
+    --keychain-profile "$NOTARY_PROFILE" \
+    --wait \
+    --timeout 30m
+
+  log "[$label] Staple + validate"
+  xcrun stapler staple "$app_path"
+  xcrun stapler validate "$app_path"
+  spctl --assess --type execute --verbose "$app_path"
+
+  log "[$label] Package $(basename "$out_zip")"
+  ditto -c -k --keepParent "$app_path" "$out_zip"
+}
+
+UNIVERSAL_ZIP="$RELEASE_DIR/Scarf-v${VERSION}-Universal.zip"
+ARM64_ZIP="$RELEASE_DIR/Scarf-v${VERSION}-ARM64.zip"
+
+build_variant "Universal" "arm64 x86_64" "$UNIVERSAL_ZIP"
+build_variant "ARM64"     "arm64"        "$ARM64_ZIP"
+
+# ---------- sign appcast entry ----------
+log "Sign appcast entry with EdDSA"
+# sign_update prints: sparkle:edSignature="..." length="..."
+SIG_OUTPUT="$("$SIGN_UPDATE" "$UNIVERSAL_ZIP")"
+ED_SIGNATURE="$(echo "$SIG_OUTPUT" | sed -nE 's/.*sparkle:edSignature="([^"]+)".*/\1/p')"
+FILE_LENGTH="$(echo "$SIG_OUTPUT" | sed -nE 's/.*length="([^"]+)".*/\1/p')"
+[[ -n "$ED_SIGNATURE" && -n "$FILE_LENGTH" ]] || die "sign_update did not produce signature: $SIG_OUTPUT"
+
+DOWNLOAD_URL="$DOWNLOAD_URL_BASE/v${VERSION}/Scarf-v${VERSION}-Universal.zip"
+PUB_DATE="$(LC_TIME=en_US.UTF-8 date -u +"%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S +0000")"
+APPCAST_ITEM=$(cat <<EOF
+    <item>
+      <title>Version ${VERSION}</title>
+      <sparkle:version>${NEW_BUILD}</sparkle:version>
+      <sparkle:shortVersionString>${VERSION}</sparkle:shortVersionString>
+      <sparkle:minimumSystemVersion>14.6</sparkle:minimumSystemVersion>
+      <pubDate>${PUB_DATE}</pubDate>
+      <enclosure url="${DOWNLOAD_URL}"
+                 sparkle:edSignature="${ED_SIGNATURE}"
+                 length="${FILE_LENGTH}"
+                 type="application/octet-stream" />
+    </item>
+EOF
+)
+
+# ---------- update appcast on gh-pages (skipped for drafts) ----------
+if [[ $DRAFT -eq 0 ]]; then
+  log "Update appcast.xml on gh-pages worktree"
+  if [[ ! -d "$GH_PAGES_WORKTREE" ]]; then
+    git worktree add "$GH_PAGES_WORKTREE" gh-pages
+  fi
+  (
+    cd "$GH_PAGES_WORKTREE"
+    git pull --ff-only origin gh-pages
+    # Insert new item after <language>en</language> line
+    python3 - "$APPCAST_ITEM" <<'PY'
+import sys, pathlib
+new_item = sys.argv[1]
+p = pathlib.Path("appcast.xml")
+xml = p.read_text()
+marker = "<language>en</language>"
+if marker not in xml:
+    sys.exit("appcast.xml missing <language>en</language> marker")
+xml = xml.replace(marker, marker + "\n" + new_item, 1)
+p.write_text(xml)
+PY
+    git add appcast.xml
+    git commit -m "release: v${VERSION}"
+    git push origin gh-pages
+  )
+else
+  log "Draft mode — skipping appcast push. Saving entry to $RELEASE_DIR/appcast-entry.xml for later promotion."
+  printf '%s\n' "$APPCAST_ITEM" > "$RELEASE_DIR/appcast-entry.xml"
+fi
+
+# ---------- github release ----------
+log "Create GitHub release and upload artifacts"
+GH_FLAGS=()
+[[ $DRAFT -eq 1 ]] && GH_FLAGS+=(--draft)
+if [[ -f "$NOTES_FILE" ]]; then
+  GH_FLAGS+=(--notes-file "$NOTES_FILE")
+else
+  GH_FLAGS+=(--notes "Release v${VERSION}. See commit history for details.")
+fi
+gh release create "v${VERSION}" \
+  --title "Scarf v${VERSION}" \
+  "${GH_FLAGS[@]}" \
+  "$UNIVERSAL_ZIP" \
+  "$ARM64_ZIP"
+
+# ---------- tag main (skipped for drafts) ----------
+if [[ $DRAFT -eq 0 ]]; then
+  log "Tag main and push"
+  git tag "v${VERSION}"
+  git push origin main --tags
+else
+  log "Draft mode — skipping tag. Bump commit is local only; push manually with: git push origin main"
+fi
+
+if [[ $DRAFT -eq 1 ]]; then
+  log "Draft release v${VERSION} ready"
+  log "  Review:    https://github.com/awizemann/scarf/releases"
+  log "  Promote:   in GitHub UI, edit the draft and uncheck 'Set as a pre-release / draft' → Publish."
+  log "             Then commit + push appcast-entry.xml to gh-pages, and tag main:"
+  log "               git push origin main"
+  log "               git tag v${VERSION} && git push origin v${VERSION}"
+  log "               (manually merge $RELEASE_DIR/appcast-entry.xml into gh-pages branch's appcast.xml after <language>en</language>)"
+else
+  log "Release v${VERSION} complete"
+  log "  Download:  $DOWNLOAD_URL"
+  log "  Appcast:   $APPCAST_URL"
+fi