stablyai/orca v1.4.248 on GitHub

More dependable chats, easier AI choices & update controls ✨

💬 More dependable conversations: Keep streaming replies after their prompts, hold queued follow-ups when a turn fails, and keep pasted text and terminal drafts separate from chat sends.
🎛️ Choose how AI writes for you: Pick Model and Effort for commit messages, pull-request descriptions, branch names and chat names from the Source Control settings.
⚡ Less unnecessary chat work: Preview updates avoid copying the full loaded conversation, and this release removes the live-history cleanup that could stall large chats.
📱 Better phone continuity: Reopen chats from cached messages, keep options current, and send long messages to Windows Codex more reliably.
⏳ Choose when updates arrive: Add an optional update delay in Settings, with a one-time option to skip the wait.
📝 Editor & workspace improvements: Opt into format on save, search theme pickers, and use familiar right-click actions on chat tabs.

Highlights

Chat continuity: Streaming replies stay after the prompt they answer. Follow-ups remain queued after a failed turn, expired attachments are identified when a send is refused, and pasted text can be opened from structured chats.
Agent startup & choices: A final startup refusal is shown after the first attempt instead of repeated retries; temporary failures still recover. Chats preserve configured effort when you have not chosen an override, and Source Control text actions use Model and Effort menus.
Phone: Cached chats reopen before fetching changes. Chat options, terminal settings, branch and pull-request details refresh more reliably; long phone messages reach Windows Codex, and browser tabs hosted by a desktop server can stream to the phone.
Updates & Windows: Choose an update delay, retain a moved Windows installation's location during updates, and get a clearer explanation when installation is incomplete.
Editor & navigation: Enable format on save, search theme choices, highlight selected Markdown table cells, and use image zoom shortcuts outside editor tabs. Remote terminal streams are no longer torn down while output is still arriving.
Orchestration & plugins: The Orchestration panel is available again as an experimental opt-in. Closed terminal workers can reopen from their cards, native chats receive complete orchestration messages, and enabled status bar plugins keep their workers running.
Performance & reliability: Chat preview updates avoid a redundant full-history copy, cached text scrolling avoids whole-file layout updates, and diagnostic logging uses less data. The preview change removes unnecessary work; no whole-app latency improvement is claimed.

Compatibility & upgrade notes

Update delay is optional: Settings → General → Updates offers None, 1, 3, 7, 14 or 30 days. None remains the default, and Skip Delay Once bypasses a held update.
Format on save is optional: Existing editing behavior stays the same until you enable it.
Orchestration panel: This release restores the experimental opt-in after the earlier panel disablement.
Phone changes: Phone app changes require an updated Orca Mobile app as well as a compatible desktop or server.
Saved chat history: The live-history cleanup added earlier has been rolled back. Existing saved conversations, including already-compacted histories, remain readable.

Known issues

Saved chat storage: Live-history compaction is paused, so chat storage can grow as conversations continue. This release does not claim to remove every source of chat stalls.

Long update delays: With a 14- or 30-day delay, a release can leave the update feed before it becomes eligible. None and Skip Delay Once remain available.

GitHub issues on older paired servers: Opening an issue through a repository or URL can leave title, label and assignee editing unavailable. Local and project-origin routes are unaffected; Open on GitHub remains available.

Plugin command replacements: A plugin replacing a built-in command can still finish after Orca has used the normal command instead, causing the action to happen twice.

Product experience

Native chat

Keep messages in order, preserve configured choices, and avoid unnecessary full-history work.

Preserve provider failure causes from manual compaction by @brennanb2025 in #37322
Show when Claude is compacting before a reply starts by @brennanb2025 in #37409
fix(native-chat): wrap long translated placeholders in the agent setup prompt by @AmoabaKelvin in #37546
fix(native-chat): reset history when a saved record key is damaged by @AmoabaKelvin in #37549
Fix Grok chat screenshots saved with the conversation by @brennanb2025 in #37555
Keep pending native chat messages marked as sending by @brennanb2025 in #37590
fix(native-chat): send /compact instructions to agents that take them by @AmoabaKelvin in #37565
fix(native-chat): name and mark the expired attachment when a send is refused by @AmoabaKelvin in #37552
Open pasted text in structured chats by @brennanb2025 in #35636
Honor selected chat permissions before accepting input by @brennanb2025 in #37543
fix(native-chat): honor editorFontFamily for code blocks when terminal matching is off by @phatloi0010 in #37406
Remove duplicate close button from chat toolbar by @AmethystLiang in #37715
Hold queued follow-ups after an agent turn fails by @brennanb2025 in #37181
fix(chat): keep streaming replies after their prompts by @AmoabaKelvin in #37773
fix(chat): isolate sends from terminal drafts by @AmoabaKelvin in #37774
Honor configured effort when no chat effort was chosen by @brennanb2025 in #37797
Avoid copying chat history on preview-only updates by @brennanb2025 in #37922

Agents & orchestration

Show startup refusals promptly, keep worker communication intact, and restore the experimental panel opt-in.

fix(orchestration): native chats get each orchestration message whole instead of a check pointer by @brennanb2025 in #28567
Stop listing a worker as retained after its follow-up took its terminal by @Jinwoo-H in #36978
fix(orchestration): let a coordinator reach its worker when that terminal is still bound to an older Run by @AmoabaKelvin in #37548
fix(agent-hooks): keep Claude's start folder and effort between hooks by @AmoabaKelvin in #37556
Tell orchestration workers when to message the coordinator by @Jinwoo-H in #37550
Reopen a closed terminal worker from its orchestration card by @Jinwoo-H in #37210
Make the agent-message status mark a circle by @brennanb2025 in #37541
fix: remove orchestration panel CPU amplification by @brennanb2025 in #37560
fix(agents): stop agent rows showing pasted data as their name by @AmoabaKelvin in #37551
fix(accounts): keep Claude panes sharing a session from restarting by @AmoabaKelvin in #37564
fix(orchestration): fail worker-start promptly when the agent exits to its shell by @AmoabaKelvin in #37563
Agent message cards find their sender's agent and status in the same store as the sidebar by @brennanb2025 in #36660
fix(omp): retain prompts refused by autonomous busy turns by @AmoabaKelvin in #37665
Use native submenus for new-tab agent setup by @nwparker in #37576
Restore agent launch submit icons and clear stale hover highlighting by @nwparker in #37675
Let agent message names use the available card width by @brennanb2025 in #37657
Restore the Orchestration panel experimental opt-in by @brennanb2025 in #37616
fix(cli): forward OpenCode --method and --answer from account add by @Alonsojrr14 in #37622
Stop retrying final native agent startup refusals by @brennanb2025 in #37213

Phone

Reopen chats from cached messages and improve settings, source control, browser and terminal continuity.

fix(mobile): show a chat's last options at once when returning to it by @AmoabaKelvin in #37554
feat(native-chat): reopen a phone chat from its cached rows and only fetch what changed by @AmoabaKelvin in #37561
fix(mobile): wait for runtime readiness before option picks by @AmoabaKelvin in #37626
fix(mobile): fetch GitLab task details once per open by @AmoabaKelvin in #37629
perf(mobile): keep plugin validation out of plural lookup by @gentslava in #36914
fix(mobile): preserve host terminal-create error in toast by @AmoabaKelvin in #37677
fix(mobile): reuse bundles across paired hosts by @AmoabaKelvin in #37690
fix(mobile): refresh current branch and pull request by @AmoabaKelvin in #37694
fix(mobile): require matching control probe replies by @AmoabaKelvin in #37764
fix(mobile): let slow Automation catalog reads finish by @brennanb2025 in #37669
fix(mobile): refresh open terminal settings by @AmoabaKelvin in #37772
fix(mobile): clarify PR details and show Stage all once by @AmoabaKelvin in #37689
fix(mobile): stream desktop-hosted server browser tabs by @AmoabaKelvin in #37705
fix(mobile): explain file refusals and copy full paths by @AmoabaKelvin in #37762

Source control, tasks & integrations

Choose AI writing models and effort, and keep reviews and task details current.

Refresh Checks after failed review actions by @brennanb2025 in #37156
Keep review note changes on the workspace copy they came from by @brennanb2025 in #37204
Keep desktop fork pull requests on their opened repository by @brennanb2025 in #36172
fix: hide metadata-only PR review summaries by @AmethystLiang in #37562
Show check fix action alongside conflict resolution by @AmethystLiang in #37559
fix(source-control-ai): Copilot generation no longer fails on a model the plan hides by @OrcaWin in #36174
Read one full Linear ticket for planning and plain tickets for queues by @brennanb2025 in #37656
Load Linear drawer fields in one issue query by @brennanb2025 in #37663
perf(linear): load nested children with parent pages by @brennanb2025 in #37667
Use the shared agent picker in workspace and Source Control launches by @brennanb2025 in #35802
Pick Model and Effort for Source Control text actions by @brennanb2025 in #37205

Workspaces, sidebar & tabs

Make workspace cards, tab actions and checkout selection more consistent.

Chat tabs get the terminal's right-click actions by @brennanb2025 in #37442
Cap tab width at 300 pixels by @AmethystLiang in #37523
fix: use design-system variants for workspace source results by @AmethystLiang in #37542
Draw workspace cards from a template (card plugins, phase 1) by @nwparker in #37647
Use compact worktree identity icons by @nwparker in #37672
Fix worktree icon mouse focus hover by @nwparker in #37678
fix(new-workspace): list each same-host checkout in the create-worktree picker by @OrcaWin in #36180
Keep merged linked PRs purple in workspace cards by @brennanb2025 in #37730
fix(runtime): keep worktree names through scan timeouts by @AmoabaKelvin in #37768

Editor, files & browser

Add optional format on save, searchable themes and more dependable file and browser actions.

fix(editor): send Cmd/Ctrl +/-/0 to an open image viewer outside editor tabs by @bokeeeey in #37521
fix(browser): update the paired address bar when a server page changes its URL in place by @AmoabaKelvin in #37547
feat(browser): --expect-url refuses a browser command when the page is at another URL by @AmoabaKelvin in #37575
fix(editor): highlight selected Markdown table cells by @AmoabaKelvin in #37624
Avoid whole-file layout updates while scrolling cached text by @brennanb2025 in #37644
fix(combined-diff): an image row loads in its own boundary so the combined diff can't loop into React #185 by @OrcaWin in #31552
Make settings theme pickers searchable by @nwparker in #37692
feat(editor): add opt-in format on save by @nwparker in #37716

Updates, terminals & remote work

Offer optional update delays and improve Windows installs, terminal input and remote continuity.

feat(updater): add configurable update delay by @nwparker in #37447
fix(relay): exit promptly on SIGTERM instead of waiting out docker's stop timeout by @nwparker in #37443
fix(dsh): show DSH hooks as partial when a profile is missing the hooks package by @AmoabaKelvin in #37446
fix(window): don't open a window in a process whose quit teardown has started by @nwparker in #37676
fix(terminal): repaint WebGL atlases once the bundled Nerd Font symbols load by @nwparker in #37688
fix(terminal): send long phone messages to Windows Codex instead of leaving them in the input box by @OrcaWin in #35558
fix(window): ride out Windows renderer launch refusals instead of prompting after 1s by @OrcaWin in #36827
fix(windows): explain an unfinished install instead of crash-looping the window by @OrcaWin in #34447
fix(updater): keep a moved Windows install in place when it updates by @OrcaWin in #36831
fix(linux): refuse realtime audio scheduling under an inherited zero RLIMIT_RTTIME by @OrcaWin in #36183
fix(remote-terminal): stop the stream watchdog from tearing down a terminal whose output is still flowing by @OrcaWin in #33971
fix(relay): admit reassigned combined hosts by @AmoabaKelvin in #37687
fix(terminal): retain agent identity across daemon deaths by @AmoabaKelvin in #37703
fix(terminal): pipeline ordered mobile input by @AmoabaKelvin in #37738
fix(runtime): revoke forked keys with their pairing by @AmoabaKelvin in #37771

Automations & plugins

Preserve valid history and keep approved hooks and enabled plugin workers working.

Keep valid automation history when repairing a damaged profile by @brennanb2025 in #37336
fix(cli): let worktree set --comment "" clear the comment by @maxmilian in #37515
fix(hooks): keep the approved script hash when Always trust is ticked by @maxmilian in #37520
Run the picked Claude model for AI text generation by @brennanb2025 in #37367
plugins: keep status bar plugins' workers running while enabled by @nwparker in #37630

Reverted

Remove blocking live chat history cleanup and revert the connector service.

Revert connector service (cloud/apps/connector) by @Jinwoo-H in #37759
Remove blocking live chat history cleanup by @brennanb2025 in #37873

Tests, CI & maintenance

Maintain tests, checks and internal module organization.

test: remove 245 low-value renderer cases by @OrcaWin in #37522
test: remove 114 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37526
test: remove 203 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37530
test: remove 89 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37533
test: remove 160 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37537
test: remove 170 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37539
test: remove 659 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37544
test: remove 389 low-value renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37545
test: remove 235 low-value renderer runtime tests by @OrcaWin in #37553
refactor: group workspace cleanup and space diagnostics by @nwparker in #37558
test: align floating tab width coverage with 300px cap by @AmethystLiang in #37579
test: remove 399 low-value renderer runtime tests by @OrcaWin in #37566
test: remove 407 low-value session and layout tests by @OrcaWin in #37581
test: remove 215 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37583
test: remove 220 low-value agent status and browser tests by @OrcaWin in #37586
ci: reject retired E2E source-route targets by @brennanb2025 in #37584
test: remove 128 low-value editor and workspace state tests by @OrcaWin in #37591
test: remove 153 low-value editor buffer and layout tests by @OrcaWin in #37595
test: remove 174 low-value workspace and GitHub cache tests by @OrcaWin in #37596
test: remove 147 low-value provider store tests by @OrcaWin in #37597
test: remove 102 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37598
test: remove 64 low-value renderer catalog tests by @OrcaWin in #37602
refactor: group desktop integration and lifecycle owners by @nwparker in #37600
test: remove 61 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37603
refactor: group host storage and worker infrastructure by @nwparker in #37606
test: remove 152 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37608
refactor: group agent launch and workspace hook owners by @nwparker in #37612
test: remove 211 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37613
refactor: group workspace creation and preparation owners by @nwparker in #37614
refactor: group workspace removal and retirement owners by @nwparker in #37620
fix(history): retain unreadable transcript errors by @AmoabaKelvin in #37628
test: remove 427 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37623
refactor: consolidate updater lifecycle and release owners by @nwparker in #37632
test: remove 164 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37638
test: align mobile chat return with saved permission intent by @nwparker in #37645
test: remove 139 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37639
test(relay): send the repeated SIGTERM only after shutdown has started by @nwparker in #37636
fix(i18n): correct Korean wording for Host, Idle, Actions, and Source by @Tomk2d in #37460
fix(terminal): keep the closing bracket of IPv6 hosts in HTTP links by @pqminh27 in #37449
test: remove 131 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37648
refactor: group workspace catalog and execution-host owners by @nwparker in #37641
test: remove 75 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37658
test: remove 194 low-value renderer web tests by @OrcaWin in #37668
test: remove 78 low-value shared listener tests by @OrcaWin in #37673
test: remove 153 low-value shared hook tests by @OrcaWin in #37686
refactor(main): group terminal support by lifecycle owner by @nwparker in #37660
test(linear): fix children query selection fixture by @AmoabaKelvin in #37711
test: remove 474 low-value shared agent tests by @OrcaWin in #37695
perf(ci): remove shadow planning from the PR critical path by @nwparker in #37699
refactor(main): organize WSL discovery filesystem and execution owners by @nwparker in #37722
refactor(main): group WSL host and orcad lifecycle owners by @nwparker in #37728
refactor(ci): derive selected-draft unit planning in one place by @nwparker in #37737
refactor(ai-vault): group history scanners and service owners by @nwparker in #37742
fix(chat): show device names on answer receipts by @AmoabaKelvin in #37776
test: remove 103 low-value shared agent tests by @OrcaWin in #37724
refactor(git): group worktree operations and ref owners by @nwparker in #37783
test: remove 174 low-value shared agent tests by @OrcaWin in #37729
test: remove 167 low-value shared agent tests by @OrcaWin in #37791
refactor(settings): group presentation and form-control owners by @nwparker in #37796
test: remove 114 low-value unit and plugin-example tests by @OrcaWin in #37794
test: remove 20 low-value renderer store tests by @OrcaWin in #37800
test: remove 18 low-value renderer and web tests by @OrcaWin in #37809
refactor(settings): group runtime and host owners by @nwparker in #37804
test: remove 30 low-value web and compatibility tests by @OrcaWin in #37814
refactor(settings): group agent, account and repository owners by @nwparker in #37817
test: remove 46 low-value client and benchmark tests by @OrcaWin in #37818
test: remove 131 low-value harness, main, and renderer tests by @OrcaWin in #37825
test: remove 73 low-value main-process tests by @OrcaWin in #37830
test: remove 83 low-value checks across 30 whole suites by @OrcaWin in #37835
test: remove 54 low-value test declarations by @OrcaWin in #37841
test: remove 68 low-value test declarations by @OrcaWin in #37847
test: remove 71 low-value tests across desktop and mobile by @OrcaWin in #37851
test: remove 58 low-value tests across desktop, tooling and mobile by @OrcaWin in #37853
test: remove 52 low-value tests and six whole suites by @OrcaWin in #37854
test: remove 49 low-value tests and four suites by @OrcaWin in #37856
test: remove 39 low-value tests and two suites by @OrcaWin in #37857
test: remove 47 low-value tests and two suites by @OrcaWin in #37860
test: remove 64 low-value tests and four suites by @OrcaWin in #37863
refactor(ipc): group feature handlers and resource owners by @nwparker in #37823
Reduce logging data size by @AmethystLiang in #37751

New Contributors

@phatloi0010 made their first contribution in #37406
@Tomk2d made their first contribution in #37460
@Alonsojrr14 made their first contribution in #37622

Full Changelog: v1.4.247...v1.4.248