Changelog

New updates and improvements to Lawn.

v0.1.4beta

Persistent sidebar, new catalog app, and install improvements

New Features

  • Persistent sidebar — The app now uses a split-view layout with a persistent sidebar, making it easier to switch between your installed apps and the catalog.
  • Drag to reorder — Rearrange your installed apps in the sidebar by dragging them into any order.
  • Trackpad and keyboard navigation — Navigate the catalog with swipe gestures or use Cmd+ and Cmd+ to go back and forward.
  • Menu bar menus — New Catalog and Installed Apps menus in the menu bar for quick access without opening the main window.
  • GitHub Actions Runner — Install and manage a self-hosted GitHub Actions runner directly from the catalog, with support for configuring your runner token at install time.
  • App icons in sidebar — App icons now appear in the sidebar for easier identification.
  • Documentation button — Instance detail panels now include a button to open the app's documentation.
  • Login credential notices — Grafana, Nextcloud, Paperless-ngx, and Pi-hole now display your login credentials directly in the app after installation.
  • Required fields at install time — Apps that need configuration now prompt you for the required values before installing.
  • CLI variable prompting — The CLI now interactively prompts for required template variables, and supports a --var flag to supply them non-interactively.

Improvements

  • Removed the image pull timeout so installs no longer fail on slow connections.
  • Network errors during image pulls now show clear, user-friendly messages.
  • Install cancellation now shows feedback immediately in both the UI and CLI.
  • The install sheet has been redesigned with a cleaner, wider layout.
  • Logs view now supports better text selection and includes quick-access header buttons.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an animation flash when resource tiles appear in the detail panel.
  • Fixed a race condition that caused reordered apps to snap back to their previous position.
  • Fixed an issue where cancelling an install could leave a zombie instance behind.
  • Fixed the UI getting stuck when rapidly switching between instances while loading configuration.
  • Fixed a crash in the port forwarder that could occur when closing connections.
  • Fixed navigation to the correct instance when clicking "Open" from the catalog for an already-installed app.

v0.1.3beta

New apps, multi-window, and resource controls

New Features

  • Minecraft Server — Install and manage a Minecraft Java Edition server directly from the catalog.
  • Sonarr — Sonarr is now available in the catalog for automated TV series management.
  • Radarr — Radarr is now available in the catalog for automated movie management.
  • LibreSpeed — Run your own self-hosted internet speed test server.
  • Open in New Window — App instances can now be opened in a dedicated window via the menu or Cmd+Shift+N.
  • Installation Progress — Real-time installation progress is now shown in the instance detail panel. Progress is visible in both the CLI and GUI simultaneously, regardless of which client initiated the install.
  • Resource Configuration — A new Resources tab in the instance inspector lets you set memory limits for running apps. Also available via lawn resources in the CLI.
  • Stop While Starting — Instances can now be stopped while they are still starting up, without having to wait for them to fully come online.
  • Smart Shell Detectionlawn shell now automatically selects the best available shell inside a container (e.g. bash, sh) rather than requiring manual configuration.
  • macOS Menu Bar Integration — App-specific commands (Start, Stop, Restart, Open) are now accessible from the macOS menu bar with keyboard shortcuts.

Improvements

  • Containers within a multi-container app now start in parallel, significantly reducing startup time.
  • Images are automatically pulled when starting a container if they are missing from the local cache, preventing cryptic start failures.
  • Installing apps are now shown in their own dedicated section in the app list so they are easy to track.
  • Terminal sessions are preserved when switching between instances — your shell session is no longer lost when you navigate away.
  • Configuration changes made via the CLI now appear in the app immediately.
  • Local network permission status is now re-evaluated whenever the app becomes active.

Bug Fixes

  • Stale port conflict warnings are now cleared when a conflicting port is changed.
  • Fixed the screenshot overlay extending below the sidebar in the app detail view.
  • Fixed a race condition that could occur when stopping an instance.
  • Fixed some app icons not displaying correctly.

v0.1.2beta

Stability and reliability improvements

Improvements

  • Polished inspector and installed apps UI with better visual consistency
  • Configuration banners now show clearer text and more actionable controls
  • Terminal background color now matches the tab bar for a cohesive look
  • Stopped app icon is more visible in the instance list

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a false "pending restart" banner appearing when switching inspector tabs
  • Pending edits are now saved correctly when switching between inspector tabs or instances
  • The running banner in the inspector now stays in sync with actual instance state
  • Fixed a double divider appearing under section headers in the instance list
  • Fixed the glass effect not updating when switching between light and dark mode
  • Fixed a critical issue where apps could fail to start or lose network access.

v0.1.1beta

The app catalog grows to 30+

New Features

  • Integrated terminal — Open a shell directly inside any running container from the instance detail panel.
  • Configuration inspector — A new sidebar panel lets you view and edit environment variables for installed apps. Changes auto-save when you switch tabs or click away. The search bar doubles as a custom variable creator.
  • Install options — A pre-install sheet lets you configure ports and other options before installing an app.
  • Port conflict detection — Lawn now detects when a port is already in use and surfaces a warning in the UI before it becomes a problem.
  • App notices — Apps can now show dismissable notice banners in the detail panel (e.g. "Set up your media library at this path").
  • Automatic updates toggle — Enable or disable automatic app updates from Settings.
  • Registry mirror support — Configure pull-through registry mirrors from the new Advanced settings tab.
  • Send Feedback / Report a Problem — New Help menu items for sending feedback or attaching logs to a bug report.

New Catalog Apps

26 new apps are available to install:

  • Actual Budget
  • AdGuard Home
  • AFFiNE
  • Audiobookshelf
  • BentoPDF
  • Docmost
  • Docker Registry
  • Elasticsearch
  • Forgejo
  • Gitea
  • Grafana
  • Immich
  • Jellyfin
  • Karakeep
  • Linkwarden
  • Mealie
  • n8n
  • Navidrome
  • Nextcloud
  • NZBGet
  • Pi-hole
  • SilverBullet
  • Syncthing
  • Uptime Kuma
  • Vikunja
  • Vaultwarden

Improvements

  • Liquid Glass visual effects added to card and badge components.
  • Log section redesigned with Windows Terminal-style tab bar.
  • Spinning icon animation on buttons when an app is starting or stopping.
  • App icons now load faster.
  • Apps with HTTPS interfaces are now fully supported.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed the engine crashing and leaving the app in a broken state — Lawn now detects crashes and restarts the engine automatically.
  • Fixed logs not appearing during app startup or after a failure.
  • Fixed multiple windows sharing UI state and interfering with each other.
  • Fixed the "Open Lawn" menu bar button not restoring the main window when it was closed.

v0.1.0beta

Initial Release

New Features

  • Menu Bar App - Self-host apps directly from your Mac menu bar
  • App Catalog - Browse and install apps with one click - no Docker knowledge required
  • CLI Tool - Manage containers via the lawn command line tool with shell completions
  • Auto-Updates - Built-in automatic update checking
  • Interactive Shell - Execute commands and open interactive shells in running containers
  • Port Configuration - Customize host ports for installed apps
  • Multi-Select Management - Select and manage multiple app instances at once
  • Container Networking - Container-to-container communication with bridged networking
  • Health Checks - Wait for dependency services to become healthy before starting dependent containers
  • Real-Time Logs - Stream container logs with automatic log persistence
  • Resource Monitoring - View CPU, memory, disk usage, and network activity with live charts
  • App Screenshots - Browse app screenshots in an interactive carousel
  • Search and Filtering - Find installed apps by name, status, or category

Improvements

  • Data Storage - App data is stored following macOS conventions and survives updates
  • Reliability - Faster installations with intelligent caching
  • Native Performance - Sub-second app startup
  • Privacy - Local network permission handling with proactive status checking
  • Error Handling - User-friendly error messages with retry capability