Richer app settings, sleep prevention, and status indicators

New Features

• Richer app configuration — Apps can now expose structured settings with dropdowns and radio buttons, not just free-form text fields. For example, Minecraft now ships with 17 pre-built server settings including difficulty, game mode, max players, and more — all configurable without touching any config files.
• Reset individual settings — Right-click any configuration value to reset it to its default.
• Keep Mac awake — Lawn can now prevent your Mac from sleeping while containers are running, so your self-hosted apps stay reachable overnight.
• Quit warning — Lawn now warns you before quitting if apps are running or installing, so you don't accidentally take down your services.
• Colored status indicators — The menu bar now shows color-coded status circles next to each app so you can see at a glance what's running, stopped, or in progress.
• Per-app URLs — Templates can now reference the app's local URL and domain automatically, enabling proper URL configuration (e.g., trusted domains in Nextcloud) with zero manual setup.

Improvements

• App settings are now displayed in a clean grouped panel with consistent ordering, making long configuration lists easier to read.
• Environment variables managed by a configuration option are now labeled "Set by Configuration" so you know not to edit them manually.
• Template strings are now fully localization-ready, laying the groundwork for future language support.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed the Catalog sidebar resetting scroll position unexpectedly when clicking on it.
• Improved error output in the validator to show human-readable messages instead of raw error descriptions.

Local domains, install progress, and CLI improvements

New Features

• Local domain names — Apps are now accessible via .local hostnames (e.g., myapp.local) in addition to localhost ports. Lawn routes traffic through a built-in reverse proxy.
• Launch in background — Lawn can now start in menu-bar-only mode without opening the main window. Enable "Launch in the background" in General preferences.
• Installation progress — Detailed download and extraction progress is now shown while installing apps.
• Copy Web URL — All instance menus now include a "Copy Web URL" action for quick access to an app's address.
• Inline configuration editing — The instance configuration editor has been redesigned as a full inline edit mode.
• First-time setup hints — Apps that require you to create credentials (like databases) now show setup notices after installation to guide you through initial configuration.
• Browse Catalog from menu bar — The menu bar menu now includes a Browse Catalog button for quick access.
• CLI: lawn rename and lawn autostart — New commands for renaming instances and managing autostart behavior from the terminal.
• CLI: lawn experiments — New commands for toggling experimental features from the terminal.

Improvements

• App search now matches against tags in addition to names and descriptions.
• Notices can now show conditionally and include action buttons — for example, toggling a setting directly from a notice.
• The menu bar now shows a loading state at startup instead of an empty list.
• Clicking an app in the menu bar opens its detail view in the main window instead of auto-starting it.
• Karakeep's "Disable Signups" setting is now properly exposed as a configurable option with a setup notice.

Bug Fixes

• Failed installations now clean up correctly, and retrying an install works in-place without needing to remove the instance first.
• Fixed memory values displaying with incorrect thousand separators.
• Fixed a menu bar navigation race condition that could open the wrong instance on startup.

Bulk actions and catalog sorting

New Features

• Bulk actions — Start, stop, or remove multiple apps at once from the App menu. Keyboard shortcuts supported.
• Alphabetical catalog — Apps in the catalog are now sorted alphabetically, making it easier to find what you're looking for.

Bug Fixes

• Sidebar order stability — Fixed an issue where the sidebar order could jump around unexpectedly after installing or restarting apps.
• Single-instance menu labels — Corrected menu item labels for apps with a single instance.

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.

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 Detection — lawn 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.

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.

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.

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