v0.8.12 / v0.11.0

New features and improvements

1. 01

   TUI/Portal v0.8.12: recovery and upgrade paths are safer

   The desktop-facing release closes several sharp edges around first-run setup, OAuth/no-key presets, and in-app Homebrew upgrades.

   • First-run and recovery setup now persist ~/.lingtai-tui/config.json, preventing repeated setup loops for OAuth or no-key presets.
   • The in-app Homebrew upgrade prompt now detects other running TUI processes, asks for explicit confirmation, sleeps affected agents, stops old TUIs, and asks the user to relaunch instead of self-execing an old Cellar binary.
   • The release keeps the upgrade UX discoverable while avoiding the dangerous multi-window upgrade case that can leave old and new TUI processes fighting each other.

   Why it matters:Install and upgrade paths are the first thing new users touch. They must be boringly reliable before the agent network can feel alive.

2. 02

   MCP is now the human-facing control surface

   The TUI command surface now says what the system actually is: external integrations are MCP resources and controls, not a separate addon philosophy.

   • /mcp replaces /addon as the human-facing command and palette entry.
   • The MCP control panel copy is reframed around MCP resources, status, and configuration instead of platform-specific onboarding hard-coded in the TUI.
   • Stale /addon references were cleaned across command dispatch, i18n, docs, and packaged recipes.

   Why it matters:This keeps the TUI thin: MCP packages own their own knowledge, while the TUI gives humans a clear doorway into that knowledge.

3. 03

   Core capabilities and local dev runtimes are protected

   Setup and preset editing now distinguish the immutable runtime floor from optional model/provider capabilities, while dev-mode kernel installs stay editable and local.

   • Core/default capabilities are always included; editable preset checkboxes focus on optional capabilities such as web search and vision.
   • LINGTAI_DEV_ROOT is the explicit dev-mode contract for keeping runtime virtualenvs pointed at the local lingtai-kernel checkout.
   • Runtime repair no longer silently turns a developer’s editable install back into a PyPI wheel when the project is meant to test local kernel changes.

   Why it matters:Users get fewer ways to accidentally remove the ground beneath an agent, and developers get a reliable loop for testing kernel changes.

4. 04

   Rust sidecar diagnostics land in `/doctor`

   The TUI now exposes the packaged Rust file-search sidecar status and local Rust/Cargo readiness instead of hiding Python fallback behind symptoms.

   • /doctor reports packaged Rust sidecar status for the file-search path.
   • It also reports local Cargo/Rust availability, which matters when rebuilding or diagnosing sidecar fallback.
   • Startup can now prompt when the system falls back to Python because Cargo is missing.

   Why it matters:The Rust-backed line should be diagnosable from the product itself, not only from source checkout archaeology.

5. 05

   Kernel v0.11.0 marks the Rust-backed runtime line

   The kernel package on PyPI moves to 0.11.0, not another patch release, because this release window crosses a rewrite boundary for the Rust-backed runtime pieces.

   • The PyPI package lingtai==0.11.0 was built from lingtai-kernel main commit 3b0758f and published with both wheel and sdist artifacts.
   • Release-blocking kernel tests were triaged: stale path/wording/timer expectations were updated, then the full suite passed with 1969 passed, 2 skipped before the version bump release.
   • A clean virtualenv install from PyPI verified import lingtai, lingtai_kernel and distribution version 0.11.0.

   Why it matters:The version number now matches the architectural weight of the change, and the public package is verified rather than merely tagged.

6. 06

   Packaged guidance and release discipline were tightened

   This window also updated the guidance agents carry with them: GitHub operations, Claude Code token debugging, and release-log expectations.

   • Shipped guidance now teaches agents to use GH_TOKEN or existing gh auth for GitHub operations instead of asking humans to paste shell commands.
   • Swiss-knife Claude Code docs now explain stale CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN sources, safe env -u wrappers, shell startup file diagnostics, and inherited environment gotchas.
   • The release process now records the two-layer convention: concise GitHub Release notes plus a longer human-facing HTML release log.

   Why it matters:Operational knowledge should ship with LingTai. Every release should leave the next release easier to do correctly.