Local Lens v2.4.1

Local Lens v2.4.1

Fixed

• Critical Data Loss: Fixed cross-drive MOVE permanently deleting ignored subfolders. When a MOVE was performed across different drives with a non-empty ignore list, ignored folders were correctly skipped during the copy but then destroyed by a blanket shutil.rmtree() when the source was removed — bypassing the Recycle Bin with no undo. The deletion is now ignore-aware and only removes what was actually copied.
• Fixed silent fallthrough bug where sort method names sent in lowercase by the frontend (e.g. location, people) did not match the expected title-case values, causing files to be sorted by the default method instead of the one selected.

---

Installation

macOS via Homebrew (Recommended)

brew install ashesbloom/locallens/local-lens

Homebrew automatically handles Gatekeeper - no extra steps needed!

Windows

1. Download the .msi (enterprise) or .exe (individual) installer
2. Run the installer
3. Launch Local Lens from the Start Menu

macOS Manual Install (DMG)

1. Download the DMG file from this release
2. Open the DMG and drag Local Lens to Applications
3. Fix Gatekeeper block (choose one):
   • Download and double-click Fix_Local_Lens.command
   • If blocked: run bash ~/Downloads/Fix_Local_Lens.command
   • Right-click the app, Open, click Open in the dialog
   • Terminal: xattr -cr "/Applications/Local Lens.app"

---

macOS Security Note

Local Lens is not notarized with Apple (requires $99/year developer fee).
macOS may show a damaged or unidentified developer warning.
This is normal for open-source apps.

The Fix_Local_Lens.command script automatically removes quarantine,
applies an ad-hoc signature, and sets permissions.

---

Security and Verification

• Source Code: Available at this tag
• Build Process: See Actions tab for build logs
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided for verification

Local Lens v2.4.0

This release lays internal groundwork for future local AI tooling. The MCP agent scaffold and diagnostics endpoints are now in place, but no user-facing chat UI is shipped yet.

---

🧩 MCP Agent Foundation (Internal)

Local Lens now includes an internal MCP (Model Context Protocol) agent scaffold in locallens_mcp_agent/. It is a standalone local client that talks to the backend over localhost. This is infrastructure only and is not exposed to end users in release builds.

What this enables later:

• Local chat tooling that can safely call Local Lens actions
• Robust tool discovery and diagnostics without hardcoded ports
• Clear separation between the AGPL app and external clients

---

🔌 Backend Plumbing for Local Tooling

• /api/stats endpoint added for tool-friendly diagnostics
• Bound port export to APP_DATA_DIR/port.txt so local clients can connect reliably

---

✨ What’s New (Under the Hood)

• Standalone MCP agent scaffold in locallens_mcp_agent/
• Backend diagnostics endpoint for tool clients (/api/stats)
• Local port discovery via APP_DATA_DIR/port.txt

---

⚠️ User-Facing Changes

None. This release only adds internal infrastructure and does not include any new UI features.

---

Installation ⇣

macOS via Homebrew (Recommended)

brew install ashesbloom/locallens/local-lens

Homebrew automatically handles Gatekeeper - no extra steps needed!

Windows

1. Download the .msi (enterprise) or .exe (individual) installer
2. Run the installer
3. Launch Local Lens from the Start Menu

macOS Manual Install (DMG)

1. Download the DMG file from this release
2. Open the DMG and drag Local Lens to Applications
3. Fix Gatekeeper block (choose one):
   • Download and double-click Fix_Local_Lens.command
   • If blocked: run bash ~/Downloads/Fix_Local_Lens.command
   • Right-click the app, Open, click Open in the dialog
   • Terminal: xattr -cr "/Applications/Local Lens.app"

---

🔒 Security & Verification

This release was built automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available at tag v2.4.0
• Build Process: View build logs in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: Cryptographically signed for authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided for verification

✅ File Verification

macOS:

shasum -a 256 "Local_Lens_v2.4.0_aarch64.dmg"

Windows:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.4.0_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

---

📦 Release Assets

File	Description
Local_Lens_v2.4.0_aarch64.dmg	macOS installer (Apple Silicon)
Local_Lens_v2.4.0_x64_en-US.msi	Windows MSI installer
Local_Lens_v2.4.0_x64-setup.exe	Windows EXE installer
checksums-macos.txt	SHA256 checksums for macOS
checksums-windows.txt	SHA256 checksums for Windows

---

Local Lens v2.3.0 mac~\fix

## Local Lens v2.3.0


### Fixed
- Fixed critical backend crash on macOS Apple Silicon (M-series) caused by `numpy` dependency incompatibility.
- Resolved Tauri auto-updater code signing failures during the build process.
- Hardened PyInstaller build spec to properly bundle native C-extensions.

### Added
- Added background backend smoke tests in CI/CD pipeline to verify build integrity prior to packaging.

---

Installation ⇣

macOS via Homebrew (Recommended)

brew install ashesbloom/locallens/local-lens

Homebrew automatically handles Gatekeeper - no extra steps needed!

Windows

1. Download the .msi (enterprise) or .exe (individual) installer
2. Run the installer
3. Launch Local Lens from the Start Menu

macOS Manual Install (DMG)

1. Download the DMG file from this release
2. Open the DMG and drag Local Lens to Applications
3. Fix Gatekeeper block (choose one):
   • Download and double-click Fix_Local_Lens.command
   • If blocked: run bash ~/Downloads/Fix_Local_Lens.command
   • Right-click the app, Open, click Open in the dialog
   • Terminal: xattr -cr "/Applications/Local Lens.app"

---

macOS Security Note

Local Lens is not notarized with Apple (requires $99/year developer fee).
macOS may show a damaged or unidentified developer warning.
This is normal for open-source apps.

The Fix_Local_Lens.command script automatically removes quarantine, applies an ad-hoc signature, and sets permissions.

---

🔒 Security & Verification

This release was built automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available at tag v2.3.0
• Build Process: View build logs in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: Cryptographically signed for authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided for verification

✅ File Verification

macOS:

shasum -a 256 "Local Lens_2.3.0_aarch64.dmg"

Windows:

certutil -hashfile "Local Lens_2.3.0_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

📦 Release Assets

File	Description
Local Lens_2.3.0_aarch64.dmg	macOS installer (Apple Silicon)
Fix_Local_Lens.command	macOS Gatekeeper fix script
local-lens.rb	Homebrew Cask formula
Local Lens_2.3.0_x64_en-US.msi	Windows MSI installer
Local Lens_2.3.0_x64-setup.exe	Windows EXE installer
checksums-macos.txt	SHA256 checksums for macOS
checksums-windows.txt	SHA256 checksums for Windows
Local Lens.app.tar.gz	Packaged macOS app archive
latest.json	Latest release metadata
Source code (zip)	Source code archive
Source code (tar.gz)	Source code archive

Local Lens v2.2.1

Local Lens v2.2.1

This release makes macOS installation much easier! We've added Homebrew support for one-command installation and a fix script that eliminates the "App is damaged" error.

---

🎉 Homebrew Support (Recommended for macOS)

Mac users can now install Local Lens with a single command:

brew install ashesbloom/locallens/local-lens

Why Homebrew is recommended:

• Automatically removes Gatekeeper quarantine
• No manual security bypass needed
• Easy updates with brew upgrade local-lens
• Clean uninstall with brew uninstall local-lens

---

🔧 macOS Gatekeeper Fix Script

For users who prefer the DMG installer, we now include Fix_Local_Lens.command — a double-clickable script that fixes the "App is damaged" error automatically.

What it does:

• Removes the quarantine flag from the app
• Applies an ad-hoc code signature
• Sets correct executable permissions
• Works for both /Applications and ~/Applications

---

✨ What's New

• Homebrew Cask Support: Install via brew install ashesbloom/locallens/local-lens
• Fix Script Included: Fix_Local_Lens.command bundled with every release
• Improved Documentation: Clear installation instructions for all scenarios
• Auto-Generated Cask Formula: local-lens.rb included in release assets for tap updates

---

⬇️ Installation

macOS via Homebrew (Recommended) 🍺

brew install ashesbloom/locallens/local-lens

That's it! Homebrew handles everything automatically.

macOS Manual Install (DMG)

1. Download Local_Lens_v2.2.1_aarch64.dmg
2. Download Fix_Local_Lens.command
3. Open the DMG and drag Local Lens to your Applications folder
4. Double-click Fix_Local_Lens.command and enter your password when prompted
5. Launch Local Lens normally

Alternative methods if the fix script doesn't work:

• Right-click the app → Click Open → Click Open in the dialog
• Or run in Terminal:

  xattr -cr "/Applications/Local Lens.app"

Windows

1. Download Local_Lens_v2.2.1_x64_en-US.msi (or .exe for NSIS installer)
2. Run the installer
3. Launch Local Lens from the Start Menu

---

⚠️ Why macOS Shows Security Warnings

Local Lens is not notarized with Apple because:

• Apple requires a $99/year developer subscription
• We're an open-source project prioritizing accessibility

The app is safe — the warnings appear because macOS doesn't recognize our signature. The Homebrew installation or the fix script resolves this completely.

---

🔄 Updating from v2.2.0

• Windows users: Updates install seamlessly via the in-app notification bell
• macOS users:
  • Homebrew: brew upgrade local-lens
  • Manual: Download new DMG and run the fix script again

---

🔒 Security & Verification

This release was built automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available at tag v2.2.1
• Build Process: View build logs in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: Cryptographically signed for authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided for verification

✅ File Verification

macOS:

shasum -a 256 "Local_Lens_v2.2.1_aarch64.dmg"

Windows:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.2.1_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

---

📦 Release Assets

File	Description
Local_Lens_v2.2.1_aarch64.dmg	macOS installer (Apple Silicon)
Fix_Local_Lens.command	macOS Gatekeeper fix script
local-lens.rb	Homebrew Cask formula
Local_Lens_v2.2.1_x64_en-US.msi	Windows MSI installer
Local_Lens_v2.2.1_x64-setup.exe	Windows EXE installer
checksums-macos.txt	SHA256 checksums for macOS
checksums-windows.txt	SHA256 checksums for Windows

Local Lens v2.2.0 🍎🪟

Local Lens v2.2.0

This is a landmark release that brings Local Lens to macOS! For the first time, Mac users with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) can enjoy the full Local Lens experience with native performance.

🍎 macOS Support (Apple Silicon)

• Native Apple Silicon Build: Fully optimized for M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs with native ARM64 binaries.
• DMG Installer: Simple drag-and-drop installation to your Applications folder.
• Auto-Updates: macOS users get the same seamless update experience as Windows users.
• Optimized Startup: Uses a one-folder architecture for fast app launches (no extraction delays).

✨ New Features

• Cross-Platform CI/CD: Automated GitHub Actions builds for both Windows and macOS ensure consistent, reproducible releases.
• Improved Backend Reliability: New health check system ensures the backend is fully ready before the UI connects.
• Custom Save Preset Dialog: Beautiful native-style modal for saving presets (fixes macOS compatibility).

🐛 Bug Fixes

• "With Others" Folder Fix: Photos with only unknown faces no longer incorrectly create a "With Others" subfolder.
• Face Enrollment Loading: Fixed issue where enrolled faces weren't loading on app startup.
• Multiprocessing Stability: Resolved PyInstaller freeze issues on both platforms.

---

⬇️ Installation

Windows

1. Download Local_Lens_v2.2.0_x64_en-US.msi (or .exe for NSIS installer)
2. Run the installer as Administrator (recommended)
3. Launch Local Lens from the Start Menu

macOS (Apple Silicon)

1. Download Local_Lens_v2.2.0_aarch64.dmg
2. Open the DMG and drag Local Lens to your Applications folder
3. First launch only: Right-click the app → Click Open → Click Open in the dialog

   This is required because the app is not notarized with Apple. You only need to do this once.

🔄 Updating from Previous Versions

• Windows users: Your face encodings and presets are preserved. Updates install seamlessly via the in-app notification bell.
• macOS users: This is the first macOS release - welcome! 🎉

---

🔒 Security & Verification

This release was built automatically using GitHub Actions for both platforms:

• Source Code: Available in this repository at tag v2.2.0
• Build Process: View the complete build log in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: All updates are cryptographically signed to ensure authenticity.
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided for both platforms.

✅ File Verification

Windows:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.2.0_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

macOS:

shasum -a 256 "Local_Lens_v2.2.0_aarch64.dmg"

Local Lens v2.1.0

Local Lens v2.1.0

This is a significant feature release that introduces a comprehensive user onboarding experience and dramatically expands RAW image format support for macOS and Linux users.

✨ New Features

• Interactive Tutorial & Walkthrough: A brand-new, step-by-step tutorial has been added to guide first-time users through the application's core features, from selecting folders to sorting photos and enrolling faces.
• Expanded RAW Image Support (macOS & Linux): Thanks to the integration of ImageMagick, Local Lens now supports a much wider range of RAW image formats on macOS and Linux, including formats from many newer cameras.

⬆️ Improvements

• Modernized Build Process: The release build process is now more robust, using dynamic logic to correctly package the backend executable for different operating systems and CPU architectures.
• Dependency Updates: Replaced the deprecated pkg_resources library with a modern equivalent, ensuring better compatibility and performance for face recognition tasks.

Preview

Apologies for the gif quality !

---

⬇️ Installation

1. Click on Local_Lens_v2.1.0_x64_en-US.msi for the Windows installer.
2. Run the installer as Administrator (recommended).
3. Follow the installation wizard.
4. Launch Local Lens from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut.

🔄 Updating from Previous Versions

If you're upgrading from a previous version:

• Your face encodings and presets will be preserved.
• Updates can be installed directly from within the app via the notification bell icon!

🔒 Security & Verification

This Windows release was built and signed automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available in this repository at tag v2.1.0
• Build Process: View the complete build log in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: All updates are cryptographically signed to ensure authenticity.
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided in checksums-windows.txt for file verification.

✅ File Verification

After downloading, verify file integrity:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.1.0_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

Local Lens v2.0.6

Local Lens v2.0.6

A maintenance release focused on improving preset management reliability and user experience. This update addresses a critical crash when loading presets with missing folders and adds convenient preset management features.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Critical Fix: Preset Path Validation: Fixed a crash that occurred when selecting a saved preset whose source or destination folder had been deleted or moved. The application now validates paths before loading and displays a clear error dialog instead of crashing.
• Critical Fix: 'Find & Group' Result Dialog: Fixed an issue where the completion dialog would display incorrect information (e.g., "No Matches Found") even when photos were successfully found and copied. The dialog now accurately reflects the operation results.

✨ New Features

• Preset Delete Button: Added a delete button next to the preset dropdown, allowing users to easily remove outdated or invalid presets directly from the interface.
• Smart Invalid Preset Handling: When loading a preset with missing paths, users are now prompted with options to either delete the invalid preset or keep it for later.

⬆️ Improvements

• Simplified 'Find & Group' Operations: The "Copy/Move" toggle has been removed from the "Find & Group" mode. This operation now always copies files to prevent accidental data loss and reduce user confusion. The toggle remains available in Standard and Hybrid sorting modes.
• Improved Error Handling: Enhanced API error handling to distinguish between network failures and HTTP errors, preventing false "backend disconnected" warnings.

Preview

---

⬇️ Installation

1. Click on Local_Lens_v2.0.6_x64_en-US.msi for the Windows installer
2. Run the installer as Administrator (recommended)
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. Launch Local Lens from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

🔄 Updating from Previous Versions

If you're upgrading from a previous version:

• Your face encodings and presets will be preserved
• Updates can be installed directly from within the app via the notification bell icon!

🔒 Security & Verification

This Windows release was built and signed automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available in this repository at tag v2.0.6
• Build Process: View the complete build log in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: All updates are cryptographically signed to ensure authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided in checksums-windows.txt for file verification

✅ File Verification

After downloading, verify file integrity:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.0.6_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

Local Lens v2.0.5

Local Lens v2.0.5

This is a significant release for Local Lens, focused on streamlining the user experience and introducing a seamless auto-update system. We've simplified the "Find & Group" workflow, improved backend stability, and made it easier than ever to stay up-to-date with future releases.

✨ New Features

• In-App Auto-Update Notifications: Local Lens now automatically checks for new versions on startup. When an update is available, a notification bell icon appears in the top-left corner of the application. Click it to view the full release notes and install the update with a single click—no more manually downloading from GitHub!

⬆️ Improvements

• Simplified 'Find & Group' Operations: The "Copy/Move" toggle has been removed from the "Find & Group" mode. This operation now always copies files to prevent accidental data loss and reduce user confusion. The toggle remains available in Standard and Hybrid sorting modes.
• Reliable Backend Connection: The Python backend now uses a consistent port (8000) in development mode instead of randomly selecting one. This ensures a stable and predictable connection between the Tauri frontend and the backend server.
• Optimized Dependencies: Cleaned up and optimized package dependencies for improved performance and reduced application size.
• Enhanced Documentation: Added detailed production build instructions to the setup guide for developers and contributors.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Critical Fix: 'Find & Group' Result Dialog: Fixed an issue where the completion dialog would display incorrect information (e.g., "No Matches Found") even when photos were successfully found and copied. The dialog now accurately reflects the operation results.
• Fixed Enrollment Triggering Wrong Modal: Resolved a bug where completing a face enrollment while in "Find & Group" mode would incorrectly trigger the Find Results modal instead of the enrollment completion message.
• Fixed Version Display: Corrected the version number shown in the update notification panel.

Preview

---

⬇️ Installation

1. Click on Local_Lens_v2.0.5_x64_en-US.msi for the Windows installer
2. Run the installer as Administrator (recommended)
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. Launch Local Lens from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

🔄 Updating from v1.x or v2.0.0

If you're upgrading from a previous version:

• Your face encodings and presets will be preserved
• Future updates can be installed directly from within the app!

🔒 Security & Verification

This Windows release was built and signed automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available in this repository at tag v2.0.5
• Build Process: View the complete build log in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: All updates are cryptographically signed to ensure authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided in checksums-windows.txt for file verification

✅ File Verification

After downloading, verify file integrity:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.0.5_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

Local Lens v2.0.1

Local Lens v2.0.1

This is a significant release for Local Lens, focused on streamlining the user experience and introducing a seamless auto-update system. We've simplified the "Find & Group" workflow, improved backend stability, and made it easier than ever to stay up-to-date with future releases.

✨ New Features

• In-App Auto-Update Notifications: Local Lens now automatically checks for new versions on startup. When an update is available, a notification bell icon appears in the top-left corner of the application. Click it to view the full release notes and install the update with a single click—no more manually downloading from GitHub!

⬆️ Improvements

• Simplified 'Find & Group' Operations: The "Copy/Move" toggle has been removed from the "Find & Group" mode. This operation now always copies files to prevent accidental data loss and reduce user confusion. The toggle remains available in Standard and Hybrid sorting modes.
• Reliable Backend Connection: The Python backend now uses a consistent port (8000) in development mode instead of randomly selecting one. This ensures a stable and predictable connection between the Tauri frontend and the backend server.
• Optimized Dependencies: Cleaned up and optimized package dependencies for improved performance and reduced application size.
• Enhanced Documentation: Added detailed production build instructions to the setup guide for developers and contributors.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Critical Fix: 'Find & Group' Result Dialog: Fixed an issue where the completion dialog would display incorrect information (e.g., "No Matches Found") even when photos were successfully found and copied. The dialog now accurately reflects the operation results.
• Fixed Enrollment Triggering Wrong Modal: Resolved a bug where completing a face enrollment while in "Find & Group" mode would incorrectly trigger the Find Results modal instead of the enrollment completion message.
• Fixed Version Display: Corrected the version number shown in the update notification panel.

Preview

---

⬇️ Installation

1. Click on Local_Lens_v2.0.1_x64_en-US.msi for the Windows installer
2. Run the installer as Administrator (recommended)
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. Launch Local Lens from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

🔄 Updating from v1.x or v2.0.0

If you're upgrading from a previous version:

• Your face encodings and presets will be preserved
• Future updates can be installed directly from within the app!

🔒 Security & Verification

This Windows release was built and signed automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available in this repository at tag v2.0.1
• Build Process: View the complete build log in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: All updates are cryptographically signed to ensure authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided in checksums-windows.txt for file verification

✅ File Verification

After downloading, verify file integrity:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.0.1_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256

Local Lens v2.0.0

Local Lens v2.0.0

This is a significant release for Local Lens, focused on streamlining the user experience and introducing a seamless auto-update system. We've simplified the "Find & Group" workflow, improved backend stability, and made it easier than ever to stay up-to-date with future releases.

✨ New Features

• In-App Auto-Update Notifications: Local Lens now automatically checks for new versions on startup. When an update is available, a notification bell icon appears in the top-left corner of the application. Click it to view the full release notes and install the update with a single click—no more manually downloading from GitHub!

⬆️ Improvements

• Simplified 'Find & Group' Operations: The "Copy/Move" toggle has been removed from the "Find & Group" mode. This operation now always copies files to prevent accidental data loss and reduce user confusion. The toggle remains available in Standard and Hybrid sorting modes.
• Reliable Backend Connection: The Python backend now uses a consistent port (8000) in development mode instead of randomly selecting one. This ensures a stable and predictable connection between the Tauri frontend and the backend server.
• Optimized Dependencies: Cleaned up and optimized package dependencies for improved performance and reduced application size.
• Enhanced Documentation: Added detailed production build instructions to the setup guide for developers and contributors.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Critical Fix: 'Find & Group' Result Dialog: Fixed an issue where the completion dialog would display incorrect information (e.g., "No Matches Found") even when photos were successfully found and copied. The dialog now accurately reflects the operation results.
• Fixed Enrollment Triggering Wrong Modal: Resolved a bug where completing a face enrollment while in "Find & Group" mode would incorrectly trigger the Find Results modal instead of the enrollment completion message.

Preview

---

⬇️ Installation

1. Click on Local_Lens_v2.0.0_x64_en-US.msi for the Windows installer
2. Run the installer as Administrator (recommended)
3. Follow the installation wizard
4. Launch Local Lens from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

🔄 Updating from v1.x

If you're upgrading from a previous version:

• Your face encodings and presets will be preserved
• Future updates can be installed directly from within the app!

🔒 Security & Verification

This Windows release was built and signed automatically using GitHub Actions:

• Source Code: Available in this repository at tag v2.0.0
• Build Process: View the complete build log in the Actions tab
• Signed Updates: All updates are cryptographically signed to ensure authenticity
• Checksums: SHA256 checksums provided in checksums-windows.txt for file verification

✅ File Verification

After downloading, verify file integrity:

certutil -hashfile "Local_Lens_v2.0.0_x64_en-US.msi" SHA256