Release Notes

🚀 Bushel v2.3.0 is Now Available!

This release brings major stability improvements and powerful new Pro features for your macOS VM workflows:

🔧 Stability First

Fixed critical SwiftData crashes in bookmark management and data handling. Your VM library is now rock-solid, even with multiple machines and restore images.

• ✨ New Pro Features
• 📸 Screenshot Capture for Snapshots - Document VM states visually while running. Perfect for bug reports and testing workflows.
• 🖥️ Enhanced Full Screen Mode - Autohiding toolbar gives you maximum screen real estate for distraction-free VM sessions.

🆕 Platform Support

• ✅ Full macOS Tahoe (26) support with better installation feedback
• ✅ Built with Xcode 26 & Swift 6.2 for optimal performance

Pro Tip: Combine screenshot capture with snapshots to create visual + functional records of your testing sessions—invaluable for tracking down elusive bugs!

• Updates for Future OS versions
• Fixes to SwiftData

Be sure to install the lastest Xcode 26 beta or Device Support for macOS 26 beta to create a macOS 26 Tahoe VM.

• Updated Snapshot Interface
• New Menu Bar
• New User Notifications

Fix for 8GB Host Machines

If you have a Mac with 8GB, there's a fix for when you are creating a machine. Join the TestFlight today and try it out.

Introducing Bushel 2

Capture screenshots and record screen videos while testing your macOS apps. Seamless testing across macOS versions made easier than ever!

• Take screenshots and record screens directly within the app for easy documentation and debugging.
• Fixes to Library and Machine Creation.
• Improved handling of downloads

Adding support for more languages including German, Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, and French.

Fixing Recent Documents.

Added support for future macOS versions.

Fixing issue with Onboarding.

We're excited to announce a major update to Bushel just in time for macOS 15 and WWDC 2024!

This release brings significant improvements and new features to enhance your development experience.

What's New:

• Overall Performance Improvements: Enhanced performance to prepare for Swift 6, ensuring a smoother and faster experience.
• WishKit Integration: Now you can request and vote on new features directly within the app.
• Improved Document Management: Better tracking of moved and deleted files for Machines and Libraries.
• Enhanced Error Tracking and User Feedback: Improved systems to catch errors and collect your valuable feedback.

• Brand New Machine Creation Dialog: A redesigned interface for creating new machines, making the process more intuitive.

• Improved Installation Screen: More descriptive progress indicators to keep you informed during installations.

Thank you for using Bushel! We look forward to seeing what you build with these new features.

Happy coding! 🚀

More fixes to optimize database performance

• Fixes to Library and Machine creation
• Improved feedback to file permission failures

• Fixes to Recent Menu

• Fixes to Snapshot Export
• New IPSWDownloads Hub
• UI Improvements via SwiftData Fixes
• Added Better Synchronization and Snapshot support

• Fixed Issue with Exporting Snapshots

• Fixing Machine Configuration UI
• Image Name Change Works
• Fixing Snapshot Updates
• Fix for Snapshot Exporting

• Fixing Machine Configuration UI and Image Name Change #269 #237 #238

• Fixes to Snapshot and Image List Choose Button

• Fixes to Snapshot and Image List Choose Button

• Adding Review Requests #23 #132
• Resolves Empty Image List to Machine Configuration #80 #168 #244
• Adding force restart button #245
• Fixing Database View and Deleted Restore Image #62
• Fixing Last Deleted Image in Library #254
• #73 Pausing The Machine doesn't seem pausing it, instead just collecting all user interaction then hitting them once resume
• #169 The guest doesn't capture CMD+TAB to select another running app in the guest itself.
• #138 An overlay over machine window is required to indicate visually the machine is paused
• #165 Make Window Same Ratio as Display Resolution
• #117 Ability to add notes to snapshots
• #123 no snapshot button on window
• #63 Weird behavior for slider, and unstable number inputs of New Machine Window
• Fixing Machine Configuration UI and Image Name Change #269 #237 #238
• #192 Added Alerts for "User" Errors or Invalid Restore Images (i.e. Big Sur and DFU issues)
  • Also Issues: #122, #101, #106, #108, #98
• #72 Fixed Auto Start on New Session Window
  • Also Issues: #140
• #167 Added Toggle to Auto Close Window on Shutdown
  • Also Issues: #147
• #177 Fixing Purchase and About View
  • Also Issues: #21, #60
• #73 Fix Session Window Paused Machine
• #29 Added Appstore Assets
• #116 Add test coverage report to codecov CI
• #130 Adding Onboarding Text and Video
• Other Fixes Include: #97 #109 #131 #95
• Dropdown in machine setup view now shows previously used restore images
• Improved interface and flow for creating virtual machines
• Keeps track of opened images, libraries, and machines
• Fixes to Snapshot and Image List Choose Button
• Adding Review Requests #23 #132
• Resolves Empty Image List to Machine Configurator #80 #168 #244
• Adding force restart button #245
• Fixing Database View and Deleted Restore Image #62
• Fixing Last Deleted Image in Library #254
• Fixed Clear Recent Documents
• Fix the Automatic Snapshot Settings
• Fixing Error with Deleted or Moved Document
• Removing Snapshot Disk Size Feature
• #88 Added More Menu Items
• #234 Localization Fixes
• #122 Cleaning up downloading
• #19 Completing Settings and User Preferences
• Added Support for Snapshots! 🥳
• Added Open Recent Menu item
• Fix Slider/Text Input on Machine Build view #63
• Added Paywall (Free for TestFlight users)
• Added Ability to the add name and notes for paid users
• Added automatic snapshots
• Fixed Welcome Logo #78
• Fixed Keyboard Input on Machine View #74
• Fixed Snapshot Deletion #162
• Fixed Image Deletion #149
• Fixed Machine State Transition #71

• Adding Review Requests #23 #132
• Resolves Empty Image List to Machine Configuration #80 #168 #244
• Adding force restart button #245
• Fixing Database View and Deleted Restore Image #62
• Fixing Last Deleted Image in Library #254

• Adding Support for Subscriptions Offline
• Adding Filter for Libraries in Settings
• Fixing Error Handling Messaging

• Fixed Clear Recent Documents

Finishing Touches Before Submission:

• Fix the Automatic Snapshot Settings
• Fixing Error with Deleted or Moved Document
• Removing Snapshot Disk Size Feature

Finishing Touches Before Submission:

• #88 Added More Menu Items
• #234 Localization Fixes
• #122 Cleaning up downloading
• #19 Completing Settings and User Preferences

Getting Closer 🙏

We are continuing to get things for App Store review (not nessecarily release) including uploading the first set of App Store Assets.

Screens!

There are more fixes to the session window but mostly focused cleaning language and media used throughout the app such as:

Onboarding

About

Subscription Purchase

Resolved Issues

Here are the list of issues:

• #192 Added Alerts for "User" Errors or Invalid Restore Images (i.e. Big Sur and DFU issues)
  • Also Issues: #122, #101, #106, #108, #98
• #72 Fixed Auto Start on New Session Window
  • Also Issues: #140
• #167 Added Toggle to Auto Close Window on Shutdown
  • Also Issues: #147
• #177 Fixing Purchase and About View
  • Also Issues: #21, #60
• #73 Fix Session Window Paused Machine
• #29 Added Appstore Assets
• #116 Add test coverage report to codecov CI
• #130 Adding Onboarding Text and Video
• Other Fixes Include: #97 #109 #131 #95

Next Steps

The focus right now is primarily on getting the app ready for app store submission:

• Audit Other Errors Users Can Encounter and Ensure Legible Alerts
• Accessilbity Audits
• UI Testing
• Testing StoreKit Subscription for Bushel Pro
• Testing the flow of
  • Creating a Image Library
  • Downloading or Importing an IPSW file
  • Building a Machine
  • Setting up the Machine (first user, agreements, etc...)
  • Taking Snapshots
  • Setting up Preferences and Settings
  • Taking More Snapshots
  • Installing Xcode for OS version
  • Taking Event More Snapshots
  • Rolling back to or Exporting from various snapshots

Known Issues

• #62 Delete ipsw still show as available

Big improvements to the Session Window this release:

• #73 Pausing The Machine doesn't seem pausing it, instead just collecting all user interaction then hitting them once resume
• #169 The guest doesn't capture CMD+TAB to select another running app in the guest itself.
• #138 An overlay over machine window is required to indicate visually the machine is paused
• #165 Make Window Same Ratio as Display Resolution
• #117 Ability to add notes to snapshots
• #123 no snapshot button on window
• #63 Weird behavior for slider, and unstable number inputs of New Machine Window

Known Issues

• Delete ipsw still show as available #62
• Snapshots don't show up in Document View if taken from Session View

• Added Paywall (Free for TestFlight users)
• Added Ability to the add name and notes for paid users
• Added automatic snapshots

Known Issues

• Delete ipsw still show as available #62
• Snapshots don't show up in Document View if taken from Session View
• Paused Machine Input Lag #73

• Fix Slider/Text Input on Machine Build view #63

Known Issues

• Delete ipsw still show as available #62
• Paused Machine Input Lag #73

• Fixed Welcome Logo #78
• Fixed Keyboard Input on Machine View #74
• Fixed Snapshot Deletion #162
• Fixed Image Deletion #149
• Fixed Machien State Transition #71

Known Issues

• Fix Slider/Text Input on Machine Build view #63
• Delete ipsw still show as available #62
• Paused Machine Input Lag #73

• Added Support for Snapshots! 🥳
• Added Open Recent Menu item

Known Issues

• Fix Welcome Logo #78
• Paused Machine Input Lag #73
• Keyboard Input on Machine View workaround: click inside black outside of main session view #74
• Fix Slider/Text Input on Machine Build view #63
• Delete ipsw still show as available #62

• Setting up for Subscription Purchase
• Bug fixes

Known Issues

• Missing Machine Interface
• Missing Snapshot Interface
• Certain images receive an unsigned error during installation: this is known issue. Feedback has been filed with Apple.
• Unable to start Machines right after creation

It's been awhile!

While I've been busy most of the year, starting with WWDC in June I've been revamping the application to support only Sonoma. I'm sorry to those of you who were hoping to run the app in Monterey or Ventura but there were plenty of reasons moving forward.

Behind the scenes most of the Combine and UserDefaults code I used to track your restore images and machines have migrated to Observation and SwiftData making for a smoother experience. While a lot of messy code has been removed in the process, plenty of code can be reused in this new alpha.

• New Library Interface for imporating and downloading restore images
• More responsive Machine session interface

Known Issues

• Missing Machine Interface
• Missing Snapshot Interface

• Dropdown in machine setup view now shows previously used restore images
• Improved interface and flow for creating virtual machines
• Keeps track of opened images, libraries, and machines

Known Issues

• Certain restore images may not work due to sandboxing limitation. If building the machine does nothing:
  • select a different restore image or
  • re-open the restore library to grant sandboxing access to the image

• added logging for improved debugging
• setting up UserDefaults for tracking machines and images
• major major refactor of UI components
• migrated RestoreImageLibrary to ReferenceFileDocument for better management of saving and opening docs
• fixed release label in welcome screen

• fixed app crashed when opening Restore Library #38
• fixed empty window when opening Restore Library #37
• setup localization #11

First TestFlight Build is here!

Thank you so much for your interest in Bushel. These first build might be a bit rough and feature incomplete. However I think just getting this out will give you an idea where things are headed and provide me some feedback as you encounter any friction with the app.

What you can do:

• Create a Restore Image Library
• Download the default Apple provided Restore Image (macOS Monterey)
• Create a VM from a Restore Image
• Launch and Shutdown VM

What you can't do yet:

• Pause and Resume VM
• Take Snapshots of VM
• No Pages setup for Help,Privacy Policy, etc...
• No UI to customize VM