HelloThisWorld · HelloThisWorld · Aug 4, 2026 · Aug 4, 2026
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
-## Unreleased
+## 1.3.0-alpha2 - 2026-08-04
 
-Fixes for the four alpha1 field reports, ahead of the 1.3.0 beta.
+Second alpha prerelease: fixes for the four alpha1 field reports. Like alpha1,
+this is published only as a tagged GitHub prerelease for local testing — GitHub
+Latest and the winTerm website continue to point at v1.2.0, and this version is
+not submitted to WinGet.
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -34,6 +37,13 @@ Fixes for the four alpha1 field reports, ahead of the 1.3.0 beta.
   as completed/total meters. Success and Error results still persist until a
   later publication replaces them.
 
+### Changed
+
+- Advanced the package/file version to `1.3.0.1` so the alpha2 binaries are
+  distinguishable from alpha1 in `FILEVERSION`/`PRODUCTVERSION`. The
+  application version is `1.3.0-alpha2`, the PowerShell module stays `1.3.0`
+  with prerelease suffix `alpha2`, and the channel stays `alpha`.
+
 ## 1.3.0-alpha1 - 2026-08-04
 
 First public prerelease of the Command Timeline. This is an alpha for local

@@ -4,24 +4,24 @@ Last updated: 2026-08-04
 
 ## Repository state
 
-- Branch: `fix/alpha1-feedback`
-- Base branch: `main` at `ed707550` (1.3.0-alpha1 release metadata, pull
-  request #31)
+- Branch: `release/v1.3.0-alpha2`
+- Base branch: `main` at `18310e9f` (alpha1 field-report fixes, pull
+  request #32)
 - Microsoft Terminal upstream revision:
   `1cea42d433253d95c4487a3037db48197b5e72f4`
-- Application version: `1.3.0-alpha1`
-- Package/file version: `1.3.0.0`
-- PowerShell module version: `1.3.0` with prerelease suffix `alpha1`
+- Application version: `1.3.0-alpha2`
+- Package/file version: `1.3.0.1`
+- PowerShell module version: `1.3.0` with prerelease suffix `alpha2`
 - Release channel: `alpha`
-- Release tag: `v1.3.0-alpha1`
+- Release tag: `v1.3.0-alpha2`
 - Current public Latest: `v1.2.0`, the stable Visual Progress release
 - Supported target: Windows 11 x64
 
-`v1.3.0-alpha1` is a published GitHub **prerelease**, not a stable release. The
-release workflow marks any non-stable channel with `--prerelease` and
-`--latest=false`, so `/releases/latest` keeps resolving to v1.2.0. The alpha is
-deliberately not listed on the winTerm website and is skipped by the WinGet
-workflow.
+`v1.3.0-alpha2` follows `v1.3.0-alpha1` as a GitHub **prerelease** for local
+testing, carrying the four field-report fixes. The release workflow marks any
+non-stable channel with `--prerelease` and `--latest=false`, so
+`/releases/latest` keeps resolving to v1.2.0. The alpha is deliberately not
+listed on the winTerm website and is skipped by the WinGet workflow.
 
 ## Command Timeline status
 
@@ -70,9 +70,10 @@ branch:
 
 ## Next steps
 
-1. Re-test the four fixes locally on a fresh build.
-2. Cut `v1.3.0-beta1` on channel `beta`. The beta may be listed on the winTerm
-   website alongside the stable v1.2.0 download.
+1. Install `v1.3.0-alpha2` locally and re-test the four fixes.
+2. Cut `v1.3.0-beta1` on channel `beta` once alpha2 passes local testing. The
+   beta may be listed on the winTerm website alongside the stable v1.2.0
+   download.
 3. Promote to a stable `v1.3.0` only after beta testing, which is the point at
    which Latest, WinGet, and the website stable slot move.
 

@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+# winTerm 1.3.0-alpha2
+
+**This is an alpha prerelease for local testing. It is not a stable release.**
+The current stable release remains
+[v1.2.0](https://github.com/HelloThisWorld/winTerm/releases/tag/v1.2.0), and
+`/releases/latest` continues to point there. This alpha is published only as a
+tagged GitHub prerelease; it is not listed on the winTerm website and is not
+submitted to WinGet.
+
+winTerm 1.3.0-alpha2 fixes the four issues reported from local testing of
+[1.3.0-alpha1](https://github.com/HelloThisWorld/winTerm/releases/tag/v1.3.0-alpha1).
+The Command Timeline feature set is otherwise unchanged from alpha1.
+
+## Changes since alpha1
+
+- **Shell integration now works out of the box.** Alpha1 shipped the
+  `winTerm.Shell` module but nothing imported it, so the Command Timeline never
+  recorded commands on a fresh install. When a profile's commandline is a bare
+  `powershell.exe` or `pwsh.exe` invocation (optionally with `-NoLogo` or
+  `-NoExit`), winTerm now imports the packaged module at startup, and typed
+  commands appear in the Timeline. Any customized commandline — `-Command`,
+  `-File`, `-NoProfile`, `-ExecutionPolicy`, or anything else — launches
+  unchanged. Execution policy is never altered, and if the import fails the
+  shell still opens normally, only without integration. The new per-profile
+  setting `"shellIntegration.autoInject"` (default `true`) turns this off.
+  Because `-Command` is present on the rewritten invocation, PowerShell no
+  longer prints its startup banner in integrated sessions.
+- **The Timeline handle no longer covers terminal content.** It is now a
+  6-pixel strip flush against the terminal's left edge, like an auto-hiding
+  scrollbar, and widens to show its chevron on hover, keyboard focus, or while
+  the Timeline is open.
+- **Clicking the terminal closes an open Timeline.** A click on the terminal
+  area light-dismisses the overlay and still reaches the terminal. `Ctrl+Tab`,
+  `Escape`, and the handle continue to work as before.
+- **The Visual Progress bar no longer gets stuck after ordinary output.** A
+  `dir` listing could previously start an indeterminate bar that never stopped:
+  recognition claimed ownership from a bare product-name mention (for example a
+  `.gradle` directory entry) and kept rematching every later line, and slashed
+  dates such as `2025/10/13` were read as percentages. Recognition now requires
+  per-line evidence, releases a still-running bar after two consecutive
+  ordinary lines, and ignores date shapes. Completed Success and Error states
+  still persist until the next command's output replaces them.
+
+## Command Timeline overview
+
+The Command Timeline is a per-pane, in-memory list of the commands that pane
+has run, built from OSC 133 shell integration only. Open it with `Ctrl+Tab`,
+or with the thin handle on the left edge of the terminal.
+
+- **Per-pane history.** Each pane keeps its own list. winTerm never guesses
+  where a prompt or output begins.
+- **Load without executing.** `Enter` or a single click puts the selected
+  command on the input line and stops there. No carriage return is ever sent,
+  the Windows clipboard is never read, and input broadcast never forwards the
+  load to another pane.
+- **Filtering.** Press `/` or `Tab` and type to narrow the list. Matching is a
+  plain, case-insensitive substring match over command text only.
+- **Copy and jump.** Right-click an entry to copy the command, copy its output,
+  or scroll to where its output begins. Output is read from the terminal buffer
+  only at that moment and is never cached.
+- **Trustworthy status.** A command shows as succeeded or failed only when the
+  shell actually reported it.
+
+See the [1.3.0-alpha1 release notes](https://github.com/HelloThisWorld/winTerm/releases/tag/v1.3.0-alpha1)
+for the full keyboard map and settings reference.
+
+## Settings
+
+```json
+{
+  "commandTimeline.enabled": true,
+  "commandTimeline.historyLimit": 500
+}
+```
+
+New in alpha2, per profile:
+
+```json
+{
+  "shellIntegration.autoInject": true
+}
+```
+
+An existing settings file needs no migration. An out-of-range
+`commandTimeline.historyLimit` is clamped rather than failing the settings
+load.
+
+## Shell requirements
+
+The Timeline depends on OSC 133 shell integration. With alpha2, the stock
+Windows PowerShell and PowerShell 7 profiles get it automatically.
+
+| Situation | What you see |
+| --- | --- |
+| Capability not yet determined | `Waiting for shell integration` |
+| Shell does not report complete command boundaries | `Command timeline unavailable` |
+| Shell integration works, no commands yet | `No commands yet` |
+| A filter is active and nothing matches | `No matching commands` |
+
+`cmd.exe` does not report command boundaries, and winTerm adds no prompt parser
+for it, so the Timeline stays unavailable there rather than showing
+untrustworthy results.
+
+## Privacy
+
+- Command text lives only in memory, only in the pane that ran it, and only
+  while that pane is open. Nothing is written to disk; there is no command
+  history file or database.
+- Command output is never cached, indexed, or searched.
+- Filter text is never saved and never leaves the pane.
+- No telemetry is written, and no command, output, path, or filter text is
+  logged.
+- The clipboard is written only by an explicit copy action, and is never read.
+
+See the [privacy policy](https://github.com/HelloThisWorld/winTerm/blob/main/PRIVACY.md).
+
+## Unchanged in this release
+
+Workspace schema (2), docking model (1), shell protocol (1), theme schema (1),
+update manifest schema (1), package identity, and signing policy are all
+unchanged from v1.2.0. Visual Progress behavior is unchanged apart from the
+stuck-bar fix above.
+
+## Known limitations
+
+- The Timeline requires OSC 133 shell integration; it stays unavailable under
+  `cmd.exe`.
+- A multi-line command is refused when the shell has not enabled bracketed
+  paste, because unbracketed line breaks would be read as pressing Enter.
+- Loading a command longer than 1024 characters asks for a confirming `Enter`.
+- Command history does not survive closing a pane, and is intentionally never
+  persisted.
+
+## Installation
+
+The Setup EXE supports current-user and all-users installation; the Portable
+ZIP can be extracted to a writable directory and run without installation.
+Installing alpha2 over alpha1 is supported; the file version advances to
+`1.3.0.1`.
+
+Publisher: `helloThisWorld`. Tag: `v1.3.0-alpha2`.
+
+Because this is an alpha, install it alongside or after backing up your
+settings. Package identity stays separate from Microsoft Terminal, so it does
+not disturb an existing Windows Terminal installation.
+
+## Signing
+
+The winTerm 1.3.0-alpha2 Setup EXE is not Authenticode-signed. Windows may
+display Unknown Publisher or a SmartScreen warning. Download only from the
+official GitHub Release and verify the file against `SHA256SUMS.txt` before
+running it.
+
+## Policies
+
+- [Code signing policy](https://github.com/HelloThisWorld/winTerm/blob/main/CODE_SIGNING_POLICY.md)
+- [Privacy policy](https://github.com/HelloThisWorld/winTerm/blob/main/PRIVACY.md)
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ foreach ($relativePath in $sourceAssets)
 
 $version = Get-Content -LiteralPath (Join-Path $repositoryRoot 'shell\shared\version.json') -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
 if ($version.moduleVersion -ne '1.3.0' -or
-    $version.modulePrerelease -ne 'alpha1' -or
-    $version.applicationVersion -ne '1.3.0-alpha1' -or
+    $version.modulePrerelease -ne 'alpha2' -or
+    $version.applicationVersion -ne '1.3.0-alpha2' -or
     $version.protocolVersion -ne 1)
 {
     throw 'The winTerm Shell asset version metadata is invalid.'

@@ -1378,12 +1378,12 @@ try
 
     $version = $source.VersionMetadata | ConvertFrom-Json
     $expectedVersionValues = [ordered]@{
-        applicationVersion = '1.3.0-alpha1'
-        packageVersion = '1.3.0.0'
+        applicationVersion = '1.3.0-alpha2'
+        packageVersion = '1.3.0.1'
         moduleVersion = '1.3.0'
-        modulePrerelease = 'alpha1'
+        modulePrerelease = 'alpha2'
         channel = 'alpha'
-        tag = 'v1.3.0-alpha1'
+        tag = 'v1.3.0-alpha2'
         workspaceSchemaVersion = 2
         dockingModelVersion = 1
         shellProtocolVersion = 1
@@ -1398,39 +1398,39 @@ try
         }
     }
     $shellVersion = $source.ShellVersion | ConvertFrom-Json
-    if ($shellVersion.applicationVersion -ne '1.3.0-alpha1' -or $shellVersion.moduleVersion -ne '1.3.0' -or $shellVersion.protocolVersion -ne 1)
+    if ($shellVersion.applicationVersion -ne '1.3.0-alpha2' -or $shellVersion.moduleVersion -ne '1.3.0' -or $shellVersion.protocolVersion -ne 1)
     {
-        throw 'Shell version metadata does not match winTerm release 1.3.0-alpha1 with protocol version 1.'
+        throw 'Shell version metadata does not match winTerm release 1.3.0-alpha2 with protocol version 1.'
     }
     foreach ($surface in @(
-        @{ Content = $source.ReleaseMetadata; Value = 'ApplicationVersion{ L"1.3.0-alpha1" }'; Description = 'About release metadata' },
-        @{ Content = $source.PackageManifest; Value = 'Version="1.3.0.0"'; Description = 'MSIX package manifest' },
-        @{ Content = $source.HostResource; Value = 'FILEVERSION 1,3,0,0'; Description = 'Terminal host file version' },
-        @{ Content = $source.HostResource; Value = '"ProductVersion", "1.3.0-alpha1\0"'; Description = 'Terminal host display version' },
-        @{ Content = $source.ShimResource; Value = 'FILEVERSION 1,3,0,0'; Description = 'Shim file version' },
-        @{ Content = $source.ShimResource; Value = '"ProductVersion", "1.3.0-alpha1\0"'; Description = 'Shim display version' },
+        @{ Content = $source.ReleaseMetadata; Value = 'ApplicationVersion{ L"1.3.0-alpha2" }'; Description = 'About release metadata' },
+        @{ Content = $source.PackageManifest; Value = 'Version="1.3.0.1"'; Description = 'MSIX package manifest' },
+        @{ Content = $source.HostResource; Value = 'FILEVERSION 1,3,0,1'; Description = 'Terminal host file version' },
+        @{ Content = $source.HostResource; Value = '"ProductVersion", "1.3.0-alpha2\0"'; Description = 'Terminal host display version' },
+        @{ Content = $source.ShimResource; Value = 'FILEVERSION 1,3,0,1'; Description = 'Shim file version' },
+        @{ Content = $source.ShimResource; Value = '"ProductVersion", "1.3.0-alpha2\0"'; Description = 'Shim display version' },
         @{ Content = $source.CustomProps; Value = '<VersionMajor>1</VersionMajor>'; Description = 'Executable major version' },
         @{ Content = $source.CustomProps; Value = '<VersionMinor>3</VersionMinor>'; Description = 'Executable minor version' },
         @{ Content = $source.ShellModuleManifest; Value = "ModuleVersion = '1.3.0'"; Description = 'PowerShell module manifest' },
         @{ Content = $source.ShellModule; Value = "`$script:WinTermModuleVersion = '1.3.0'"; Description = 'PowerShell module runtime' },
         @{ Content = $source.PackageShellAssets; Value = "'shell\shared\version.json'"; Description = 'Canonical shell version metadata packaging' },
-        @{ Content = $source.WorkspaceSerializer; Value = '"1.3.0-alpha1"'; Description = 'Workspace application-version fallback' }
+        @{ Content = $source.WorkspaceSerializer; Value = '"1.3.0-alpha2"'; Description = 'Workspace application-version fallback' }
     ))
     {
         Assert-Contains $surface.Content $surface.Value $surface.Description
     }
     foreach ($required in @(
-        "applicationVersion -eq '1.3.0-alpha1'",
-        "packageVersion -eq '1.3.0.0'",
+        "applicationVersion -eq '1.3.0-alpha2'",
+        "packageVersion -eq '1.3.0.1'",
         "moduleVersion -eq '1.3.0'",
-        "tag -eq 'v1.3.0-alpha1'",
+        "tag -eq 'v1.3.0-alpha2'",
         "Workspace Schema version remains 2",
         "Docking Model version remains 1",
         "Shell Protocol version remains 1",
         "Theme Schema remains at version 1"
     ))
     {
-        Assert-Contains $source.VerifyVersion $required 'Authoritative v1.3.0-alpha1 version validation surface'
+        Assert-Contains $source.VerifyVersion $required 'Authoritative v1.3.0-alpha2 version validation surface'
     }
 
     $testBinary = Join-Path $root "bin\$Platform\$Configuration\UnitTests_SettingsModel\SettingsModel.Unit.Tests.dll"

@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ function Test-ShellExperienceFoundations
 
     $manifest = Import-PowerShellDataFile -LiteralPath $moduleManifest
     if ($manifest.ModuleVersion -ne '1.3.0' -or
-        $manifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease -ne 'alpha1' -or
+        $manifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease -ne 'alpha2' -or
         $manifest.PowerShellVersion -ne '5.1')
     {
         throw 'The winTerm PowerShell module manifest does not declare the supported version boundary.'

@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ function Test-Manifest
     Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $identity -and $identity.Name -eq 'HelloThisWorld.winTerm') -Message "$Path uses package identity HelloThisWorld.winTerm"
     Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $identity -and $identity.Name -notmatch '^Microsoft\.') -Message "$Path does not use a Microsoft package name"
     Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $identity -and $identity.Publisher -ceq $ExpectedPublisher) -Message "$Path uses the expected non-Microsoft publisher"
-    Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $identity -and $identity.Version -eq '1.3.0.0') -Message "$Path uses package version 1.3.0.0"
+    Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $identity -and $identity.Version -eq '1.3.0.1') -Message "$Path uses package version 1.3.0.1"
     Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $properties -and $properties.DisplayName -eq 'winTerm') -Message "$Path package display name is winTerm"
     Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $application -and $application.Id -eq 'winTerm') -Message "$Path application ID is winTerm"
     Test-Requirement -Condition ($null -ne $visualElements -and $visualElements.DisplayName -eq 'winTerm') -Message "$Path application display name is winTerm"