Hammer for Mac — Preview: 0.17.1

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:hammer: Hammer for Mac — Preview: 0.17.1

Welcome to the discussion thread for this Hammer for Mac Preview Build.

Use this space to share feedback, report issues, and discuss your experience with other testers and the team.

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Build Information

  • Version: 0.17.1
  • Build: 1
  • Release Date: 17th March 2026
  • Platform: macOS 15.0
  • Distribution: Private Invite Only

:sparkles: Highlights

This release delivers the first complete GUI-managed Hammer CLI workflow. You can now install and manage the hammer command line tool directly from the app, with full status visibility, entitlement-aware gating, and a stabilised command surface ready for automation and AI agent workflows.

Hammer CLI Installation from the GUI

Settings > Tools tab: A new Tools tab in Settings lets you install or reinstall the hammer cli binary directly from the GUI. The tab includes install actions, install state messaging, and manual refresh controls for CLI status.

Bundled binary discovery: The installer looks for a bundled app resource copy of hammer first, then falls back to nearby debug/release build outputs when available. This ensures installs can proceed across local build configurations without manual setup.

Smart install targets: CLI installs target standard PATH locations (/opt/homebrew/bin when present, otherwise /usr/local/bin) and create symlinks with executable permissions so terminal usage works immediately after install.

Reliable privilege fallback: Reinstall now attempts a non-privileged shell install first and only requests elevated permissions when needed for protected locations, reducing unnecessary credential prompts.

CLI Status and Version Visibility

Know what’s running: The app now detects CLI availability on PATH, displays the resolved binary path, and retrieves the installed version via hammer --version. This makes it straightforward to verify exactly which CLI binary is active on your system.

CLI Commands: Build, Check, Doctor, and More

Five commands, one workflow: The Hammer CLI ships with a focused set of commands for headless workflows:

  • hammer build — compile your site (this is also the default when you just run hammer)
  • hammer check — validate content against your governance rules
  • hammer project-info — inspect project configuration and structure
  • hammer doctor — diagnose your environment, project setup, and content health

Structured output for automation: Every command can emit structured, machine-readable output alongside human-friendly formatting. This means you can parse results in CI/CD pipelines, feed them into AI agents, or just read them in your terminal. The CLI also resolves your project context automatically, so you can run commands from anywhere inside a project directory.

See the CLI documentation for full usage details.

Subscription Gating via CLISubscriptionGate

Entitlement-aware CLI: Added gating rules in the CLI layer for restricted mode and content mode access. Plan-aware checks and project-path restrictions align CLI behaviour with Forge subscription levels, so the CLI respects the same access boundaries as the GUI.

Build Stability and Visibility

Content build fixes: Resolved recent content build regressions and improved build failure visibility so errors surface more clearly during local development and CLI-driven workflows.

Embedded CLI in the build pipeline: Updated project build phases so the app target depends on hammer-cli and embeds the resulting hammer executable into app resources, giving the GUI installer a consistent binary source at runtime.

See Changelog - Hammer for Mac for complete list of updates in this pre-release.

:speech_balloon: Feedback & Discussion

We’d love your input on:

  • Your experience installing and managing the CLI from Settings
  • CLI command behaviour and output formatting
  • How subscription gating works across GUI and CLI workflows
  • Build stability and error visibility improvements
  • Any crashes, UI issues, or unexpected behaviours
  • Feature suggestions or workflow feedback

:light_bulb: Tip: When reporting an issue, include:

  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs. actual result
  • macOS version
  • Logs, screencasts or screenshots if possible

:package: Installation / Update Notes

  • Don’t use Dropbox sync’d folder for your Site location due to system event chaos.
  • After updating, visit Settings > Tools to install or update the Hammer CLI.
  • CLI install targets /opt/homebrew/bin (Apple Silicon) or /usr/local/bin. Ensure your shell PATH includes the relevant location.
  • CLI entitlement gating requires an active Forge subscription for restricted and content mode features.

:wrench: Resources

Thank you for testing!

Your feedback directly helps shape the next version of Hammer for Mac.