Release notes

Amiga Imager v0.96

v0.96 is now fully native in Swift. The legacy Bash build scripts and the external hst-imager helper are gone — every build runs entirely in-process. This release also adds AmigaOS 3.2 CD ISO support, including combining a CD with separate update disks.

  • Fully native in Swift
  • AmigaOS 3.2 CD ISO support
  • No external tools

Beta - macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel. Current downloadable build: 260627.

What's new

v0.95 made the native engine the standard path for every configuration. v0.96 finishes the migration: the legacy Bash build scripts, the old hst-imager helper, and the disk-engine fallback have been removed entirely. There is nothing left to fall back to — every build is pure in-process Swift.

Now fully native in Swift

The whole build pipeline — partitioning, FFS/PFS3/FAT formatting, OS install from your ADFs or ISO, package installation, RTG and network setup, and the final boot-tuning steps — runs natively inside the app with no external tools and no shell scripts. There is no longer a Disk Engine or Native Build Engine toggle in Settings; the native path is simply how Amiga Imager builds.

  • Faster, simpler, and more consistent builds, with fewer moving parts.
  • Validated on real hardware across every platform and emulator profile (PiStorm, Classic, and the MiSTer / UAE / Amiberry profiles).
  • If a configuration genuinely can't be built, the app now shows a clear, actionable error explaining what to fix — instead of silently producing a slower result.

Guided Build — a step-by-step wizard

A new Guided Build button opens a full-screen wizard that walks first-time users through a build one decision at a time, with a plain-language tip on every screen. It drives the same engine as the normal form, so the result is identical.

  • Platform, hardware, AmigaOS media, optional licensed files (Picasso96, Roadshow, IBrowse, IMP3), your own transfer files, display, software, and destination — each on its own screen, adapting to the platform you choose.
  • A live media check, clear “what's still missing” hints, and a tab strip to jump back to any earlier step. Networking is selected automatically from whether you supply a Roadshow archive.
  • Simple and Advanced modes remain for everyone else.

Responsive UI during builds

The build engine now runs entirely off the main thread, so the app stays responsive for the whole build — the window no longer freezes and the live log keeps flowing. The progress bar shows real, named stages (“Installing AmigaOS”, “Installing software”, …) with an accurate count, and OS-install staging is faster thanks to parallel decompression.

Package caching & offline builds

Downloaded packages are cached and reused across builds, so repeating a build needs no downloads. If a download can't reach the internet, the app automatically falls back to the cached copy — builds keep working offline.

  • Manage it in Settings → Packages: turn caching on or off, force Offline mode, clear the cache, or re-download fresh copies.

AmigaOS 3.2 CD ISO support

You can now build AmigaOS 3.2 directly from a 3.2 CD ISO — the kind that ships an ADF/ folder of install disks — instead of having to supply loose ADF files.

  • Combine a CD with separate update disks. Supply the 3.2 CD ISO for the base and a separate ADF folder of 3.2.x update disks, and the build overlays the updates on top of the CD (the folder's ADFs take precedence). Either source on its own works too.
  • Supported on all three targets. The companion in-app help text on the media picker explains the options.

Also in this release

  • Prompt-free card access. A new signed background helper authorizes SD/CF card access as Amiga Imager instead of the generic system prompt. Approve it once (Login Items & Extensions) and grant it Full Disk Access, and opening or writing cards is silent from then on — see the handbook for the one-time setup. Without it, card access still works through the standard macOS prompt.
  • Erase confirmation before writing a card. Writing to an SD/CF card now asks you to confirm, naming the exact target card, before it erases anything. You can turn this off in Settings → Storage → Card Writing.
  • Roadie is no longer installed automatically just because a Roadshow Full archive is provided — it installs only when you select it, like every other app.
  • Reorganized Settings. The crowded Build pane is split: a new Packages pane (cache + custom packages), and partition device names moved into Storage.
  • Smaller, leaner app: tens of thousands of lines of legacy shell and fallback code removed.
  • Signed and notarized universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel.