Otter 0.1.0
The first public Otter release: a quiet native macOS companion for the shares you rely on.
📁 Keep shares connected
Otter watches configured SMB shares and helps them recover after the moments that usually interrupt a connection.
- Reconnects shares after sleep, wake, network changes, and unexpected disconnects.
- Supports per-share network and named-VPN rules, with automatic VPN connection when macOS allows it.
- Uses hostname-first connections with a learned local IP fallback for networks where Bonjour or local DNS is unavailable.
- Includes Wake-on-LAN for sleeping servers and safe retry behaviour for slow or unavailable hosts.
🧭 Guided setup and recovery
Getting a share into Otter should use the information your Mac already knows.
- Imports mounted shares, discovers nearby SMB servers, and uses the native macOS share picker.
- Checks connection readiness across the network, VPN, credentials, and SMB service.
- Stores credentials in Keychain and keeps passwords and private identifiers out of exported configuration and diagnostics.
- Provides pause controls, notifications, Connection Doctor guidance, and practical Shortcuts actions.
🌎 A native, deployable utility
Otter launched as a lightweight menu-bar app built to fit into a managed Mac environment too.
- Supports launch at login, Sparkle automatic updates, and a Tahoe-friendly native interface on macOS 15 and later.
- Adds versioned configuration transfer and MDM-managed deployment options.
- Publishes the Otter website, download page, and update feed through GitHub Pages.