openchamber/changelog/1.20.0.md

version, date

version	date
1.20.0	2026-08-23

App

New

• Desktop/Remote instances: a managed remote server can now also be published to the remote machine's own network, so other devices there reach it without the SSH tunnel. It requires a UI password, and stays private to the tunnel otherwise.
• Diff: the context-panel diff can now show every change on the current branch against its base branch. OpenChamber detects the base when Git knows it, or lets you choose one once when it does not.
• Settings/Projects: a project can now pin a thinking level next to its model, for models that offer levels. Both sit in one Defaults for new chats group, laid out like the Sessions defaults.
• Chat: in the expanded composer, Enter now starts a new line and Cmd/Ctrl+Enter sends, so a long prompt is harder to send by accident.
• Providers: expanded support for custom providers.
• Small Model: summaries, goal audits, commit messages, and walkthroughs now support more providers.

Improvements

• Session: /btw side questions. Type /btw followed by your question to ask something off-topic in a temporary session forked from the current conversation, so it inherits the full context but leaves the chat itself untouched. The answer streams into a panel above the composer, which talks to that session while the panel is open; you can collapse it to a slim header bar, keep it as a full session, or discard it. The temporary session stays out of the sidebar and session lists until you keep it (thanks to @jaygupta17).
• Chat sessions: start chats without choosing a project. They live in their own Chats section, rather than inheriting a project's repository and worktree context.
• Skills catalog: browse curated GitHub skill collections in a card-based catalog with cross-source search, skill counts, stars, recent updates, and links back to each skill's repository.
• Settings: the project selector on Providers, Agents, MCP, Commands and Skills now only changes what those pages show. It used to switch the whole app, so opening another project's configuration moved your chat, session list and file tree with it.
• Settings/Integrations: the experimental page now only lists integrations that can be installed; unavailable and Coming soon entries were removed.
• Chat: file paths in messages now open from the session's project, even if you last browsed files in another project (thanks to @tomzx).
• Chat: app links such as spotify:// now ask for confirmation before opening another app. You can trust an app link type on one device and manage trusted links in Settings.
• Files/Desktop: files opened from outside the workspace remain readable after their temporary access expires instead of failing until you reopen them (thanks to @pascalandr).
• Diff: creating an inline comment now opens the chat and focuses the composer for your follow-up.
• Git: generated commit messages now match the repository's recent commit style and language.
• Git: generating a pull request description now picks up the repository's own PR template when it has one, so the draft comes back in your project's sections and checklists instead of the built-in Summary/Why/Testing layout.
• Sidebar: switch between the full project list and a focused view of one project. Sessions created outside OpenChamber now also appear in the sidebar and Recent list without a page refresh (thanks to @tomzx).
• Chat: while a reply streams, the model status line under the last message now turns into the finished message's info row in place, instead of jumping when the reply completes.
• Chat: long user messages can be expanded even when their final layout finishes after they first appear.
• Chat: in a chat without a project, the work status card again steps aside when the context panel is open, instead of sitting next to it.
• Usage: Z.ai credit limits now appear alongside its other quota windows.
• Git: pull-request checks in Work status stay current as their status changes.
• UI: the default dialog close button is easier to click or tap (thanks to @rockinrimmer).
• Desktop/Windows: the close button now aligns correctly with the rest of the window chrome.

Fixes

• Desktop/Remote instances: adding an SSH connection now starts from the hosts in your SSH config instead of a blank command field. Ports, install method and passwords moved behind Advanced settings, and each connection shows Connected, Connecting, or Needs attention with the failure text and a button that resolves it.
• Desktop/Remote instances: connecting to a remote machine now works when bun, OpenChamber or the opencode CLI live in your home directory rather than on the system path. Installing no longer fails with a permission error, and a missing opencode CLI is now reported before the connection starts instead of as a stack trace.
• Desktop/Remote instances: disconnecting from a connection set to not keep the server running now actually stops that remote server.
• Dictation: speech is now transcribed after you stop recording. The composer shows a live waveform and timer, and long recordings split at pauses instead of cutting words.
• Settings/General: changing the default model, variant or agent no longer repoints an open chat that already carries a model you picked for it. Chats following the default still switch immediately.
• Settings/Providers: the provider you select no longer jumps to a different one on its own. Changing the chat's model or agent, and background provider refreshes, used to move the settings selection with them.
• Chat: if OpenCode restarts while a response is still running, the chat now stops with an interrupted state and a notification to continue instead of hanging silently (thanks to @sum117).
• Chat: newly sent messages and syntax-highlighted code blocks no longer briefly flicker. Bash output can also grow with its content instead of being cut off.
• Session assist: recaps and suggested follow-ups now work when the Anthropic provider is configured to use a custom endpoint; they previously failed every time instead of using that configured connection.

VS Code

New

• Settings/Projects: a project can now pin a thinking level next to its model, for models that offer levels.
• Providers: expanded support for custom providers.

Improvements

• /btw side questions: type /btw followed by your question to ask something off-topic in a temporary session forked from the current conversation. The answer streams into a panel above the composer; collapse it, keep it as a full session, or discard it without touching the chat (thanks to @jaygupta17).
• Skills catalog: browse curated GitHub skill collections in a card-based catalog with cross-source search and direct links to each skill's repository.
• Settings: the workspace selector on Providers, Agents, MCP, Commands and Skills now only changes what those pages show instead of moving the chat, session list and file tree to another workspace.
• Settings/Integrations: the experimental page now only lists integrations that can be installed; unavailable and Coming soon entries were removed.
• Sessions created outside OpenChamber now appear in the sidebar and Recent list without a page refresh (thanks to @tomzx).
• Usage: Z.ai credit limits now appear alongside its other quota windows.
• Chat: file paths in messages now open from the session's workspace, even if you last browsed files in another workspace (thanks to @tomzx).
• Chat: app links such as spotify:// now ask for confirmation before opening another app. You can trust an app link type on one device and manage trusted links in Settings.
• While a reply streams, the model status line under the last message now turns into the finished message's info row in place, instead of jumping when the reply completes.
• Chat: long user messages can be expanded even when their final layout finishes after they first appear.
• UI: the default dialog close button is easier to click or tap (thanks to @rockinrimmer).

Fixes

• Settings/General: changing the default model, variant or agent no longer repoints an open chat that already carries a model you picked for it. Chats following the default still switch immediately.
• Settings/Providers: the provider you select no longer jumps to a different one when the chat selection or provider data changes.
• If OpenCode restarts while a response is still running, the chat now stops with an interrupted state and a notification to continue instead of hanging silently (thanks to @sum117).
• Chat: newly sent messages and syntax-highlighted code blocks no longer briefly flicker. Bash output can also grow with its content instead of being cut off.