CURATOR Release History

Changelog

A complete end-user record of improvements, fixes, and known limitations in every public CURATOR release. CURATOR v2 begins a major SQLite-based architectural overhaul; the closed v1 line remains preserved below as immutable release history.

v2.0.0-beta.6

September 28, 2026

Start a clean run with every BETA release. Saved databases and unfinished runs from an earlier BETA release cannot be reused. Preserve original collections and use copied input.

MAME support remains very early and experimental. Continue using clrmame to manage MAME collections.

Added

Added newly found disks to their existing ZIP in Incomplete Sets during Append, while preserving existing contents and skipping disks already present. Completed containers remain in Incomplete Sets.
Added folders for Applications, Educational software, Demos and other recognized catalogue categories within each platform, and Games folders within format-specific folders. Games without a format-specific destination keep their normal platform placement. Existing output is not automatically moved.
Added Operating System and Revisions folders within each platform's existing folder structure. Operating-system revisions go under Operating System\Revisions. Existing output folders are not automatically moved or renamed.
Added informational estimates of multi-disk groups, disk sides, parts and companion files. Required members of the selected DAT set determine completeness and output placement; the whole-game limitations are described below.
Applied language folders where appropriate while keeping USA-inclusive sets at the platform root regardless of language tags.
Simplified the README and guide warning: antivirus software can interfere with DolphinTool. If DolphinTool reports the error, click OK to continue.

Changed

Reduced delays when preparing DAT catalogues and checking the saved reference library, while preserving duplicate decisions, original declarations and set memberships.
Reduced repeated work when preparing incomplete-set archives and final output plans while preserving filenames, contents and set memberships.
Reduced delays during matching and disc-group checks while preserving match decisions, filenames and set memberships.
Reduced repeated file checking during matching while preserving results when working files remain unchanged.
Reduced repeated setup work during collection processing while preserving filenames, file contents and set memberships.
Reduced delays when preparing large groups of loose files while keeping saved progress available for Resume.
Organized complete MAME Software List ROM sets under their company’s MAME folder, using software-list and game identifiers while preserving the ROM filenames. MAME Arcade handling remains separate.
Showed recovery choices in a centered panel on a cleared screen, with readable wrapped text and a details view that stays open until you return.
Clarified that antivirus and other security software may interrupt processing, with guidance to check security alerts and activity history when access problems occur.
Showed overall progress and the current file separately while copying, packaging and converting files, with a consistent display while preparing disc images.
Showed disc-checking messages as they arrive, with a waiting notice during longer checks.
Used simple messages while clearing the existing collection output.
Started collection stages through the Gateway, with Clear or Append chosen before processing begins.
Separated unidentified ordinary files into folders named after their original extensions, such as A26, BIN and JPG, within needs_attention. Files without an extension remain under Unknown File with their contents preserved.
Showed clearer startup, scanning and output progress, including the current platform, file counts and completed work.
Placed incomplete sets under one Incomplete Sets folder while keeping their company, media and platform folders.
Copied files first, then created ZIP packages and converted disc images, with clearer progress for each group.
Reduced delays when classifying files, planning collection output and starting final file creation, while preserving filenames, contents, set memberships and conflict handling.
Updated the guides with setup instructions, supported behavior, practical limitations and relevant API contracts. Kept only the latest guides in the documentation folder, with earlier editions available in History.
Organized the AtariMania ST catalogue into individual disk-image sets, with supporting documents kept separately.
Simplified review folders by removing the extra Unresolved Media level.
Named ordinary collection packages after the set name in the selected DAT while preserving the filenames inside each package.
Removed the need for a separate software-list DTD file during setup.

Fixed

Preserved original disc images when copying them for review, and stopping cleanup when a file is outside the working folder or its path contains a directory link.
Excluded time spent waiting for completion acknowledgments from stage processing times in individual, selected and full runs. Showing overall elapsed time, including waits, separately.
Showed complete and incomplete DAT-set totals separately from informational whole-game estimates.
Reduced delays when creating ordinary ZIPs and clearing temporary working files, while preserving completed output and the ability to resume interrupted work.
Prevented DAT Validation from stopping on correctly matched CHD tracks that also appear in other platforms’ catalogues, while preserving their set memberships.
Kept the final Stage Summary visible after full runs and Organize until you press Enter, while preserving pauses between stages where selected.
Showed completed output-planning work against actual totals, including incomplete groups, and showing an activity message when a total is not yet known.
Showed matching progress against the actual files, reference records and disc groups being processed, and marking result saving complete only after the results are saved.
Reused the original working folders when resuming interrupted archive preparation, avoiding redundant temporary copies while preserving completed work.
Replaced incomplete working copies when resuming loose-file preparation, while preserving completed work.
Kept all parts of a complete MAME Software List cassette set together in one correctly named ZIP.
Identified the affected MAME Software List archive when conflicting output prevents collection planning, while preserving existing files.
Resumed at the stage where processing stopped after checking saved progress, required earlier results and collection folders, without rerunning completed stages.
Offered Resume only when the saved run is consistent and unfinished, with a clear explanation when it cannot continue.
Kept routine database checks out of the run-start display while leaving warnings and errors visible.
Treated Cancel at the recovery menu as a cancellation without showing an additional failure message.
Allowed processing to continue when a log file is briefly busy; a file that remains unavailable can still stop the run.
Kept repeated notices about saved or unchanged incomplete sets out of the progress display, while retaining details in the log and duplicate totals in the final summary.
Cleared temporary working files more quickly and reported when cleanup could not finish.
Used Cracked as the folder label for recognized cracked variants in newly planned output.
Reduced delays when saving the final catalogue while preserving the ability to resume interrupted work.
Retried to open the collection database up to five times when access is temporarily unavailable, with a 00:00:10 pause between attempts and a clear message if access cannot be restored.
Resumed an interrupted scan from the Organize menu without rerunning File Discovery or clearing existing output.
Kept fuller failure details in stage logs, including errors during startup and file checking.
Saved error details to an emergency log when normal logs are unavailable, and warned when no log could be written.
Kept unidentified optical disc images together under Unknown File instead of unrelated review folders.
Excluded only zero-byte files named exactly _ as placeholders.
Routed recognized alternate editions into a single Alternate Dumps folder without treating alternate status alone as an unofficial release, while preserving internal member directories inside ZIPs.
Placed single-file Beta and Unlicensed releases in the appropriate unofficial folders when that information is available in the selected DAT. Existing recognized classifications take priority.
Cleared previous output before a new Clear run starts, preventing old output from causing unnecessary Conflicts folders.
Preserved completed output when resuming an interrupted Clear or Append run.
Stopped final output when completeness checks find blocking issues, and reported the stopped run accurately.
Summarized scan-preparation warnings on screen, keeping individual file details in the logs, and avoiding misleading messages when an archive was processed successfully.
Fixed a completed preparation resume that could prevent collection planning from continuing.
Placed games, applications and other recognized software categories in their corresponding format folders, including Atari 8-Bit and Atari ST, while avoiding unnecessary Conflicts folders for different formats of the same title.
Corrected company and platform folders, including American Laser Games and ColecoVision, while keeping existing collection folders and package contents.
Corrected game names in supplied GameBase DATs that contain characters unsuitable for filenames.
Reused unchanged DAT discovery results when repeating discovery.
Recognized ZIPs already created when resuming an interrupted Append run.
Read more DiscJuggler CDI layouts, including mixed audio/data tracks and multiple sessions, while retaining the original input images.
Checked converted tracks and disc layout before accepting the files, and stopped conversion when required disc information cannot be preserved.
Produced CHD files for supported complete optical images, keeping Jaguar CD sets in ZIP packages and preserving existing RVZ files.
Kept an unidentified converted disc together under Unknown File instead of sending its tracks and descriptor to separate review files.
Recognized a complete CHD disc from its matching tracks without requiring a separate descriptor beside the original CHD.
Kept single-disc games out of Incomplete Sets when their complete disc is present; reserving optical incomplete-set routing for identified sets missing whole discs.
Prevented a track shared by several games from giving a whole disc the name or region of another game.
Preserved track positions and the high-density boundary when converting GDI images to CHD and extracting them again.
Recognized complete Redump Sega Naomi disc sets and produced CHD files with the names from the DAT.
Accepted DATs with optional game identifiers without adding those identifiers to output filenames.
Recognized Redump DATs that use either redump.info or redump.org source information.
Removed duplicate complete sets according to your source preferences while keeping different sets that share some files.
Avoided missed matches caused by hidden files, unusual filenames or file extensions.
Kept progress displays stable and reduced repeated completion messages.
Read file sizes correctly across supported DAT formats.
Corrected GoodTools Atari 2600 set names to match their ROM filenames without the extension.
Avoided unnecessary Conflicts folders when different DATs describe identical content, including filenames that differ only in letter case.
Avoided uncertain matches caused only by an omitted optional MD5 checksum in a DAT.
Kept unidentified archive members separate and added numbered suffixes within their review folders when filenames collide. Ordinary files without an extension remain under Unknown File.

Known limitations

Saving progress can fail after a stage finishes, stopping the run and leaving its saved completion status behind the completed work.
Completeness is a property of the selected DAT set, not of an entire game. A DAT may describe each disk as a separate complete set. Having every listed member does not establish that every disk, edition or companion file needed to play the game is present. Whole-game estimates are informational and do not determine output placement.
Incomplete-set handling remains limited: sets with missing required DAT members remain separate under Incomplete Sets. Whole-game completeness is not determined automatically. Completed ZIPs accumulated through Append are not automatically moved into the normal collection.
Working files must remain unchanged after scan preparation; repeat preparation if they are edited or replaced.
Not every operating system or revision can be identified. Operating System folders currently depend on the Operating Systems category in TOSEC DATs. Revisions require a recognized revision label; a version number alone does not qualify.
Incomplete or uncertain media may be sent for review. Completeness checks depend on the available DAT information and cannot establish whether files omitted from a catalogue are required or whether a game is playable.
MAME software-list disc support is incomplete. Sets combining ROM files and disc images cannot currently be processed together.
CDI support is limited to certain disc layouts. Some images may not convert correctly, and successful conversion does not guarantee that a game will run in an emulator or on original hardware.
Some NRG images cannot be converted because of unsupported disc information. MDS images cannot be processed if their companion data file cannot be opened. Audio differences are not repaired automatically.
Copying existing RVZ files does not mean new RVZ files can be created. Conversion and recovery support remains limited.
Locked platform files may produce a generic error. Close the program holding the file before repeating preparation.
Keep the Incomplete Sets folder and its contents in place. Later Append or Resume processing that needs a recorded archive stops if it is missing; recreating an empty folder is insufficient.

v2.0.0-beta.5 September 11, 2026

Added

Added separate ZIPs for supported disk and tape images, with each file keeping its DAT filename. When a required file is missing, the available images go into separate ZIPs under NeedsAttention and the set remains incomplete.
Added startup README pages that fit the console window, with final acceptance requested after the last page.

Changed

Reduced the time needed to create ZIP archives and copy files into the collection.
Changed authority preference so supplemental A8P follows Atarimania, with MAME software lists following A8P and preceding Other.
Removed the two Atari 2600 HyperList files from the recommended DAT sources.
Removed the bundled CURATOR-created Atari 8-bit Family Atarimania GameBase 2021 DAT because its file information could not be verified against its source.
Updated the administrator, user, quick-start and API guides to explain current naming, repeated additions, removable review output, and current archive-writing and recovery behavior.

Fixed

Completed the separate chdman source package with three upstream FLAC test fixtures omitted from the previous source asset. The bundled binary is unchanged.
Fixed processing after the needs_attention folder or its files have been removed, so review output can be created again.
Fixed name collisions that created incorrect AlternateFormats folders, while keeping files in their configured platform and region locations.
Fixed filename capitalization to retain spellings such as RealSports and CX2685 when a matching reference filename is available.
Fixed ordinary collection ZIP capitalization while preserving recognized identifiers and spelling from supported reference DATs.
Fixed repeated additions of copied files and ZIPs so matching outputs can be reused and different contents are kept separately.
Fixed quoted DAT filenames being mistaken for fields such as file size.
Fixed repeated CUE-check completion messages with grouped progress updates.
Fixed Matching failures caused by unrelated DAT files sharing a filename, while retaining rejection of ambiguous sources when actually requested.
Fixed long delays during collection completeness checks and adding clearer progress announcements.
Fixed long delays when Organizer finishes publishing the collection.
Fixed resume to stop when previously written files have changed.
Fixed interrupted additions so valid newly created ZIPs can be recovered without being mistaken for older files.
Fixed MAME software-list set titles to use their descriptions instead of abbreviated software identifiers.
Fixed excessive per-file console messages in Completeness and Organizer while retaining their details in stage logs.
Fixed publication ZIP and incomplete publication folder names to use the DAT's set name.
Fixed detection of DolphinTool at the configured location.
Fixed completeness reports so a missing or incorrectly sized required output prevents the set from being counted as complete.
Fixed generated GameBase set names by removing added ID suffixes and trailing spaces.
Fixed Atari 5200 DAT entries so alternative versions are separate sets.
Fixed Atari Lynx DAT requirements to exclude readme files.
Fixed missing Atari ST Automation and D-Bug entries in the bundled DAT.
Fixed duplicate handling so a shared source file remains available for every required output.
Fixed file verification information for unmatched CHD and CDI files sent for review.
Fixed processing and reporting when no files qualify for the permanent collection.
Fixed output filenames and filenames inside ZIPs to follow the DAT while keeping set titles separate.
Fixed ZIP collisions so sets needing different member filenames retain separate packages. Packages with matching content but different member names use a Duplicate folder within the collection; different contents use separate Conflicts folders.
Fixed repeated company and platform names, source labels, and duplicated format folders in output paths.
Fixed incomplete publication packages being counted as complete.
Fixed distinct DAT sets being lost when they share files or names. Sets remain separate whenever their complete definitions differ, including filename capitalization.
Fixed collection reports to count each fulfilled DAT set correctly when files are shared between sets.
Fixed experimental MAME SPLIT handling to keep parent, clone, BIOS, and device files with their required sets and flag missing dependencies.
Fixed experimental MAME software-list file-size checks so undersized files are not accepted as complete.

Known limitations

Every BETA release requires a clean run; earlier databases, saved run state and output plans are incompatible. MAME support remains VERY EARLY and experimental; continue using clrmame as the definitive MAME ROM manager. Media conversion and broader recovery scenarios remain subject to open acceptance work.

v2.0.0-beta.4 September 3, 2026

Added

Added the officially identified CURATOR-modified MAME chdman build with hashcd, extraction-time logical-track evidence, preserved standard commands, full attribution, GPL-2.0-or-later notices, and explicit unofficial and non-affiliation identification.
Added the required version-matched complete corresponding-source release asset and checksum, plus permanent GitHub publication instructions.
Added persistent incremental Stage 1 and Stage 2 source ledgers, direct HyperList menu XML ingestion, and the CURATOR-created Atari ST Atarimania GameBase authority DAT.

Changed

Changed Stages 1-3 to reuse unchanged established authority, process only added or changed sources, retain absent-source authority additively, and preserve later collection state when authority is refreshed.
Changed Stage 5 to use compact hash-addressed workspace roots, extract each CHD once, and consume exact emitted-track hashes from that extraction pass.
Improved indexed relational hydration and bounded progress across Stages 1-3, Assembly, Completeness, and Reporting without changing authority results.
Changed populated-output Full Runs to default to Append while retaining an explicit, doubly confirmed Clear choice.

Fixed

Fixed modified chdman hashing so Size, CRC32, and SHA-1 describe exactly the emitted split-track bytes and exclude non-emitted virtual pregap sectors.
Fixed repeated Organizer-recovery prompts by retiring the exact discarded execution attempt transactionally.
Fixed authoritative recovered-CUE reconciliation so obsolete unmatched-CUE review records are suppressed only after complete non-CUE identity proof, while genuinely unresolved sources remain for review.
Fixed the Atari 8-bit Atarimania GameBase authority DAT by removing inherited archive-directory prefixes from ROM names while retaining valid catalogued non-ROM members and their exact identities.
Fixed Stage 10 Output Totals ordering so Unofficial appears directly below Official, without changing any totals or execution behavior.
Fixed configuration authority, clean database initialization, Nuclear Option documentation protection, run-state locking, legacy CHD classification, direct valid-CHD copying, collection lifecycle gating, and several authority, CUE, NeedsAttention, and reporting edge cases.
Corrected all current operator guides to match the application’s actual path, source-preservation, recovery, configuration, and Stage 10 behavior.

Known limitations

Some otherwise valid Alcohol MDF/MDS images may be incompatible with the bundled decoder; CURATOR preserves those sources and routes them for review.
This is a beta release. Operators should use copied input, retain backups, and verify curated output before replacing original material.

v2.0.0-beta.3 August 27, 2026

Added

Added five CURATOR-created Atarimania GameBase authority DATs for Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari Lynx, and Atari Jaguar.

Changed

Added explicit nested-archive lineage and content-only DAT freshness.
Changed matching to universal raw-first authority selection without filename or extension inference.
Routed NeedsAttention output by authoritative media category and improved truthful Assembly, Matching, recovery, publication, and manifest progress.
Changed Stage 10 plan loading and permanent publication to bounded, set-based database operations.

Fixed

Fixed Windows-invalid A8P filenames without changing content identity.
Fixed Stage 9 NO-GO sequencing and direct Stage 10 rejection.
Fixed structural CUE materialization at the published authority-provenance boundary.
Fixed full-run Append by retaining generation-owned physical-output evidence and allowing new plan entries while verifying every prior output by size and SHA-256.

Known limitations

MAME support remains limited and preliminary and does not replace a dedicated MAME ROM manager.
Some otherwise valid Alcohol MDF/MDS images may be incompatible with the bundled decoder; CURATOR preserves those sources and routes them for review.
This is a beta release. Operators should use copied input, retain backups, and verify curated output before replacing original material.

v2.0.0-beta.2 August 25, 2026

Added

Added content-based Atari 8-bit Preservation and Atarimania GameBase authority profiles, plus the verified Atari Lynx Dragnet supplemental DAT.
Added shared Core-owned Redump CUE recovery and official MAME software-list XML authority with matching-release DTD validation.
Added database-backed permanent collection manifests, retained reporting history, and explicit Standard, Full Audit, Reconcile, and Detailed Export reporting actions.
Added Reporting announcements for new permanent collection items, including platform breakdowns.

Changed

Added the three individually allowlisted CURATOR-created authority DATs to every public release while retaining empty operator-managed DAT surfaces.
Replaced supported VerifyDump execution with CURATOR's faster deterministic unanimous native CHD/CUE resolver while retaining compatibility database structure and the protected dormant executable.
Reused unchanged relational DAT authority through content-bound SHA-256 fingerprints and fail-closed Core.Database transactions.
Retained permanent authority-first Matching and set-first Assembly indexes, refreshed bounded SQLite planner statistics, and used authoritative set identity for multi-member completeness classification.
Routed stage path handling and bounded leading-text reads through Core.Secondary, clarified NeedsAttention counts and source-identity vocabulary, and optimized Organizer Append verification using complete Core-owned physical-output evidence.
Published every authoritative platform membership for exact raw cross-platform hash collisions and added offset-aware cartridge-header normalization.
Derived Reporting results from permanent database records and clarified long-running Organizer and Reporting console operations.
Clarified README and Developer Handbook MAME scope language: supported software-list XML supplies exact ROM/CHD authority, while complete dependency-aware MAME collection management remains outside CURATOR's scope.

Fixed

Fixed exact authority-ID reconciliation, CUE-source existence validation, case-distinct DAR sets, repeated member occurrences, and recovery of one exact missing authoritative CUE descriptor.
Fixed MAME hexadecimal size canonicalization and changed-authority replacement, incomplete CUE-set completion, and unresolved NeedsAttention archive destination routing.
Fixed Atari Lynx and Atari 7800 header validation, Stage 5 missing-CUE publication and loose-file SHA-1 initialization, and zero-new-item manifest reporting.
Fixed Organizer Append duplicate totals, duplicate NeedsAttention physical planning, and authority-driven output classification independent of source provenance.

Known limitations

MAME support remains limited and preliminary and does not replace a dedicated MAME ROM manager.
Some otherwise valid Alcohol MDF/MDS images may be incompatible with the bundled decoder; CURATOR preserves those sources and routes them for review.
This is a beta release. Operators should use copied input, retain backups, and verify curated output before replacing original material.

v2.0.0-beta.1 August 21, 2026

This first v2 release is a major architectural overhaul of CURATOR's authority, processing, recovery, and audit pathways. Persistent SQLite contracts now coordinate Stages 1–10 and Reporting while the v1 release line remains closed and preserved.

Added

Added capability-based Bootstrap initialization through validated static call sheets and on-request Core activation.
Added the persistent SQLite authority database and relational contracts used by Stages 1–10 and Reporting.
Added pinned Microsoft.Data.Sqlite, SQLitePCLRaw, and native SQLite runtime dependencies, together with integrity and provenance records.
Added complete output receipts, company manifests, placement evidence, recovery state, and collection-audit workflows.

Changed

Replaced the heavy in-memory crunching paths in Stages 6–9 with indexed, set-based SQLite operations while retaining physical file work in Core-owned services.
Changed Stage 10 to execute a frozen relational plan with durable receipt checkpoints, resumable publication, verified Append reuse, and optimized final cleanup.
Changed Gateway startup to draw the console header before Core initialization, present Core readiness as numbered steps, and request only the capabilities needed by the selected action.
Improved end-user announcements and truthful progress across Gateway, numbered stages, Reporting, cleanup, database loading, and publication.
Updated all current guides, legal notices, attribution, dependency records, component identities, and public-release protections for CURATOR v2.0.0-beta.1.

Fixed

Fixed Gateway option 8 so pause-enabled runs pause after each successful stage summary without changing the established behavior of options 4 and 6.
Fixed unresolved archive review output to retain top-level source lineage and preserve nested member paths without collisions.
Fixed Stage 5 missing-source handling, Stage 7 relational validation scaling, optical CUE membership reconstruction, and several silent console intervals.
Fixed authorized cleanup and Stage 10 workspace cleanup to avoid redundant enumeration while preserving failure evidence and required folder surfaces.

Known limitations

MAME support remains limited and preliminary and does not replace a dedicated MAME ROM manager.
Some otherwise valid Alcohol MDF/MDS images may be incompatible with the bundled decoder; CURATOR preserves those sources and routes them for review.
This is a beta release. Operators should use copied input, retain backups, and verify curated output before replacing original material.

v1.0.0-beta.8 August 13, 2026

Added

Added the six managed Aaru libraries used for in-process CDI, NRG, and MDF/MDS decoding while preserving original source custody and continuing unsupported images through the normal review path.
Added exact content-authoritative Redump CUE resolution for configured optical platforms, including Atari Jaguar CD authority data.
Added exact AuthoritySetId collector-platform overlays, including Sega CD 32X presentation, without changing DAT platform authority.
Added the output-wide receipt manifest used to validate deterministic Stage 10 Append reuse by destination, size, SHA-256, record fingerprint, and complete manifest fingerprint.

Changed

Stage 1 now uses Core-owned bounded DAT leading-text reads and throttled progress rendering. Stage 2 reuses its fail-closed platform association. Stages 3 and 4 use indexed, batched, and single-pass construction paths that preserve their established output contracts.
Stage 5 captures Size, CRC32, and SHA-1 during extraction or copying, reuses complete persisted identity evidence, performs bounded CHD extraction, and retains Core-owned fallback reads when trustworthy evidence is unavailable.
Stage 6 trusts the completed Stage 5 handoff, reports checked and reused identities accurately, and reuses immutable matching evidence without weakening content-only authority.
Stage 7 validates immutable upstream identity through keyed authority lookups without rehashing. Stage 8 uses a per-set keyed lookup for exact shared-source evidence. Stage 9 uses keyed destination collections while preserving collision handling and exact Stage 10 instruction order.
Optical CUE correction is now last resort after ordinary prepared-hash, normalization, sibling, and exact/profile-compatible repository workflows. Complete optical sets with one safely derived structural CUE remain eligible for Official output only when every non-CUE membership is present and exact; the descriptor discrepancy remains explicit evidence.
Core API documentation now covers 149 interfaces. Current operator guides describe the Stage 9 execution contract, output-wide receipt, company manifests, structural-CUE eligibility, and current component identities.

Fixed

Fixed non-Redump structural CUE handling so a missing same-named Redump member falls through instead of aborting Matching; ambiguity and conflicting repository evidence still fail closed.
Fixed a concurrent Core.Progress queue race that could terminate otherwise valid stage work while preserving TaskBar ordering and caller contracts.
Fixed publication packages whose distinct authority entry names share exact physical content, while retaining strict non-publication and optical membership rules.
Fixed configured non-set files (.txt, .exe, .dll, and .bat) entering Needs Attention output and corrected authoritative Jaguar CD CUE handling.

Known limitations

Reporting can classify the root receipt manifest as unmanifested content; investigation remains deferred under DEFERRED-053.
Stage 3/5 progress-presentation tracing, the Stage 6 prebuilt DAR index and output-publication investigation, and the distinction between upstream content identity and final copied-artifact evidence remain deferred under DEFERRED-055, DEFERRED-045, DEFERRED-057, and DEFERRED-059.

v1.0.0-beta.7 August 8, 2026

Changed

Stage 3 reuses its already-computed incoming company summary after a conflict-free merge only when platform, DAT, membership, and merge-accounting checks prove that it exactly describes the complete published company DAR. Every non-equivalent or conflicting case retains the full fail-closed summary reconstruction path.
Stage 9 now publishes the complete ordered schema-1 physical-output execution contract, including stable identities, exact destinations, packaging, source relationships, cleanup ownership, and manifest authority.
Stage 10 now consumes the Stage 9 execution contract directly and no longer reconstructs naming, routing, grouping, ordering, collision, or manifest decisions from historical records.
Append now requires a valid output-wide receipt manifest and matching physical size/SHA-256 evidence before an existing target may be skipped.
Stage 10 publishes a deterministic output-wide receipt manifest.
DependencyIntegrity now validates the manifest-level redistribution policy and every entry's redistribution metadata.
Completed DEFERRED-038: confirmed the bundled Binmerge executable as the publisher's exact 1.0.3 Windows release asset and identified the eleven Redump cue/GDI metadata archives as public-domain metadata. The manifest preserves the retired historical-endpoint limitation for three GDI archives.
The Core API handbook now documents 146 current interfaces, including the Core.Primary dependency-path resolver used by DependencyIntegrity.

Fixed

Removed superseded Stage 10 planning and authority-reconstruction paths.
Completed a fresh live Stages 1-11 validation. Organizer produced 24,269 of 24,269 planned unique outputs with zero failures. Independent receipt checks found zero missing paths, size mismatches, or SHA-256 mismatches, and every output-wide and company-manifest fingerprint validated.
Completed DEFERRED-051: Reporting now excludes needs_attention filesystem content and NeedsAttention manifest rows from every authoritative collection boundary, including reconciliation, audits, caches, ledgers, diagnostics, viewers, and publication.
Reconciled current operator guides, component build indexes, source module identity, and the release inventory with the validated August 7 workspace baseline.

Known limitations

Reporting classifies the administrative root receipt manifest 00_Manifest\CURATOR_Output_Manifest.json as unmanifested collection content. Collection paths, sizes, hashes, and fingerprints remain valid; the reporting-boundary investigation is tracked as DEFERRED-053.

v1.0.0-beta.6 August 4, 2026

Changed

Complete Atari Jaguar CD authority sets now publish as ZIP, while complete optical authority sets for every other platform publish as CHD. Source container type no longer determines final optical format.
CUE normalization now occurs universally after final DAR membership and authoritative naming are resolved. Organizer consumes that resolved contract without repairing or reinterpreting it.
Successful ZIP and CHD creation is accepted from the owning creation operation. Production stages no longer reopen successful output for verification.
Reporting remains focused on manifests, physical paths, sizes, and requested fingerprints; archive formats, CUE contracts, and CHD structure remain owned by producing stages.

Maintenance

Removed 14 proven-unreachable private functions and 566 stale implementation and comment lines.
Shortened 15 private functions and 31 private/local variables to CURATOR's established concise internal naming convention without changing public APIs, contracts, schemas, component builds, or runtime behavior.

Validation

Completed Stages 1 through 10 individually and completed Reporting through the visible execution path.
Organizer produced 7,334 of 7,334 outputs with zero failures.
Reporting matched all 4,775 authoritative manifest fingerprints, and an independent physical audit matched all 4,785 authoritative payload entries to exact DAR membership, case-sensitive names, sizes, CRC32, and SHA-1.

Known limitations

Reporting_DEV_53 still processes needs_attention filesystem content and NeedsAttention manifest rows. Complete exclusion remains unresolved under DEFERRED-051.
Dependency provenance and redistribution-policy validation remain open under DEFERRED-038.

v1.0.0-beta.5 August 3, 2026

Changed

Reporting now keeps operator-facing output concise while recording detailed milestones in DEBUG logs.
Physical-audit reconciliation now uses bounded summary and individual-review panels with Approve All, Review Each, Make No Changes, and Cancel; only approved findings alter manifests.
The guides now distinguish the intended boundary from beta.5 behavior: official and unofficial physical output is authoritative truth, while needs_attention is intended to be a separate review queue.

Fixed

Preserved original and immediate Reporting publication provenance through repeated transitive reuse.
Preserved complete multi-member DAR sets across multiple source containers during Stage 9 planning.
Corrected Core API handbook metadata so the application version is not presented as the component build.

Known limitations

Reporting_DEV_49 in beta.5 still processes needs_attention filesystem content and NeedsAttention manifest rows through classification, counting, summaries, and presentation. Full exclusion remains unresolved under DEFERRED-051.

v1.0.0-beta.4 July 31, 2026

Added

Added END_USER_LICENSE_AND_LEGAL_NOTICE.md as a required release deliverable with CURATOR-specific safety and legal notices that preserve all GPL-granted rights.
Added schema-v2 company manifests with final-artifact SHA-256 evidence and immutable existing-record behavior during Append.
Added Gateway option V for an explicit full physical SHA-256 collection audit with operator-reviewed manifest reconciliation.

Fixed

Suppressed internal latest_status.json read messages so refreshed Gateway menus and confirmation screens start with a clean application header.
Corrected Stage 7 validation of contextual CHD/CUE authority matches so current AuthorityProvenance DAT evidence is accepted without weakening missing-evidence or authority-integrity checks.
Closed the selected-run pause correction after operator confirmation of the remaining acknowledgement-order paths.

v1.0.0-beta.3 July 30, 2026

Changed

Added a standalone LICENSE file containing the complete GNU General Public License version 3 text.
Stage 5 now reports exact, visible progress while classifying and verifying large source inventories.
Stage 6 now reports exact counts while hashing, preparing results, serializing records, and verifying output, with less unnecessary console rendering.
Stage 7 removes repeated validation scans and reports exact progress through validation and publication.
Stage 8 reuses validated authority membership data, removes repeated scans, and reports exact progress through assembly and publication.
Large Stage 8 assembly runs now complete substantially faster while preserving the same normalized result.
Stage 9 reports exact progress while avoiding redundant routing, receipt, and source-path preparation.
Stage 10 validates planned sources beneath authorized roots and leaves missing-source detection to the physical operation that consumes each source.
The End User Manual and Quick Start Guide now recommend current clrmame for complete MAME-native ROM-set management while noting that legacy clrmamepro remains available.

Fixed

Fixed long Stage 8 intervals that previously had no visible console reporting.
Fixed Stage 8 final JSON progress so it reflects selected membership and review records before output verification.
Added the missing blank line above the final stage resource-release message.
Adjusted selected pause-enabled Gateway options 4, 6, and 8 to suppress a redundant post-summary pause while retaining their summary and final Gateway acknowledgement.
Regenerated the Core API Developer Handbook so headings and emphasis render normally.
Corrected the End User Manual cover version and document-update date.
Removed Stage 10 planning-time source existence probes and the large source-tree preflight without changing output planning or destination safety checks.

Known limitations

Binmerge build provenance and redistribution evidence for eleven cue/GDI ZIP packages remain unresolved under DEFERRED-038.
The selected-run pause correction is implemented, but the complete DEFERRED-046 acknowledgement-order matrix remains unproven across paused and non-paused Full Run, single-stage, Run From Stage, Run Through Stage, failure, cancellation, and noninteractive paths.

v1.0.0-beta.2 July 28, 2026

This beta focuses on faster preparation of large collections, safer recovery, clearer progress reporting, and documentation that is easier to use and keep with the application.

Added

Added a changelog to the application folder so each release clearly explains what changed.
Added stronger release-package checks against the approved application inventory, excluding development, temporary, and operator-owned files.
Added CURATOR-owned Atari 8-Bit and Atari ST routing definitions for a ready-to-use installation. Operator-supplied platform and DAT files remain outside the package.

Changed

Large Stage 5 preparation jobs now copy ordinary files and process archives in controlled parallel groups for substantially faster, predictably ordered preparation.
Stage 5 recovery records are written more efficiently, reducing repeated bookkeeping for collections containing thousands of files.
Archive progress is smoother and less noisy, with one continuous display covering the complete workload.
Matching passes the exact verified game data forward when supported normalization was needed to establish the match.
The Admin Guide, End User Manual, Quick Start Guide, and Core API Developer Handbook are now supplied as PDF files.
The developer handbook now documents all 144 current Core programming interfaces.

Fixed

Fixed Stage 5 archive preparation when the selected Workspace folder is outside the CURATOR application folder.
Fixed interrupted archive recovery so unfinished results are removed before retrying while already committed files remain protected.
Fixed empty or unusable archives so they can be reported and skipped without ending the entire preparation stage.
Fixed Stage 5 error reporting so the original problem remains visible even after logging services close.
Fixed supported disc matching when cue-sheet and track evidence is required.
Fixed later stages receiving the original file instead of the normalized data that established an authoritative match.
Added a clear, safe cancellation path to both advanced Nuclear cleanup confirmations; only the exact phrase performs cleanup.
Fixed the completion screen shown after generating the Core API handbook.

Known limitations

In a pause-enabled multi-stage Gateway run, the final selected stage may not show its promised acknowledgement before the separate overall timing summary. Both results are still produced.
A very large interrupted Stage 5 recovery record can delay Gateway startup while CURATOR validates saved work before showing the main menu.

v1.0.0-beta.1 July 26, 2026

Added

Published the first public beta of CURATOR.
Added guided Prepare DAR, Organize, and Reporting workflows for LaunchBox-compatible collections.
Added platform and DAT discovery, authority preparation, source discovery, staging, matching, DAT validation, assembly, completeness analysis, physical organization, and reporting.
Added authority-based processing of loose files and supported archive and disc-image workflows.
Added recoverable staging and output transactions that can resume from valid committed progress.
Added Clear and Append destination choices.
Added visible progress, structured logs, validation evidence, and final collection reports.
Included an Admin Guide, End User Manual, Quick Start Guide, and Core API Developer Handbook.
Added path safeguards separating source, output, working, and application folders.

Known limitations

In pause-enabled Gateway sequences, the final selected stage may not show its promised acknowledgement before the separate Gateway timing summary. The timing summary is still produced.

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