---
title: "OmniRoute v3.8.0 Release Notes"
version: 3.8.0
releaseDate: 2026-05-15
---

# OmniRoute v3.8.0 — Release Notes

**Release date**: 2026-05-15
**Highlights**: 7 new features + tier UX overhaul + 10 public AI agent skills.

## New features

### MCP smart text filter (Task 1)

Compression engine specifically for verbose MCP outputs (browser snapshots,
accessibility trees). Collapses ≥30 repeated sibling lines into head + summary

- tail, preserves `[ref=eXX]` anchors required by Playwright/computer-use,
  hard-truncates oversized text with a navigation hint.

* New engine: `open-sse/services/compression/engines/mcpAccessibility/`
* Settings: `compression.mcpAccessibility` (migration 056)
* Expected savings: 60-80% on browser snapshot tool results

### Public AI agent skills (Task 2)

Ten `SKILL.md` manifests under `skills/omniroute*/` published for external AI
agents (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, Cursor, Cline) to consume via raw GitHub URL.
Zero-friction onboarding: tell your agent to fetch one URL and start routing.

### Standalone system tray (Task 3)

CLI users now get a system tray icon without needing Electron. Windows uses
PowerShell `NotifyIcon` (zero new binaries, AV-friendly). macOS/Linux use the
`systray2` fork installed lazily into `~/.omniroute/runtime/`. Includes
cross-platform autostart (LaunchAgent / `.desktop` / registry).

- New flag: `omniroute --tray`
- New command: `omniroute config tray <enable|disable>`
- New modules: `bin/cli/tray/`

### CLI machine-ID token (Task 4)

`HMAC-SHA256(machine-id, salt)` → constant-time-compared token sent via
`x-omniroute-cli-token` header. Lets CLI commands authenticate locally
without JWT/password.

- Accepted only on loopback host + whitelisted read-only routes
- Salt rotation via `OMNIROUTE_CLI_SALT` env var
- Falls back to `~/.omniroute/machine-id` (0600) if `node-machine-id` fails
- Docs: `docs/security/CLI_TOKEN.md`

### Route protection tiers (Task 5)

All API routes classified into 5 tiers (`public`, `read-only`, `protected`,
`always`, `local-only`). Spawn-capable routes (MCP, CLI tools, OAuth
callbacks, MITM, skills) enforce loopback host+origin even with valid JWT —
leaked JWT via tunnel can no longer trigger child process spawn.

- New module: `src/lib/auth/routeGuard.ts`
- New Hard Rule #15 in `CLAUDE.md`
- Docs: `docs/security/ROUTE_GUARD_TIERS.md`

### Caveman SHARED_BOUNDARIES (Task 6)

Caveman prompts (LITE/FULL/ULTRA) now embed a shared boundary clause
instructing the LLM to keep code blocks, file paths, commands, errors, and
URLs exact, and to write security warnings and irreversible-action
confirmations in normal prose.

- New constant: `SHARED_BOUNDARIES` in `open-sse/services/compression/outputMode.ts`
- All 6 languages × 3 intensities updated
- `alreadyApplied` check order fixed (must precede `shouldBypassCavemanOutputMode`)

### Dynamic SQLite runtime installer (Task 7)

Five-step driver resolution chain:
`bundled better-sqlite3` → `runtime-installed better-sqlite3` → `lazy install`
→ `node:sqlite (Node ≥22.5)` → `bundled sql.js (WASM)`. Each native binary is
validated against expected platform magic bytes (ELF / Mach-O / PE) before
load. Solves Windows EBUSY error on global updates while OmniRoute is running.

- New scripts: `scripts/postinstall.mjs`, `bin/cli/runtime/`
- Runtime dir: `~/.omniroute/runtime/`
- New helper: `src/lib/db/core.ts::ensureDbInitialized()`
- Docs: `docs/ops/SQLITE_RUNTIME.md`

### Tier 1/2/3 marketing & onboarding (Task 8)

README "Why OmniRoute?" section enhanced with ASCII tier diagram and comparison
table. New `/dashboard/onboarding/steps/TierTour.tsx` step shows tier flow on
first run with light/dark SVG assets. Home dashboard gains "Tier coverage"
widget with empty-state CTA.

- New assets: `images/tier-flow-light.svg`, `images/tier-flow-dark.svg`
- New docs: `docs/marketing/TIERS.md`

## Improvements

- New i18n strings for tier UI (en first; translations in v3.8.1)
- Compression analytics dashboard now reports per-engine savings
- 47 RTK filters documented in provider reference

## Security

- Route protection tiers (Task 5) — spawn-capable routes blocked off loopback
- Hard Rule #15 in `CLAUDE.md` — `assertRouteAllowed(req)` mandatory for spawn routes
- CLI machine-ID token does NOT bypass `always`-protected routes (shutdown, db export)

## Documentation

- `docs/security/CLI_TOKEN.md`
- `docs/security/ROUTE_GUARD_TIERS.md`
- `docs/ops/SQLITE_RUNTIME.md`
- `docs/marketing/TIERS.md`
- `docs/comparison/OMNIROUTE_VS_ALTERNATIVES.md`

## Breaking changes

`getDbInstance()` now requires `ensureDbInitialized()` to have run first.
The server startup orchestrator awaits it automatically. In tests or custom
embeddings, call `await ensureDbInitialized()` before any `src/lib/db/*`
import that triggers instance access.

## Migration guide

For existing installations:

```bash
npm install -g omniroute@3.8.0
omniroute setup   # optional — re-runs onboarding to show new tier tour
```

CLI tokens are derived automatically; no migration needed.
To enable tray: `omniroute --tray` or `omniroute config tray enable`.

For developers embedding OmniRoute:

- Replace `getDbInstance()` direct calls with `await ensureDbInitialized(); getDbInstance()`
