GH Release Fetch

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Project name (EN)	GH Release Fetch
Project name (ZH)	GitHub 发行版拉取工具
Repository	shellsec/gh-release-fetch
Description (EN)	Search by name, download or update — no hunting Release pages, version tags, or direct URLs. Curated JSON + scripts resolve the latest release, pick the right OS asset, download, and optionally install. Mirrors first, fallback to github.com.
Description (ZH)	按名字搜索即可下载/更新——不必翻 Release 页、不必记版本号或找直链；lookup_app.bat 搜软件名，脚本自动解析最新包并匹配安装文件。

What you get

You don’t have to	The tool does
Browse GitHub Releases and pick x64/dmg/AppImage links	Resolve the latest tag and filter assets by rules in the catalog
Track “which version / which URL today”	Filenames usually include the version (save_name templates)
Maintain hundreds of download URLs yourself	500+ pre-catalogued entries; fuzzy search by app name

lookup_app.bat drawio
REM pick row → 1 download now (no enabled) → 2 save+download → 3 save only → 4 enable

Limits: Rules live in JSON (maintainer work). Some entries are placeholders. Non-GitHub distribution → channel track (search_soft_pages.bat).

Copy to GitHub «About»

In the repo sidebar About → ⚙, paste:

Description (Chinese)

GitHub 发行版拉取工具：500+ 开源软件清单，搜名字即可下载/更新，无需自己翻 Release 页或找下载链接。脚本自动解析最新版本并匹配 Win/macOS/Linux 安装包，支持 lookup 一键下载与批量更新。

Description (English)

GH Release Fetch: 500+ app catalog — search by name, download/update without hunting Release pages or URLs. Auto-resolves latest assets for Windows/macOS/Linux. One-click lookup + batch updates.

Website (optional) https://github.com/shellsec/gh-release-fetch#readme

Topics (suggested) github-releases windows macos linux download-manager open-source-software automation python software-catalog

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Overview

This repository is for “search by name → resolve latest package → download (optional install)”. Maintainers encode “how to find the right asset on GitHub/CDN” in JSON; end users don’t hunt Release pages or copy URLs.

Under the hood it targets GitHub Releases (HTML + API) for Windows / macOS / Linux (optional Android APK download).

Design: two tracks

Track	When	In this repo
Git	Open source with parseable GitHub/Gitee Releases	apps/ + lookup_app → run_saved_apps; optional GiteeExploreHot/, VibeCodingToolsDown/
Channels	Intro pages, mirrors, vendor CDN, non-Release distribution	tools/soft_page_check/ periodic title checks; search_soft_pages.bat; manual download after changes

Open source on Git; everything else on monitored channels (scheduled checks). Do not force non-Git apps into apps/. Optional tools/dayanzai_cache/ when running import_dayanzai_windows.py is local-only (gitignored) and safe to delete after import.

Core files

• auto_update.py — loads merged config from apps/ (or legacy root apps.json), resolves latest release, downloads assets, optionally launches installers.
• apps/ — recommended layout: apps/root.json + per-platform JSON shards under apps/windows/, apps/darwin/, apps/linux/. Falls back to apps/darwin.json / apps/linux.json if shard dirs are empty. Monolith backup: apps.json.monolith.bak; optional backups after splitting: apps/darwin.json.bak, apps/linux.json.bak.
• run_update.bat — Windows shortcut: checks Python, installs deps, runs python auto_update.py.
• lookup_app.py / lookup_app.bat — fuzzy search → pick row → 1 download / 2 save+download / 3 save list / 4 enable (see §3).
• search_soft_pages.bat — search intro page titles from tools/soft_page_check/ and open URLs; no-arg run prompts for keywords; complements GitHub catalog lookup.
• run_saved_apps.bat — enable + run auto_update.py for all apps in that list.

Recommended apps (Markdown guide)

Full catalog guides by platform:

Platform	Chinese	English table	Scale
Windows	RECOMMENDED.zh-CN.md	RECOMMENDED.md	567
macOS	RECOMMENDED.darwin.zh-CN.md	RECOMMENDED.darwin.md	539
Linux	RECOMMENDED.linux.zh-CN.md	RECOMMENDED.linux.md	539

Regenerate all: python tools/generate_recommended_md.py. Stats: CATALOG.md.

Optional second catalog: VibeCodingToolsDown/

Separate from apps/: AI-coding–oriented entries, manifest.json built by VibeCodingToolsDown/scripts/build_manifest.py, consumed via resolve_via=github_pages_manifest and vibecoding_manifest_url in VibeCodingToolsDown/root.json (local path or HTTPS, e.g. raw GitHub). Windows: run_update_VibeCodingToolsDown.bat. Reset/restore enabled for this catalog only: VibeCodingToolsDown/tools/reset_enabled_json.bat / apply_enabled_snapshot.bat (snapshots under that folder’s tools/). CLI: python auto_update.py --apps-dir VibeCodingToolsDown or python vibe_update.py from that folder. CI: copy VibeCodingToolsDown/ci/vibecodingtoolsdown-pages.monorepo.example.yml to .github/workflows/ when your token can modify workflows (needs workflow scope for HTTPS PAT). See VibeCodingToolsDown/README.md.

Optional Gitee bundle: GiteeExploreHot/

Categorized Gitee repos under GiteeExploreHot/catalog/; GiteeExploreHot/scripts/fetch_explore_hot.py writes hot_repos.json plus gitee_downloads.json (Windows/macOS/Linux URLs from releases/latest attachments). GiteeExploreHot/scripts/gitee_download.py pulls binaries into GiteeExploreHot/downloads/…. Windows one-shot: GiteeExploreHot/run_sync_gitee.bat (optional first arg windows, darwin, or linux to download after sync). Not wired into auto_update.py (GitHub-focused). See GiteeExploreHot/README.md.

Optional intro-page monitor: tools/soft_page_check/

Separate from the GitHub apps/ catalog: tracks page titles on dayanzai, down66, 7xiazai, hybase, 423down, gamer520 (games), tier-A install pages, etc. Use repo-root search_soft_pages.bat to search ~5500+ indexed URLs and open matches in the browser. Games: search_games.bat (gamer520; local recent list + live site search fallback). No arguments: prompts for keywords (same as lookup_app.bat).

Task	Entry
Search titles / open URLs	search_soft_pages.bat or search_soft_pages.bat <keyword> (repo root)
Search game pages (gamer520)	search_games.bat or search_games.bat <keyword>
Monthly SOP	tools\soft_page_check\monthly_sop.bat
Monthly · tier A (~42 pages, ~15s)	tools\soft_page_check\monthly_check.bat
Quarterly · all channels (~2300+ pages, ~20–35 min; title diff only)	tools\soft_page_check\monthly_check_full.bat
Per-site check / open changed URLs	monthly_check_site.bat <site> / open_changed_site.bat <site> (423down 7xiazai hybase dayanzai down66 gamer520)
List four sites batch	tools\soft_page_check\monthly_check_list.bat (7xiazai + hybase + dayanzai + down66)
Refresh URL lists	tools\soft_page_check\refresh_urls.bat
Prune dated snapshots	tools\soft_page_check\prune_artifacts.bat
HTML report	tools\soft_page_check\open_report.bat
GitHub title change → Release fetch	tools\soft_page_check\fetch_github_on_changes.bat (read-only apps/ + auto_update.py)

vs lookup_app: GitHub Releases catalog vs intro-page titles. This repo often has no Lastb_soft_version.txt; checks reuse cached URL lists under soft_page_check/. SoftGitUp-style generate_and_push.bat / software/ sync is optional; the main gh-release-fetch flow uses run_saved_apps.bat, etc. Run tier-A check twice on first use for a diff baseline. Details: tools/soft_page_check/README.md.

Approximate catalog size (changes when you edit JSON): 567 Windows, 539 darwin, 539 linux entries across 30 shard files each (excluding 99-未匹配-windows分片.json placeholders). See CATALOG.md for a per-shard table (python tools/generate_catalog_index.py to refresh). Confirm totals with the merge log line when you run the script.

Some AI IDE rows in main apps/ use resolve_via=github_pages_manifest via vibecoding_manifest_url in apps/root.json (default ./VibeCodingToolsDown/dist/vibecoding/manifest.json). Refresh with python VibeCodingToolsDown/scripts/build_manifest.py before enabling those entries.

Duplicate id: within one platform, each id must appear once across all shards (including 99-*); remove stale placeholders if auto_update.py reports duplicates.

Bulk extend from dayanzai.me/windows: python tools/import_dayanzai_windows.py --apply (Windows), then python tools/sync_dayanzai_to_darwin_linux.py for darwin/linux (API-first stubs; tune markers before enabling).

Scope: entries target assets discoverable from GitHub (or mirrors). No cracked software, piracy, or license circumvention. Some rows are stubs until you add full installer_markers / download_names / save_name rules.

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Problems this solves

• Release pages mix many assets; users just want the latest installer, not to hunt links and tags manually.
• Networks block or throttle GitHub; you want mirror → official → API fallback.
• Many tools ⇒ a searchable catalog beats bookmarking every Release page.

The script handles version resolution and asset matching; you search by name or maintain a saved list.

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Who it is for

• Install/update one app without opening GitHub: lookup_app.bat keyword → 1 download now (no enabled change).
• A personal set updated on a schedule: options 2/3 → saved_apps_*.json → run_saved_apps.bat.
• Maintainers / cron: curate JSON rules, set enabled: true for stable rows, run auto_update.py on a timer.
• Not ideal: app-store-only apps, assets that cannot be matched by rules (use channel track / manual).

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Versions: who cares about what

Role	What to watch
Casual user (lookup)	Usually no manual URLs or version tracking — search → download
Saved list user	Which apps are in the list; whether batch update succeeded
Maintainer / cron	Whether rules still match upstream renames; which entries are enabled

Technical detail	Note
“Latest” each run	Re-resolved from page/API; latest usually skips drafts/prereleases.
Re-download	Depends on auto_update.py; check logs and filenames.
Upstream renames	Update JSON markers/templates (maintainer).
Rule quality	Complete rules only for unattended runs.

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Requirements

Environment

Item	Detail
OS	Script runs on Windows, macOS, Linux; run_update.bat is Windows-only.
Python	3.6+ (same as run_update.bat message); prefer a supported 3.x release. On Windows you can use exe instead (below).
pip	pip install -r requirements.txt (skip if using exe only).

No Python (Windows · optional exe)

Pack 5 exe files beside apps/. Bats use Python when installed, otherwise exe. Double-clicking an exe also prompts for keywords when run with no args.

exe	bat	Role
lookup_app.exe	lookup_app.bat	Search → actions 1/2/3/4
run_saved_apps.exe	run_saved_apps.bat	Batch update from saved list
search_soft_pages.exe	search_soft_pages.bat	Search intro-page titles
search_games.exe	search_games.bat	Search gamer520 game pages (local index + live site fallback)
auto_update.exe	run_update.bat / lookup download	Download engine

Build (needs Python once on the build machine):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\build_exe.ps1

Output: dist/exe/ — copy all 5 exe files to the repo root. Maintainer scripts still need Python.

Windows Release zip (exe + catalog + soft_page_check index, ready to unzip):

pack_windows_release.bat

Or:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\pack_windows_release.ps1 -Version 1.0.0

Output: dist/release/gh-release-fetch-windows-<version>.zip. Details: release/windows/PACKAGING.md.

Dependencies (requirements.txt)

When using the Python path, install:

• requests (≥2.25.0) — HTTP and GitHub API.
• beautifulsoup4 (≥4.9.0) — parse GitHub release HTML.

Network

Item	Detail
GitHub	Reach github.com and api.github.com (or get them via fallback). If releases_url uses a mirror (e.g. bgithub.xyz), the script can fall back to official release pages and then the API.
TLS	Use --insecure or root apps/root.json "ssl_verify": false only when needed (MITM risk); revert when certificates are fixed.

Config layout

Item	Detail
Recommended	apps/root.json plus shard arrays under apps/windows/, apps/darwin/, apps/linux/ (unique id per platform). Use python tools/split_darwin_linux_to_dirs.py to migrate legacy single-file darwin/linux lists.
Legacy	Root apps.json if apps/root.json is absent.
Per app	At minimum: id, releases_url, repo_path.

Preconditions

• Batch mode (no ids on CLI) processes only enabled: true entries.
• Explicit ids (lookup_app option 1, or auto_update.py drawio) do not require enabled=true.
• Data source is primarily GitHub (some rows use CDN/manifest); other channels → channel track.

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1. Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

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2. Quick start

Windows (double-click)
Run run_update.bat — checks Python, installs requirements, runs python auto_update.py.

CLI (any OS)

python auto_update.py

Default behavior: detect platform, merge apps/ into platforms.*, process only enabled apps, try releases_url then official GitHub and API, prefer tag-derived versions when the page is ambiguous.

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3. Enable an app

Option A: lookup script (recommended)

lookup_app.bat drawio

python lookup_app.py drawio

Quick reference (matches the on-screen help when you run lookup_app with no arguments):

Usage: lookup_app [options and keywords...]
Examples: lookup_app drawio
         lookup_app --platform android termux
After picking rows: 1=download now  2=save+download  3=save list  4=enable
Non-interactive:    lookup_app -y --download drawio

No arguments: lookup_app.bat prompts for a keyword (you can type --platform android termux on the same line).

Two-step flow: search → pick row (1, 1,3, a, or Enter to skip) → pick action 1–4. Short keywords like draw often match three rows (darwin / linux / windows with the same id); pick the right platform or narrow with --platform windows drawio.

lookup_app.bat draw
> 3          # windows row
> 1          # download now (does not change enabled)

Lists platform, shard path, category, and enabled. Interactive flow: pick rows → pick action:

Action	Meaning
1	Download now (does not change enabled)
2	Add to saved list and download
3	Add to saved list only
4	Set enabled=true

Flag	Meaning
--platform windows|darwin|linux	Filter to one platform
--save [FILE]	Add selection to update list (default saved_apps_<platform>.json)
--no-save-prompt	Do not ask to add to list
--no-prompt	Search only
--yes / -y	Enable all matches
--download / -d	Default action 1; with -y, download all matches
--dry-run	Preview only
--apps-dir VibeCodingToolsDown	Search the separate catalog
--min-score N	Match threshold (default 40)

At the row prompt: index 1 or 1,3, a for all, Enter to skip.

Option A″: game channel search (gamer520)

Search game intro pages on gamer520.com and open URLs in the browser. Falls back to live site search (?s=query, PC/Switch mixed, requires network) when the local index has no match. Does not download files. Open-source tools → lookup_app; utility intro pages → search_soft_pages.

search_games.bat
search_games.bat 艾尔登
search_games.bat 卡比
search_games.bat --open 黑神话
search_games.bat --stats

The local index covers recent homepage listings (refresh_urls.bat gamer520, 50 pages by default, ~1000 URLs). Older posts may only appear via live site search (source label: gamer520 · 游戏（站内搜索）). Title check: monthly_check_site.bat gamer520 (run twice for baseline).

Option A′: intro-page title search (not the GitHub catalog)

Search captured titles from download-site intro pages and open URLs. No arguments: search_soft_pages.bat prompts for keywords (like lookup_app.bat).

search_soft_pages.bat
search_soft_pages.bat 7zip
search_soft_pages.bat --scope dayanzai WindowTabs
search_soft_pages.bat --open github copilot
search_soft_pages.bat --stats

Flags: --scope (e.g. dayanzai, a), --open (open top matches without prompting), --stats (index size).

Closed loop: search → list → update

lookup_app.bat --platform windows cherrytree
run_saved_apps.bat

Default list files: saved_apps_windows.json (or _darwin / _linux). Custom path:

lookup_app.bat --save lists\my.json joplin
run_saved_apps.bat lists\my.json
set SAVED_APPS_LIST=lists\my.json
run_saved_apps.bat

Bulk catalog from dayanzai.me/windows: python tools/import_dayanzai_windows.py --apply; sync to darwin/linux: python tools/sync_dayanzai_to_darwin_linux.py.

Option B: edit JSON

In the relevant shard under apps/windows/ (or darwin/linux), set "enabled": true. Global options live in apps/root.json.

What the lookup searches (scope)

Scope	Included?
Every app row in apps/windows/, apps/darwin/, apps/linux/ *.json shards	Yes (same merge as auto_update.py)
Fields matched	id, 简介, 分类, repo_path, releases_url, url_hint (case-insensitive fuzzy)
apps/root.json	No
GiteeExploreHot/, VibeCodingToolsDown/	No by default; use --apps-dir VibeCodingToolsDown for the latter
Root apps.json, *.json.bak	No (falls back to apps/<platform>.json only if a platform has no shard directory)
Built manifests (e.g. dist/vibecoding/manifest.json)	No

The same id on three platforms appears as three lines; you can enable one platform or all.

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4. Update specific apps

python auto_update.py obsidian vscodium nodejs

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5. Force a platform block

python auto_update.py --platform windows
python auto_update.py nodejs --platform windows

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6. TLS issues

python auto_update.py --insecure

Or in apps/root.json: "ssl_verify": false (temporary).

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7. Mirrors and fallback

Order of operations (see auto_update.py for details): entry releases_url → on failure, https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/releases → optional API. Optional root release_page_mirrors list for extra release-page hosts.

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8. Download directory and per-platform folders

download_dir in apps/root.json sets the root (e.g. "." or "downloads").

If download_subdir_by_platform is true (default in this repo), files go under:

{download_dir}/{windows|darwin|linux}/…

Logs include [platform: …] and the resolved target directory. Large files via public proxies may be slow; the console shows percent (with decimals) and MiB to avoid a stuck “0%” display. Direct GitHub URLs are tried in the script’s mirror chain.

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9. Common app JSON fields

Required: id, releases_url, repo_path.

Useful optional fields: enabled, installer_markers, download_names, download_url_templates, save_name, windows_installer, installer_extensions, process_name, kill_before_install, run_installer, url_hint, href_exclude_substrings, installer_markers_match_all, prefer_api_assets, version_tag_as_on_github.

Human-oriented field glossary: _说明 inside apps/root.json (keys starting with _ are not consumed by the script).

Root keys: download_dir, ssl_verify, download_subdir_by_platform, release_page_mirrors, etc.

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10. Caveats

• Prefer fully specified rules before enabling many apps for cron; smoke-test single id first.
• Archives with run_installer: false are not auto-extracted.
• Special cases (e.g. nodejs) may use extra official URLs — see script.
• Unauthenticated GitHub API rate limits can return 403; retry later, use a proxy, or wire a token into your environment for requests (not built into this repo).
• If tag names and file names diverge (e.g. release-1.x vs 1.x in the asset), {ver} templates may need manual tuning.

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11. Common commands

pip install -r requirements.txt
python auto_update.py
python auto_update.py nodejs
python auto_update.py --platform windows
python auto_update.py --insecure
lookup_app.bat drawio
python lookup_app.py --no-prompt v2ray
```bat
search_soft_pages.bat
search_soft_pages.bat --stats
search_soft_pages.bat 7zip

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12. Logs and troubleshooting

• Log file: update_log.txt
• Saved release HTML: github_page_<platform>_<app_id>.html (e.g. github_page_windows_obsidian.html)
• On failure: check releases_url, fallbacks, markers / download_url_templates vs real asset names, TLS, API rate limits
• enabled: batch auto_update.py (no ids) only runs enabled: true rows; lookup options 1/2 or auto_update.py <id> do not require enabled
• Duplicate id: same-platform duplicates fail merge; with --platform windows only windows shards load — duplicates on other platforms do not block that run. Remove stale rows from 99-未匹配-windows分片.json if needed

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13. Maintenance scripts

Daily use

Goal	Command
Fuzzy search GitHub catalog / saved list	lookup_app.bat <keyword> (§3)
Search intro-page titles / open URLs	search_soft_pages.bat (no-arg interactive)
Search game pages (gamer520)	search_games.bat
Update from saved list	run_saved_apps.bat or python tools/run_saved_apps.py
Build Windows exe (no Python for daily use)	powershell -File tools\build_exe.ps1 → copy dist/exe/*.exe to repo root
Pack Release zip (one-click)	pack_windows_release.bat or tools\pack_windows_release.ps1
Regenerate RECOMMENDED*.md	python tools/generate_recommended_md.py
Refresh CATALOG.md	python tools/generate_catalog_index.py

enabled & layout

• Reset all enabled to false: reset_enabled_json.bat at repo root, or python tools/reset_enabled_json.py (--dry-run to preview; snapshot defaults to tools/last_enabled_before_reset.json)
• Restore enabled from snapshot: apply_enabled_snapshot.bat or python tools/apply_enabled_snapshot.py
• Split legacy apps/darwin.json / apps/linux.json into shard dirs: python tools/split_darwin_linux_to_dirs.py (backs up *.json.bak)
• Monolith vs apps/ notes: apps/root.json → _说明

Bulk catalog import (idempotent; do not re-run blindly)

Script	Purpose
tools/import_dayanzai_windows.py --apply	Import open-source GitHub rows from dayanzai.me/windows
tools/split_dayanzai_unmatched.py	Move 99-未匹配 rows into category shards
tools/sync_dayanzai_to_darwin_linux.py	Mirror new Windows rows to darwin/linux
tools/append_catalog_batch2.py … batch4.py	Historical cross-platform batches
tools/append_catalog_batch5.py … batch11.py	AI IDE、截图/OCR、跨平台缺口等（见 CATALOG.md）

Intro-page monitoring

See tools/soft_page_check/README.md. Common entry points: monthly_check.bat, monthly_check_site.bat, open_changed_site.bat, refresh_urls.bat, root search_soft_pages.bat, fetch_github_on_changes.bat.

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Former working title: GithubWinDownTools — renamed for clarity now that darwin/linux catalogs are first-class.