I built Codeblocks for myself because I wanted something more flexible—a chat client where I could control every aspect of how conversations work with AI.
The goal was to experiment with local LLMs and find novel ways they could help with my work. Along the way, it turned into a full desktop app with features I actually wanted: total privacy (everything on my machine), the ability to connect to any provider, smart context management that doesn't break long conversations, and deep customization.
While it's designed with local LLMs in mind, that's not a limitation—you can use any provider you like or mix and match as needed.
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## Key Features
### Connect to Any LLM Provider
Use whatever works for you:
- OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-4o, etc.)
- Anthropic (Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Opus, Haiku)
- Google Gemini
- xAI (Grok)
- OpenRouter (access to 100+ models)
- Local models: Ollama, LM Studio
- Any OpenAI-compatible API
Switch between providers whenever you want. Use different models for different tasks—GPT-4 for code, Claude for writing, local models when you want everything offline. Compare responses. No lock-in, just flexibility.
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### Smart Context Management
Long conversations work the way they should—without falling apart or losing important details.
*How it works:*
- Recent messages stay fully intact
- Older content gets summarized automatically (you can use a cheaper model for this if you want)
- Images, code blocks, and attachments are handled intelligently
- Real-time visual indicator shows your token usage
*You get to choose the strategy:*
- Keep everything until you hit the limit
- Keep only recent messages
- Auto-summarize older messages
- Reference content without including the full text
The goal was to make it so you can chat through 100+ messages without thinking about token limits. The app figures out what to keep detailed, what to compress, and what to just reference.
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### Conversation Workflows
*Forking:* See a message where you want to try a different direction? Just click it to branch off a new conversation from that point. The original stays intact, and you can explore freely.
*Regeneration:* Not happy with a response? Regenerate it—with the same model or switch to a different one. All versions stick around, so you can flip between them and see what works best.
*Multiple chats:* Keep several conversations going at once. Quick navigation through the sidebar makes it easy to jump between them.
*Model Control:* Configure which model to use per chat, set custom system prompts, and adjust temperature settings. Each conversation can have its own unique setup.
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### Rich Text Editor
Powered by Lexical (Facebook's text editor):
- Full markdown support with live preview
- Syntax highlighting for code
- Drag-and-drop for images
Code blocks get syntax highlighting and one-click copying. Works great in both light and dark themes.
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### Search & Organization
*Search:* Find anything instantly—across all your conversations, message versions, tags, everything. Results show up as you type.
*Tags:* Create custom tags with colors, throw multiple tags on each chat, filter by whatever you need. You can see which tags you're using most too.
*Filters:* Mix search with tags to zero in on exactly what you're looking for.
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### Keyboard Shortcuts
Stay productive with hotkeys:
| Shortcut | Action |
| -------- | ---------------- |
| `⌘N` | New chat |
| `⌘/` | Focus chat input |
| `⌘⇧S` | Toggle sidebar |
| `⌘T` | Tag manager |
| `⌘F` | Search |
| `⌘↵` | Send message |
| `Esc` | Stop generation |
| `⌘,` | Settings |
| `?` | Show help |
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### Privacy & Local Storage
Everything lives in `~/.codeblocks/` as JSON files on your computer. That's it. No cloud sync.
Your API keys? On your machine. Your conversations? On your machine. Want to go completely offline? Works perfectly with local models.
Backing up is as simple as copying the folder somewhere safe. The file format is readable JSON, so you're never locked in.
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### Vision Support
Works with vision-enabled models (GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini):
- Attach images to messages
- Smart context management for images
- Configurable image inclusion strategies
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### Customization
- Light/dark/auto themes
- Custom colors and styling
- Per-model temperature and context settings
- Custom system prompts per chat
- Configurable logging levels
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## Tech Stack
Built with:
- *Electron 30* for desktop integration
- *React 18 + TypeScript* for the UI
- *Vite 5* for fast builds
- *Lexical* for the rich text editor
- *Vercel AI SDK* for unified LLM access
- *Tailwind CSS 4* for styling
- *Ant Design* components
Architecture: Local JSON storage, type-safe with Zod schemas, real-time streaming support, clean IPC separation.
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## Current Limitations
It's an alpha, so there are definitely rough edges:
- Mostly tested on macOS, so Windows/Linux might be quirky
- Schema changes might require manually migrating your data
- Error handling could be better in some spots
- No export/import UI yet (just copy the files manually for now)
- Everything's in English only
Basically, it works well for me, but your mileage may vary. Feel free to report issues as you find them.
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## What's Next
Planning to add:
- *Custom tools from UI* - Define your own tools that LLMs can call, directly from the interface
- *Integrations from UI* - Connect to external services and APIs through a simple UI (no code required)
- *Custom tools (programmatic)* - Write your own tools with full control for advanced use cases
- *Chat folders* - Hierarchical organization with drag-and-drop
- *Export/import* - Markdown export, backup automation
- *Analytics* - Token tracking, cost estimates, usage stats
The idea is to make customization accessible—whether you want to click through a UI or write code, both options will be there.
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## Feedback Welcome
This is an early alpha—still figuring things out. If you try it and have thoughts on what works, what doesn't, or what you'd like to see, please let me know!
Your input helps shape where this goes next.
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## Who This Is For
Honestly? I built this for myself to experiment with local LLMs and try out ideas for how AI could help with my work. But it might be useful if you're:
- Someone who wants *full control* over how your AI conversations work
- *Experimenting with local models* and want a solid interface for them
- Looking to *switch between providers* or compare different models
- Into *privacy* and want everything on your machine
- The kind of person who likes to *customize things* and tweak settings
The flexibility is the whole point—use it however makes sense for you.
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## Core Ideas
What I was going for:
1. *Your data stays yours* - Everything on your machine, under your control
2. *No lock-in* - Use any provider, switch whenever
3. *Context that works* - Smart management so long conversations don't break
4. *Flexibility* - Fork conversations, compare models, customize everything
5. *Built for local LLMs* - But works with anything
The whole project is about having options and being able to experiment freely.