The latest articles on DEV Community by Varin Gurnani (@v-dev). https://dev.to/v-dev https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4130323%2Fb8580843-2708-4f31-997b-d638e8ced767.png https://dev.to/v-dev en Varin Gurnani Sat, 07 Nov 2026 07:13:55 +0000 https://dev.to/v-dev/meet-gnito-your-ai-your-machine-your-rules-3cb1 https://dev.to/v-dev/meet-gnito-your-ai-your-machine-your-rules-3cb1 <h1> Meet Gnito: Your AI. Your Machine. Your Rules. </h1> <p>What if you could run your own AI workspace locally, choose your AI provider, and keep control of your data?</p> <p>That's what I'm building with <strong>Gnito</strong>.</p> <p><strong>Gnito</strong> is an open-source, local-first, self-hosted AI workspace built with React, TypeScript, Node.js and SQLite.</p> <p>It doesn't bundle an AI model. Instead, it uses BYOK (Bring Your Own Key), allowing you to connect your preferred AI providers or local model endpoints.</p> <h2> What makes Gnito interesting? </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Multi-provider AI:</strong> Connect OpenAI, Gemini, Anthropic, Groq, Ollama, LM Studio and more.</li> <li> <strong>AI Chat:</strong> Streaming conversations, attachments, projects and chat history.</li> <li> <strong>Local Memory:</strong> Optional memory stored on your machine.</li> <li> <strong>Incognito Mode:</strong> Temporary conversations without persistent local history.</li> <li> <strong>Docker Terminal:</strong> Run AI-assisted commands inside an isolated environment.</li> <li> <strong>Web Search:</strong> Search the web with configurable search providers.</li> <li> <strong>Automation Center:</strong> Schedule AI tasks using cron or one-time schedules.</li> <li> <strong>GitHub Integration:</strong> Let AI interact with repositories through your GitHub token.</li> <li> <strong>Image Generation:</strong> Generate images through compatible providers.</li> <li> <strong>Encrypted Backups:</strong> Password-protected backups using AES-256-GCM.</li> </ul> <h2> Built with </h2> <ul> <li>React + TypeScript</li> <li>Node.js + Express</li> <li>SQLite</li> <li>Vite</li> <li>Docker</li> </ul> <p>Gnito runs locally and stores its workspace data under <code>~/.gnito/</code> by default.</p> <p>External AI providers still process the prompts you send them, and their API usage may incur costs.</p> <h2> Try Gnito </h2> <p>Requirements: Node.js 20.19+.<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight shell"><code>git clone https://github.com/V-Dev-arch/gnito.git <span class="nb">cd </span>gnito npm <span class="nb">install </span>npm run dev </code></pre> </div> <p>Then open <code>http://localhost:5173</code>.</p> <p>Docker is optional for most features but required for Terminal.</p> <h2> What's next? </h2> <p>Gnito is actively evolving. Some planned capabilities, including voice pipelines and MCP integration, are not implemented yet.</p> <p>Contributions, suggestions and feedback are welcome!</p> <p><strong>GitHub:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/V-Dev-arch/gnito" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/V-Dev-arch/gnito</a></p> <p><strong>Your AI. Your Machine. Your Rules.</strong></p> <h1> opensource #ai #selfhosted #typescript </h1> ai opensource react typescript