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Jonathan David Forrider
Jonathan David Forrider

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I built a local-first AI CLI to replace Copilot (using Ollama)

#go #ai #cli #opensource

I built a local-first AI CLI to replace Copilot (using Ollama)

Like a lot of developers, I hit a point where I was paying for tools I used daily… but didn’t fully control.

I wanted:

  • something fast
  • something private
  • something that lived in my terminal
  • something I didn’t have to pay for every month

So I built Billy.sh.

👉 https://jd4rider.github.io/billy-web/

🧠 What is Billy.sh?

Billy.sh is a local-first AI CLI assistant powered by Ollama.

It gives you a Copilot-like experience directly in your terminal — without sending your code to external APIs.

⚡ What it can do

  • Turn natural language into shell commands
  • Generate and explain code
  • Help with debugging workflows
  • Run entirely offline (after models are installed)
  • Provide a clean terminal UI (TUI) experience

🖥️ Built for the terminal (not bolted onto it)

One thing that always bothered me about AI tools is how they feel added on.

Billy.sh is different — it’s built to live in the terminal.

It uses:

  • Bubble Tea for the TUI
  • Lip Gloss for styling
  • A workflow-first CLI design

The goal wasn’t just functionality — it was feel.

🔐 Why local-first matters

Most AI tools today:

  • require API keys
  • send your code to external services
  • charge monthly subscriptions

Billy.sh flips that:

  • ✅ Runs locally
  • ✅ No API keys
  • ✅ No subscriptions
  • ✅ Your data stays on your machine

⚙️ Tech stack

  • Go (CLI + architecture)
  • Bubble Tea + Lip Gloss (TUI)
  • Ollama (local LLM runtime)

🚧 What’s next

This is still early, but I’m actively working on:

  • Plugin-style extensibility
  • Better workflow automation
  • Improved Linux/Windows support
  • Smarter command execution flows

💬 Why I’m sharing this

I built this for myself — but I know I’m not the only one who wants:

  • less SaaS dependency
  • more control
  • better terminal-native tools

If that’s you, I’d love your feedback.

🔗 Links

🙌 Feedback welcome

If you try it out, let me know:

  • what works
  • what’s confusing
  • what you wish it did

This is just the beginning.

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