What is LocalDev Studio?
LocalDev Studio is an AI-powered coding assistant that runs entirely on your machine. No cloud APIs, no subscriptions, no data leaves your laptop. It's a single binary that connects to Ollama for local AI inference and integrates with VS Code.
100% Local
Your code never leaves your machine. No API keys, no internet required for operation. Fully air-gap compatible.
Single Binary
One Go executable. No Python, no Node.js, no Docker. Download and run — works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
VS Code Extension
Chat sidebar, inline completions (ghost text), code actions — Explain, Fix, Verify, Generate — all powered by local models.
Architecture
Everything runs locally. The daemon is the central hub — VS Code and the CLI both talk to it over localhost HTTP. The daemon routes requests to Ollama, which runs the model on your GPU or CPU.
Prerequisites
Required
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended |
| Disk | ~5 GB (binary + model) |
| OS | Windows 10+, macOS 12+, Linux |
Optional
| Component | Benefit |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA GPU 6GB+ | 10-20x faster inference |
| Apple Silicon | Excellent with unified memory |
| VS Code | For IDE integration |
Installation — One Command
The setup wizard handles everything: detecting your hardware, installing Ollama, choosing the right model, creating config, and wiring up VS Code.
Download the binary
Download localdev.exe from the releases page and save it anywhere (e.g. C:\tools\).
Install Ollama
If you don't already have Ollama, install it first:
Or download from https://ollama.com/download/windows
Run the setup wizard
Open PowerShell, navigate to where you saved the binary, and run:
The wizard detects your GPU, selects the right model, pulls it, creates config, adds itself to PATH, and installs the VS Code extension. Answer 2-3 questions and you're done.
Open a new terminal
After setup adds localdev to your PATH, open a new PowerShell window for the change to take effect.
Download and prepare
Use localdev-darwin-amd64 for Intel Macs.
Install Ollama
Or download from https://ollama.com/download/mac
Run the setup wizard
The wizard detects your Apple Silicon, selects an optimized model, and configures everything. It will offer to add localdev to your .zshrc.
Download and prepare
Install Ollama
Run the setup wizard
The wizard detects NVIDIA (nvidia-smi) or AMD (ROCm) GPUs, selects the right model, and offers to add to .bashrc or symlink to /usr/local/bin.
nvidia-smi to verify. AMD ROCm is also supported.
Your First 5 Minutes
After setup completes, you have two ways to use LocalDev:
Option A: Terminal Chat
Option B: VS Code
Start the daemon: localdev serve
Open VS Code. Look for $(sparkle) LocalDev in the bottom-right status bar — it should show connected.
Open the LocalDev Studio panel in the right sidebar. Type a message and hit Send.
Try code actions: select some code, right-click, and choose LocalDev: Explain or LocalDev: Fix.
Model Recommendations
| Hardware | Recommended Model | Speed | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GPU 20GB+ | qwen2.5-coder:32b-instruct-q4_K_M | Fast | Best |
| NVIDIA GPU 6-20GB | qwen2.5-coder:7b-instruct-q4_K_M | Fast | Good |
| Apple Silicon (16GB+) | qwen2.5-coder:7b-instruct-q4_K_M | Fast | Good |
| Apple Silicon (8GB) | qwen2.5-coder:3b-instruct-q4_K_M | Fast | Decent |
| NVIDIA GPU 2-6GB | qwen2.5-coder:1.5b-instruct-q4_K_M | Fast | Decent |
| CPU only (8GB+ RAM) | qwen2.5-coder:7b-instruct-q4_K_M | ~3 t/s | Good |
| CPU only (speed priority) | qwen2.5-coder:1.5b-instruct-q4_K_M | ~8 t/s | Decent |
The setup wizard auto-selects the right model for your hardware. You can override with localdev setup --model-size=small|medium|large.
VS Code Features
Chat Sidebar
Ask questions about your code, request explanations, generate functions. Responses render with syntax-highlighted code blocks that have Copy and Insert buttons.
Inline Completions
Ghost text suggestions as you type, powered by fill-in-the-middle inference. Accepts with Tab. Debounced to avoid hammering during fast typing.
Code Actions
Select code → right-click: Explain (what does this do?), Fix (fix bugs/errors), Verify (cross-model code review), Generate Tests.
Status Bar
$(sparkle) LocalDev = connected. $(circle-slash) LocalDev = daemon not running. Click to see available models. Auto-reconnects every 15 seconds.
Configuration
The setup wizard creates .localdev.yml in your project directory. Key settings you might want to tune:
VS Code Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
localdev.daemon.host |
127.0.0.1 | Daemon hostname |
localdev.daemon.port |
9741 | Daemon port |
localdev.daemon.chatTimeoutMs |
300000 | Chat timeout (5 min) — increase for CPU |
localdev.daemon.completeTimeoutMs |
60000 | Inline completion timeout (1 min) |
localdev.completion.enabled |
true | Enable/disable ghost text |
localdev.completion.debounceMs |
300 | Delay before triggering completion |
localdev.codeLens.enabled |
true | Show CodeLens actions above functions |
Troubleshooting
Daemon won't start
Check if Ollama is running: visit http://localhost:11434 in your browser. If it returns "Ollama is running", the issue is with the daemon. Check the output of localdev serve for error messages.
VS Code shows $(circle-slash) disconnected
Make sure the daemon is running (localdev serve) in a separate terminal. The extension auto-reconnects every 15 seconds. Check Output → LocalDev Studio for connection logs.
Chat responses are empty
Open VS Code Developer Tools (Ctrl+Shift+I) and check the Console for JavaScript errors. If you see errors, reinstall the extension: code --install-extension localdev-studio-0.7.1.vsix
Very slow responses on CPU
This is expected. CPU inference on a 7B model runs at ~3 tokens/second. Options: switch to the 1.5B model (localdev setup --model-size=small) for ~8 t/s, or use a machine with a dedicated GPU.
"localdev" is not recognized
The binary isn't on your PATH. Either re-run localdev setup from the binary's directory, or add its location manually. On Windows: setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\path\to\folder" then open a new terminal.
CLI Reference
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
localdev setup | One-time setup wizard (detect hardware, install model, configure) |
localdev serve | Start the daemon (HTTP API + Ollama bridge) |
localdev chat | Interactive terminal chat session |
localdev chat "prompt" | Single-shot chat (answer and exit) |
localdev init | Create .localdev.yml in current directory |
localdev models | List configured and available models |
localdev bench | Benchmark model inference speed |
--skip-vscode skips VS Code extension install.
--model-size=small|medium|large forces a specific model tier.
--force re-runs setup even if already configured.
Providing Feedback
This is a beta release. We'd love to hear what works, what breaks, and what's missing. File issues at the GitHub repository or reach out directly.