u/Elegant_Associate889

Hey everyone, I just pushed Gilbert Codex v0.5.0, which is the biggest update I’ve put out so far.

Gilbert Codex is an open-source desktop AI workspace for coding, review, tools, research, image generation, and release work. It’s built with Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, and Rust, and the goal is to make AI coding feel more like a real desktop workspace instead of a bunch of disconnected tabs, terminals, chats, and setup screens.

GitHub / download:
https://github.com/UrbanWafflezz/GilbertCodex/releases/tag/v0.5.0

Repo:
https://github.com/UrbanWafflezz/GilbertCodex

This update moves the app way past the earlier alpha builds. v0.5.0 now has local user accounts, project-scoped chat state, pinned/searchable history, queued sends, planning/thinking controls, source-backed research, image-generation artifacts, safer review flows, subscription account routing, GitHub and Discord setup, and a much cleaner runtime under the hood.

A few of the bigger changes:

local users, so chats, projects, settings, and workspace state can stay separated

a more complete chat workspace with projects, attachments, markdown, regeneration, stop controls, and local persistence

multi-provider model routing for OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, LM Studio, Ollama, Groq, Mistral, and DeepSeek

subscription account routes for Codex / ChatGPT, Claude Code, Gemini CLI / Cloud Code, GitHub Copilot, and more where supported

image generation that shows up as real chat artifacts with progress, grids, preview, and download controls

DuckDuckGo / Brave source cards for research-style work

local tools for files, terminal, browser preview, Git, GitHub, web search, and MCP-facing flows where permissions allow them

safer review gates for destructive actions, terminal/file work, publishing, credentials, and outside-scope paths

a refreshed README, release notes, installer docs, roadmap, support page, and public repo hygiene

I want to be clear that this is still alpha software. Windows x64 is the main packaged target right now, and the installer may show SmartScreen because it is not fully code-signed yet. macOS and Linux have source support, but I need people with those machines to test and help tighten them up.

The most useful feedback right now would be real-world testing: install issues, first-run setup problems, provider/model weirdness, confusing UI, bugs during real coding tasks, and anything around local files, terminal, Git/GitHub, sources, or image generation. If you open an issue, please include your OS, install/run steps, what you expected, what happened, and sanitized screenshots/logs if possible. Please do not include API keys, tokens, private repo content, local database files, or sensitive terminal output.

Also, since I’m being open about the project: if Gilbert Codex ends up being useful to you and you want to support the work, there’s a small support/funding page in the app and on the repo. No pressure at all, and nothing is locked behind it. The app is open source either way. It just helps me keep putting serious time into it, paying attention to bug reports, and making the project better instead of letting it become one of those half-finished tools that never gets maintained.

I’m trying to make Gilbert Codex into a genuinely useful open-source desktop coding-agent app, and v0.5.0 feels like the first version where the full shape of it is really starting to come together. If you try it, break it, review it, support it, or even just tell me what feels confusing, that would help a lot. App may feel slow on first boot!

Hey everyone, I have been building Gilbert Codex, an open-source desktop workspace for coding with AI agents.


Repo: https://github.com/UrbanWafflezz/GilbertCodex  
Windows alpha release: https://github.com/UrbanWafflezz/GilbertCodex/releases/tag/v0.0.2


The short version: it is a local-first desktop app built with Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, and Rust. The goal is to give agent coding work a focused GUI instead of scattering everything across a browser tab, terminal window, notes, and Git client.


What is already in the alpha:


- chat workspace with local projects, pinned chats, markdown, attachments, and local persistence
- model routing for OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, LM Studio, Ollama, Groq, Mistral, and DeepSeek
- thinking controls, planning mode, regeneration, stop, and visible activity/progress state
- local Git tools for status, diff, stage, commit, push, pull, branches, and review-style prompts
- GitHub tools for repo/file reads, code search, branches, releases, pull requests, and workflow runs
- DuckDuckGo-backed web search with source cards
- terminal sessions, browser preview, local file tools, tool toggles, and settings
- SQL-backed local app state for auth, chats, projects, settings, integrations, preview state, and agent runs


What I need help with right now:


- testing the Windows installer and setup flow
- trying real coding tasks and opening issues for confusing/broken behavior
- testing macOS and Linux from source, since Windows is the only packaged target right now
- reviewing the Rust/Tauri command layer, especially anything around local files, terminal, Git, permissions, and app data
- improving docs, first-run setup, contribution flow, and good-first-issue breakdowns


A few honest caveats:


- this is an early public alpha
- the Windows installer is unsigned, so SmartScreen may complain
- provider keys and local endpoints are still local user settings; moving sensitive tokens into OS-backed secure storage is on the roadmap
- macOS/Linux need real contributors with those machines before I can call them supported


If you try it, the most useful feedback is a GitHub issue with your OS, install/run steps, what you expected, what happened, and sanitized screenshots/logs if possible. Pull requests are welcome too. I am especially interested in practical feedback from people who actually use coding agents and know where these tools get annoying in day-to-day work.


Thanks for taking a look.