ChatMarkdown

Your local-first AI agent, driven by text.

ChatMarkdown (CLI: chatmd) lets you interact with an AI Agent through Markdown files in any text editor. No need to leave your editor — type a command, save, and get AI answers, translations, file operations, and more.

Features

• Local-first — All data stored in local Markdown files, works offline
• Text-driven — Trigger via /command slash commands or @ai{} natural language
• Editor-agnostic — VS Code, Vim, Typora… any editor that can edit .md files
• Deterministic routing — Code-centric, not AI-centric; command execution is predictable
• Extensible — YAML declarative Skills + Python custom Skills + hot reload
• Secure — KernelGate injection prevention + confirmation window + audit log
• Git sync — Auto commit + pull/push, seamless multi-device collaboration

Quick Start

One-Line Install (Recommended)

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL https://www.chatmarkdown.org/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://www.chatmarkdown.org/install.ps1 | iex

The script auto-detects Python, offers to install/update if needed, then installs pipx + chatmd. Fully automatic.

Manual Install

# Option 1: Download from https://www.python.org/downloads/

# Option 2: Homebrew (recommended if you have brew)
brew install python

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv -y

# Install pipx (one-time)
pip install pipx
pipx ensurepath
# ⚠️ Restart your terminal (close and reopen)

# Install chatmd
pipx install chatmd

# Linux/macOS
python3 -m venv ~/.chatmd-env
source ~/.chatmd-env/bin/activate
pip install chatmd

# Windows
python -m venv %USERPROFILE%\.chatmd-env
%USERPROFILE%\.chatmd-env\Scripts\activate
pip install chatmd

pip install chatmd
python -m chatmd --version

chatmd --version

Step 2: Initialize a Workspace

chatmd init ~/my-workspace          # Linux/macOS
chatmd init %USERPROFILE%\my-workspace   # Windows

By default, chatmd init creates the classic minimal workspace. You can also create a personal knowledge workspace:

chatmd init ~/my-life --profile personal --language en
chatmd init ~/my-twin --profile twin --language cn

• basic — Default minimal workspace (.chatmd/ + chatmd/)
• personal — Dashboard, Inbox, Daily, Projects, Notes, Resources, Archive
• twin — Personal plus People, Goals, Habits, Decisions, Health

Profile workspaces generate .chatmd/kb.yaml and .chatmd/privacy.yaml so ChatMarkdown can locate the right chat, inbox, resources, and sensitive areas without hard-coding folder names.

Step 3: Configure AI Provider (optional)

To use AI features like /ask and /translate, configure an API key in .chatmd/agent.yaml:

ai:
  providers:
    - name: litestartup
      type: litestartup
      api_url: https://api.litestartup.com/client/v2/ai/chat
      api_key: ${LITEAGENT_API_KEY}  # environment variable, or paste directly

Then set the environment variable:

export LITEAGENT_API_KEY="your-api-key"   # Linux/macOS
# set LITEAGENT_API_KEY=your-api-key      # Windows

💡 Local commands like /date and /help work without an AI provider.

Auto-save Editors (Obsidian, etc.)

If your editor auto-saves files, switch to suffix mode before starting the Agent:

chatmd mode suffix

In suffix mode, commands are only triggered when you end a line with ;:

/help;

/date;

/ask what is ChatMarkdown?;

To switch back: chatmd mode save

Step 4: Start the Agent

cd ~/my-workspace       # Linux/macOS
# cd %USERPROFILE%\my-workspace  # Windows

chatmd start            # foreground (Ctrl+C to stop)
# chatmd start --daemon # or run in background

Step 5: Start Interacting

Open chat.md in any editor, type a command, and save:

/help

/date

/ask What is ChatMarkdown?

@ai{Translate to Chinese: Hello World}

The Agent detects file changes, executes commands, and writes results back into the file.

Commands

Basic

Date & Time

Markdown Templates

AI

Infrastructure

Tool Invocation (LiteStartup)

Trigger Methods

• Slash commands: /command input
• @ai{} inline: Please help me @ai{summarize this paragraph}
• @ai{} multi-line block:

  @ai{
  Translate the following:
  Hello World
  }
  

• Suffix signal: Summarize this for me; (enable in config)

Multi-Session Conversations

ChatMarkdown supports multiple independent conversation sessions. Each .md file maintains its own AI context:

• Default session — chat.md, for everyday Q&A
• Topic sessions — Create .md files under chat/, each file is an independent conversation

workspace/
├── chat.md              ← default conversation
└── chat/
    ├── project-plan.md  ← project planning
    ├── english-study.md ← English study
    └── _index.md        ← auto-maintained index (do not edit)

Each session's AI conversation history is saved independently and auto-restored on Agent restart. Use /list to see all sessions.

CLI Commands

chatmd init <path>             # Initialize workspace
chatmd start [-w <workspace>]  # Start Agent (foreground)
chatmd start --daemon          # Start Agent (background daemon)
chatmd stop [-w <workspace>]   # Stop Agent
chatmd restart [-w <workspace>]  # Restart Agent (stop + start daemon)
chatmd status [-w <workspace>] # Check Agent status
chatmd mode                    # View current trigger mode
chatmd mode suffix             # Switch to suffix mode (for auto-save editors)
chatmd mode save               # Switch to save mode (default, manual save)
chatmd service install         # Register as system service (auto-start on boot)
chatmd service uninstall       # Unregister system service
chatmd service status          # Check system service status
chatmd service start           # Start the installed service
chatmd service stop            # Stop the service (without uninstalling)
chatmd service restart         # Restart the service
chatmd config list             # List all configuration
chatmd config get <key>        # Get a single config value
chatmd config set <key> <value>  # Set a config value
chatmd config init             # Interactive configuration wizard
chatmd doctor                  # Diagnose environment / workspace / service / provider / git
chatmd upgrade [-w <workspace>] --full  # Ensure workspace structure is complete
chatmd --version               # Show version

Configuration

Workspace configuration files are in the .chatmd/ directory:

• agent.yaml — Agent behavior (triggers, AI provider, async tasks, etc.)
• user.yaml — User preferences (language, aliases, etc.)

AI Provider Configuration

ai:
  providers:
    - name: litestartup
      type: litestartup
      api_url: https://api.litestartup.com/client/v2/ai/chat
      api_key: ${LITEAGENT_API_KEY}  # use environment variable
      model: default
      timeout: 60

Custom Aliases

# user.yaml
aliases:
  en: "translate(English)"
  jp: "translate(Japanese)"
  zh: "translate(Chinese)"

Custom Skills

YAML Declarative

Create a YAML file in .chatmd/skills/:

# greet.yaml
name: greet
description: "Greet the user"
aliases: [hi, hello]
template: "Hello, {{input}}! Have a great day 🌞"

Python Custom

# .chatmd/skills/my_skill.py
from chatmd.skills.base import Skill, SkillContext, SkillResult

class EchoSkill(Skill):
    name = "echo"
    description = "Echo the input"
    category = "custom"

    def execute(self, input_text, args, context):
        return SkillResult(success=True, output=input_text)

Project Structure

src/chatmd/
├── cli.py                  # CLI entry point (Click)
├── commands/               # CLI subcommands
│   ├── init_workspace.py   # chatmd init
│   ├── agent_lifecycle.py  # start/stop/status
│   ├── mode.py             # chatmd mode suffix/save
│   └── upgrade.py          # chatmd upgrade
├── engine/                 # Core engine
│   ├── agent.py            # Agent orchestration
│   ├── parser.py           # Command parser
│   ├── router.py           # Deterministic router
│   ├── scheduler.py        # Task scheduler
│   ├── state.py            # Multi-session state
│   └── confirm.py          # Confirmation window
├── watcher/                # File monitoring
│   ├── file_watcher.py     # watchdog monitor
│   ├── suffix_trigger.py   # suffix signal
│   └── auto_upload.py      # Auto image upload
├── skills/                 # Skill system
│   ├── base.py             # Base class
│   ├── builtin.py          # Built-in Skills (date/time + Markdown templates)
│   ├── ai.py               # AI Skills (conversation + translation + writing)
│   ├── canvas.py           # Canvas mind map Skill
│   ├── upload.py           # Image upload Skill
│   ├── infra.py            # Infrastructure Skills
│   ├── loader.py           # YAML/Python loader
│   └── hot_reload.py       # Hot reload
├── providers/              # AI Provider
│   ├── base.py             # Abstract base class
│   ├── litestartup.py      # LiteStartup unified provider
│   ├── liteagent.py        # LiteAgent AI implementation
│   └── openai_compat.py    # OpenAI-compatible implementation
├── security/               # Security
│   └── kernel_gate.py      # KernelGate injection prevention
└── infra/                  # Infrastructure
    ├── config.py           # Configuration management
    ├── file_writer.py      # Atomic file writing
    ├── offline_queue.py    # Offline queue
    ├── git_sync.py         # Git sync
    └── index_manager.py    # Index maintenance

Development

To contribute or debug ChatMarkdown:

git clone https://github.com/litestartup-com/chatmd.git
cd chatmd
pip install -e ".[dev]"    # Install dev dependencies (includes test tools)

# Run tests
python -m pytest tests/ -v

# Lint
ruff check src/ tests/

Powered by LiteStartup

LiteStartup is an AI-powered micro SaaS platform that helps solo developers and small teams build, launch, and grow digital products. ChatMarkdown uses LiteStartup's unified AI API as its default provider — one API key, multiple AI models, no vendor lock-in.

👉 Get your free API key: litestartup.com

Contributing

We welcome contributions of all kinds!

• Bug reports — Open an issue
• Feature requests — Start a discussion
• Pull requests — Fork the repo, create a branch, add tests, and submit a PR

git clone https://github.com/litestartup-com/chatmd.git
cd chatmd
pip install -e ".[dev]"
python -m pytest tests/ -v

📧 Contact: chatmd@litestartup.com

Support & Community

If you find ChatMarkdown useful, please consider supporting the project:

• ⭐ Star this repo — It helps others discover ChatMarkdown
• 👀 Watch for updates — Stay notified of new releases
• 📢 Share with friends — Spread the word on Twitter, Reddit, or your favorite community
• 🐛 Report bugs — Every issue report makes ChatMarkdown better

License

MIT