A small web app that helps you run your own AI, on your own Mac.
That's the whole idea. ShellBuddy walks you through installing Ollama, picking a model that actually fits your machine, and learning just enough of the command line to drive it — then, if you want, building a simple agent. It's calm, it's free, and it's someone's side project rather than a product. Nothing to sign up for: open it and start.
you@mac ~ % ollama run qwen3.5:9b
>>> draft a polite note declining the meeting
✓ running on your Mac — offline, private, no bill.
Of course — here's something friendly you can send…
>>>▮
One journey, two parts
Short lessons — a little reading, a quick check, and hands-on steps. Finish one to unlock the next.
Part 1
Run your own AI
1 Why local AI — cloud vs. your own, honestly
2 Install Ollama — one free app, once
3 Pick your model — one that actually fits your Mac
4 Run it — plus the airplane-mode test that proves it's local
5 Terminal, just enough — the handful of commands you need
Payoff: a real AI model on your Mac — private, unlimited, free.
Part 2
Build a simple agent
6 Design your agent — figure out what would actually help you
7 Build it — a safe file-organizer that previews before it moves anything
Payoff: a working agent you built yourself — and understand line by line.
Built to make it click
>_ Practice with zero risk
A simulated terminal where you rehearse each command safely before running it for real. Just the handful you actually need — nothing executes on your machine here.
?! Companion decoder
Found a scary command on the internet? Paste it in. You get a piece-by-piece plain-English breakdown and a safety rating — before you run anything.
▤ Model Picker, built in
Tell it your Mac's chip and RAM and it picks a model that actually fits — then the lessons use that exact model in every command, so you're never guessing.
↻ Review that sticks
Every lesson seeds spaced-repetition cards that resurface right before you'd forget. XP and streaks keep you moving; the cards make it permanent.
Why local AI — and when not
We don't overhype. Local models are a different tool, not a free upgrade.
Local wins when you want
Privacy — your prompts and files never leave your Mac.
Cost — download once, run forever. No subscription meter.
Offline — works on a plane, in a dead spot, during an outage.
Understanding — you see how the pieces fit, which is the whole point here.
Cloud is still better when
You need frontier-level reasoning — small local models are noticeably less capable.
Your Mac has limited RAM — big models simply won't fit.
You want the latest capabilities the day they ship.
ShellBuddy teaches you both sides, so you can pick the right tool on purpose.
Start whenever you like
ShellBuddy is open — no invite, no account, no password. Just open it and begin.
Want to hear when new lessons land? Leave your email. That's the only thing on this whole site that asks for one, and it's optional.
Open ShellBuddy → Mac-focused (Ollama & Homebrew) — the concepts transfer to Linux and Windows.
🐢 A little side project — free, no account