OpenBMB/MiniCPM-Desk-Pet

a local-first desktop pet powered by MiniCPM5

What it solves

MiniCPM-Desk-Pet provides a local-first desktop companion that allows users to interact with a small language model (SLM) directly on their desktop without relying on remote inference services. It also bridges the gap between autonomous coding agents and the user by providing visual and auditory notifications and summaries of agent activity.

How it works

The application runs a local instance of the MiniCPM model (specifically MiniCPM5-1B-GGUF by default) on macOS or Windows. It features a floating chat bubble for direct interaction and a system that scans for installed coding agents (like Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex). When these agents are active, the pet reacts to their state—such as thinking or working—and can narrate task completions or alert the user with animations and sounds when an agent is idling for input.

Who it’s for

It is designed for developers and AI enthusiasts who want a low-latency, private local AI companion and a more intuitive way to monitor the background activity of their coding agents.

Highlights

  • Local-first execution: Chat runs on the user's machine after the initial model download.
  • Agent integration: Reacts to coding activity from tools like Cursor and Claude Code.
  • Task narration: Summarizes AI agent actions in speech bubbles for quick catch-up.
  • Idle alerts: Uses bell animations and sounds to notify users when a coding agent is waiting.
  • Guided setup: Includes an automated onboarding process for environment checks and model downloads.
  • Persona support: Allows users to switch or import character adapters to change the pet's personality.

Related

  • Project
    bcurts/agentchattr

    agentchattr is a cross‑platform local chat server that lets you and multiple AI coding agents converse in real‑time. By @‑mentioning an agent in the web UI, the server injects a prompt into the agent’s terminal (via MCP), the agent reads the chat and replies automatically, enabling hands‑free coordination, multi‑agent workflows, jobs, rules, sessions, and a rich UI with channels, pins, decision cards, scheduling, voice typing, and more.

  • Project
    ntd4996/agentpet

    AgentPet is a cross‑platform desktop app that monitors the live state of AI coding agents and gamifies the experience with a tamagotchi‑style pet that levels up based on token usage and completed sessions. It works offline, supports many agents, offers per‑project dashboards, and provides optional web sync and leaderboards.

  • Project
    proma-ai/Proma

    Proma is an open‑source, cross‑platform desktop AI agent that combines chat, planning, project‑based memory, and embedded tools (browser, terminal, calendar, Obsidian‑style markdown editor). It supports parallel sub‑sessions, skill bundles, and remote connectors (Slack, WeChat, etc.). Installable via binaries for macOS, Windows, and Linux; the open‑source edition requires user‑provided LLM APIs, while a commercial edition adds hosted model access, team management, and extra services. Licensed under AGPL‑3.0 with optional commercial licensing.

  • Project
    ThinkInAIXYZ/deepchat

    An open-source, local-first AI agent desktop client that integrates multiple LLM providers, MCP/ACP protocols, and remote control capabilities for messaging apps.