Powered by Gemma 4 · Runs locally · No cloud required

The AI that makes you
explain yourself
before you write a line of code.

Most AI tools write code for you. Synaptic asks why first. It watches your entire dev environment, builds a model of how you think, and stops you before you make the same mistake again.

Get started free View source
synaptic: local-first AI dev companion
# One command. Server + HUD. Everything local.
→ npm run launch

╔═══════════════════════════════════╗
║ SYNAPTIC v1.0 ║
║ local-first AI dev companion ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════╝

[Observer] Watching 2 paths
[Archivist] Ready to compress events
[Reasoner] Streaming with: gemma4:e4b
[Socratic] Session started for ownership.rs

HUD active. Cmd+Shift+S to toggle
The Socratic Gate

Before you write.
You explain.

When you open a code file, Synaptic reads your last few hours of activity, identifies what's most at stake in that file, and asks you one targeted question. Not a generic prompt. A question built from your actual history.


If your answer is vague, it asks a follow-up. If it's solid, you're free to code - and the session is logged. Over time, your explanations get sharper because the bar doesn't lower.


This is only possible because Gemma 4 runs locally, fast enough to generate a personalised question within a few seconds of a file save.

Before you code: ownership.rs
You've been writing JavaScript closures recently. Before you edit this Rust file: how are you thinking about values that need to be used in multiple places?
I'll pass references with & to borrow values instead of moving them, so the original owner keeps ownership and the borrow checker is happy...
Cmd+Enter to submit
✓ Solid. That's the right mental model.
Why Gemma 4

Not just an AI model.
The reason this product exists.

Every design decision in Synaptic is shaped by what gemma4:e4b makes possible.

01
Speed that makes real-time possible
Synaptic compresses every file save and terminal command into a structured memory on a 3-second batch cycle. A 27B model makes this backlog. At 4B, compression completes before the next event arrives. The pipeline stays live.
gemma4:e4b · 3s cycle
02
Vision that reads your errors
When you hit a terminal error, your shell history truncates it. Synaptic captures a screenshot and Gemma 4 reads the actual stack trace off your screen, capturing the full error text, line numbers, the exact constraint violated. A non-multimodal model can't do this.
gemma4:e4b · multimodal
03
Privacy that's architectural
Your code, your errors, your Socratic sessions. Nothing touches a remote server. Gemma 4 runs via Ollama. The SQLite database lives on your machine. This isn't a privacy setting. It's the only way the product works.
local · no API key required
The Pipeline

Ambient intelligence.
No prompting required.

Synaptic doesn't wait to be asked. It watches your environment continuously, compresses events into searchable memories, and surfaces the right context at the right moment, without you lifting a finger.


When you ask a question, the answer is grounded in your history - not the internet's code.

Files · Terminal · Shell
↓Observer (chokidar + history polling)
↓EventBus (decoupled, in-process)
↓ Compressor gemma4:e4b · every 3s
↓ Vision (on errors) gemma4:e4b · multimodal
↓ Embedder nomic-embed-text
↓ SQLite memory store local · yours
↓ Reasoner + Socratic engine gemma4:e4b
↓Dashboard · HUD Overlay
Features

Everything in the pipeline. Nothing in the cloud.

Persistent memory
Every session, every error, every resolution, stored in a local SQLite database and indexed for semantic search. Synaptic remembers what you did three weeks ago and surfaces it when you need it.
Socratic gate
Before you edit a file, Synaptic asks you to explain your intent. Gemma 4 evaluates the answer and either lets you through or asks a sharper follow-up targeting exactly what you glossed over.
Vision error pipeline
On terminal errors, Gemma 4 reads your actual screen via screenshot rather than the truncated shell history. Full stack traces, line numbers, exact constraints. Stored verbatim in memory.
Habit mismatch detection
When you're learning a new language, Synaptic detects patterns from your old language appearing in new-language files and warns you before you run the code. Proactive by design.
Four query modes
Translate (JS patterns → Rust), Explain (grounded in your history), Map Concept (to things you already know), Find Solution (have I solved this before?). All streaming, all personal.
Fully local
No API keys. No subscriptions. No telemetry. Gemma 4 runs via Ollama on your machine. Your code history never leaves. This isn't a setting. It's the architecture.
Demo

See the Socratic gate fire

Synaptic vs Copilot

Different tools. Different jobs.

Copilot writes code for you. Synaptic helps you become a better developer. They're not competing, but if you're learning a new language, there's no contest.

Synaptic GitHub Copilot
Memory Remembers your full history across every session No persistent memory. Each session starts from zero
Context Your entire environment: files, terminal, errors, app switches Only the currently open file
Privacy 100% local. Code never leaves your machine Code sent to Microsoft/GitHub servers
Cost Free. Gemma 4 runs locally via Ollama $10–$19/month
Language learning Built for it. Grounds explanations in your existing knowledge Generic suggestions regardless of background
Habit detection Warns when JS/Python patterns appear in Rust/Go files Not aware of language migration patterns
Stuck detection Detects spinning and surfaces help before you ask Only responds when invoked
Learning approach Socratic gate that asks you to explain before you code Autocompletes, which can create copy-paste dependency
Get Started

Up and running in 5 minutes

You need Node.js 20+ and Ollama. That's it.

Terminal bash
# 1. Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/cybort360/synaptic
cd synaptic && npm install

# 2. Pull the models (Ollama required)
ollama pull gemma4:e4b
ollama pull nomic-embed-text

# 3. Configure
cp synaptic.config.example.json synaptic.config.json
# Edit synaptic.config.json and add your watch paths

# 4. Launch
npm run launch

Stop copy-pasting code
you don't understand.

Synaptic is free, open-source, and runs entirely on your machine.
One command to start.

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