Glossa

By Ario Barin Ostovary

Overview

Glossa lets ChatGPT work on a project on your computer. Start Glossa in a project folder and ChatGPT can search and read your code, look at images, make careful edits, and, if you allow it, run your tests, builds, Git, and other commands with the tools you already have installed. You pick the access for each folder when you start it: - Read-only: ChatGPT can list, search, and read files and view PNG, JPEG, and WebP images. - Workspace (the default): ChatGPT can also create, edit, move, and delete files inside that folder. Edits check the file's current version first, so your own changes aren't silently overwritten. - System: ChatGPT can also run commands. Commands run as your computer account, with its environment, credentials, files, and network access. They aren't sandboxed or limited to the project folder, so turn this on only for an account and machine you're comfortable giving that access. How it works: the Glossa CLI on your computer connects out to the Glossa relay, so nothing on your machine accepts incoming connections. The relay passes requests to your computer and doesn't store your file contents, command arguments, or command output. Glossa blocks recognizable passwords, API keys, and tokens in file text, edits, and command output before they leave your computer. Images are passed through as they are. Glossa doesn't add another AI model or agent. ChatGPT does the work, and your plan's usage limits and available features still apply. Don't use Glossa with payment card data, health records, government ID numbers, or account credentials. To get started, install the CLI with npm install -g @ariobarin/glossa, run glossa in your project folder, and pair your computer when it asks.

Tools

cancel_command

ChatGPT

Stops a running command and its process tree. Returns final status.

delete_path

ChatGPT

Deletes a file or directory. Non-empty directories require recursive: true; the workspace root is protected.

edit_file

ChatGPT

Applies exact, non-overlapping text replacements to one file. Each oldText must match once. Returns the new SHA-256 and a bounded diff.

get_command

ChatGPT

Returns a command's status and bounded stdout/stderr. Supports waiting for completion or output changes.

get_logout_instructions

ChatGPT

Returns sign-out and account-switching steps for Glossa.

list_files

ChatGPT

Lists files and directories, with optional recursion and cursor pagination. Skips links and, during recursion, common dependency and version-control directories.

list_workspaces

ChatGPT

Lists online workspaces with their IDs, labels, and access permissions.

make_directory

ChatGPT

Creates a directory. recursive also creates missing parents.

move_path

ChatGPT

Moves or renames a file or directory within the workspace. The destination must be unused.

read_command_output

ChatGPT

Reads up to 64 KiB of retained stdout or stderr. Each stream retains its first 1 MiB; completed records expire after five minutes or earlier eviction.

read_file

ChatGPT

Reads a complete UTF-8 file up to 1 MiB and returns its contents and SHA-256. Credential-bearing text is blocked. read_file_range returns sections within the same file-size limit.

read_file_range

ChatGPT

Reads complete lines from a UTF-8 file up to 1 MiB, returning at most 64 KiB per call. Includes nextLine and the full-file SHA-256. A single line over 64 KiB is rejected.

run_command

ChatGPT

Runs a command from the workspace directory. Returns status and up to 12 KiB of stdout/stderr; longer commands return a handle for status and output retrieval.

search_text

ChatGPT

Searches UTF-8 files up to 1 MiB each using literal text or JavaScript regex, with extension and glob filters. Skips links and common dependency/version-control directories. Returns matching lines and scan counts; truncation and skipped files indicate incomplete coverage.

view_image

ChatGPT

Reads a PNG, JPEG, or WebP image up to 4 MiB. Returns the image, MIME type, byte length, and SHA-256. If the image isn't shown to you, say so instead of reading the file another way.