Local-first desktop software for files, documents, developer workflows, research, and AI-assisted work.
Open source tools with no telemetry, no subscription layer, and optional local AI integration.
File tools | Document tools | Developer tools | AI infrastructure | Open research | Bioinformatics | Finance | Games & RPG | Civic tech
Note
Machine-Readable Context: For AI agents, LLM crawlers, and automated tools, a structured ecosystem directory is available at llms.txt.
Important
Local-First & Privacy First: All tools in the open-bricks family store data locally on your machine without cloud subscription requirements, telemetry tracking, or forced remote dependencies.
Public index verified: 2026-08-06. The linked ecosystem currently exposes 97 active public product or research repositories plus 10 active public .github profile repositories (107 active public repositories in total). The open-bricks organization itself hosts the .github profile and umbrella community-health repository; product code lives in the linked organizations below.
| Need | Go to | Best first repos |
|---|---|---|
| Manage local files, prompts, knowledge bases, RSS feeds, duplicate detection, and desktop utilities | file-bricks | ExplorerPro, ProFiler, promptboard, NoteSpaceLLM, RSS-BOOKSTORE |
| Work with mail, PDFs, OCR, literature, media libraries, invoices, Markdown, and LLM notes | doc-bricks | UniversalDocsGrabber, UniversalMailCleaner, LitZentrum, CleanMarkdown, llm-note |
| Build, inspect, package, document, and maintain local software or multi-agent setups | dev-bricks | DevCenter, CodeBox, apiprober, CareCenter-for-Codex, automizer-for-claude-desktop, WikiStub-Seed, safe-start-for-codex |
| Connect desktop software to LLM agents, MCP servers, local memory, and computer-use workflows | ellmos-ai | bach, agent-ops-stack, build-your-users-mind, ellmos-filecommander-mcp, ellmos-controlcenter-mcp, open-compute |
| Find specialist tools for research, bioinformatics, finance, games, and civic technology | research-line, biotec-line, assistassets-ai, entertain-and-more, um-bruch | functional-stability-theory, VFDistiller, FinancialProof, ChatAndChess, regressangst |
flowchart TD
subgraph Storage [Local Storage & Data Layer]
A[SQLite Databases]
B[Local Files & Markdown]
C[BibTeX / PDFs / Media]
end
subgraph Applications [Local-First Desktop & CLI Tools]
D[file-bricks<br/>ExplorerPro, ProFiler, promptboard, RSS-BOOKSTORE]
E[doc-bricks<br/>DocsGrabber, LitZentrum, CleanMarkdown, llm-note]
F[dev-bricks<br/>DevCenter, CodeBox, apiprober, WikiStub-Seed]
end
subgraph Infrastructure [LLM & Agent Infrastructure]
G[ellmos-ai<br/>bach, MCP Servers, agent-ops-stack, open-compute]
H[Ollama / Local LLMs / Claude & Gemini Workflows]
end
subgraph Science [Research & Specialized Domain Surfaces]
I[research-line & biotec-line<br/>FST, CRM, VFDistiller]
J[assistassets-ai & entertain-and-more<br/>FinancialProof, ChatAndChess, RPX]
K[um-bruch<br/>Civic Tech & Health Policy]
end
Storage --> Applications
Applications <--> Infrastructure
Applications --> Science
open-bricks is the umbrella profile for a family of small, practical, local-first tools. The shared product idea is simple:
- Your data stays on your machine.
- Desktop apps should still be useful without cloud accounts.
- AI should be an optional capability, not a forced dependency.
- Repositories should be inspectable by humans, GitHub search, and LLM agents.
Most software projects in the ecosystem use Python, PySide6 or web companions, SQLite, local file formats, and focused command-line or API surfaces. AI integrations usually connect through Ollama, Claude/Gemini-compatible workflows, or MCP servers from ellmos-ai.
| Organization | Active public repos | Public focus | High-signal examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| file-bricks | 14 | Local-first desktop apps for files, prompts, knowledge work, privacy, RSS, cloud-sync repair, packaging, and browser workflows | ExplorerPro, ProFiler, promptboard, ProfiPrompt, RSS-BOOKSTORE, CloudLockFixer |
| doc-bricks | 9 | Mail, document intake, PDF/OCR, literature management, media libraries, invoices, Markdown, and LLM notes | UniversalDocsGrabber, UniversalMailCleaner, UniversalInvoiceMail, CleanMarkdown, LitZentrum, llm-note |
| dev-bricks | 9 | Developer tools, editors, API discovery, automation helpers, documentation seeds, and startup gates | DevCenter, CodeBox, apiprober, CareCenter-for-Codex, automizer-for-claude-desktop, WikiStub-Seed, safe-start-for-codex |
| ellmos-ai | 49 | LLM operating systems, MCP servers, local agent memory, workflow automation, connectors, media tooling, computer-use modules, and portable agent utilities | bach, agent-ops-stack, build-your-users-mind, gardener, FileCommander MCP, ControlCenter MCP, ServerCommander MCP, open-compute, law-checker, task-master |
| research-line | 5 | Open research repositories, proof notes, reproducible scripts, and Zenodo-linked publication context | functional-stability-theory, crm-cosmology, rh-even-dominance, fst-nash, ai-elite-swr |
| biotec-line | 2 | Research-use bioinformatics and genetic variant tools | VFDistiller, genotype-to-vcf |
| assistassets-ai | 1 | Local-first financial analysis and no-advice assistant workflows | FinancialProof |
| entertain-and-more | 3 | Local games, tabletop RPG workflows, lightweight audio utilities, and creative tools with optional AI assistance | ChatAndChess, rpx, KlangpultLight |
| um-bruch | 5 | Public-interest prototypes, health-policy analysis, civic-tech research, and local-first civic tools | regressangst, verordnungsampel, multiaxial-diagnostic-system, locuterra, system-medicine |
| open-bricks | 0 (1 .github) | Umbrella profile and community-health defaults | .github |
Use these phrases when looking for the ecosystem in GitHub or web search:
open-bricks local-first desktop softwarefile-bricks PySide6 desktop toolsfile-bricks promptboard local-first prompt managerfile-bricks RSS-BOOKSTORE feed managementdoc-bricks CleanMarkdown local-first markdown viewerdoc-bricks MailProcessor email toolsdoc-bricks llm-note local-first notes for agentsdev-bricks CareCenter for Codex automation healthdev-bricks automizer for Claude Desktop scheduled tasksdev-bricks WikiStub Seed documentation generatordev-bricks safe-start-for-codex Windows startup gateellmos-ai MCP serversellmos-ai agent-ops-stack local agent operationsellmos-ai build-your-users-mind theory of mind agent memoryellmos-ai open-compute computer use agent loopellmos-ai law-checker automated compliance auditopen-bricks software suite GitHubUmbruch health policy civic tech GitHublocal-first AI desktop apps
Each tool has its own repository, README, tests, and contribution path. Open issues and pull requests in the specific project repository. Organization-level community files are provided through this .github repository.
open-bricks - open-source software for local work in the age of AI.
Built alongside ellmos-ai.