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FAQ en
Quick answers to common questions about ALICE.
ALICE is an AI-powered command-line assistant that combines conversational AI with real-world tools. Think of it as GitHub Copilot CLI, but with more capabilities.
- Answer questions about your codebase
- Read and search files
- Execute system commands
- Get Git repository information
- Provide coding assistance
- And more through the Tool System
ALICE itself is open source and free. However, you need an LLM backend:
- Free: Use LM Studio with local models
- Paid: Use OpenAI API (pay per use)
Any OpenAI-compatible API:
- OpenAI (GPT-3.5, GPT-4)
- LM Studio (local models)
- Ollama
- Any custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint
See the Installation Guide for detailed instructions.
Quick install:
npm install -g alice-cli~/.alice/settings.jsonc
Platform-specific paths:
- Windows:
C:\Users\<username>\.alice\settings.jsonc - macOS:
/Users/<username>/.alice/settings.jsonc - Linux:
/home/<username>/.alice/settings.jsonc
Delete the config file:
# macOS/Linux
rm ~/.alice/settings.jsonc
# Windows
del %USERPROFILE%\.alice\settings.jsoncALICE will recreate it with defaults on next run.
aliceOr from source:
npm run devPress Ctrl+C or Ctrl+D
Yes, use the --no-banner flag:
alice --no-bannerType /clear or press Ctrl+L
Yes! Use ↑ and ↓ arrows to navigate history.
Yes, within the current session. Conversation history is lost when you exit.
Session persistence is planned for future releases.
Tools are functions that let ALICE interact with your system:
- Read files
- Search directories
- Execute commands
- Get Git info
- And more
ALICE shows real-time status:
[🔧 readFile] Reading package.json...
[✅ readFile] Success (1024 bytes)
Not yet. All builtin tools are always enabled.
Tool configuration is planned for future releases.
Not yet. Plugin system is planned for v0.3.0.
Commands that can cause data loss or system changes:
- File deletion (
rm -rf) - Disk formatting
- System shutdown
- etc.
Learn about dangerous commands →
Edit ~/.alice/settings.jsonc:
Depends on your LLM backend:
- LM Studio: No API key needed ✅
- OpenAI API: Yes, required ❌
- Ollama: No API key needed ✅
In ~/.alice/settings.jsonc:
{
"llm": {
"apiKey": "sk-your-key-here"
}
}Or use environment variable:
{
"llm": {
"apiKey": "$OPENAI_API_KEY"
}
}Learn about secure API key management →
Edit ~/.alice/settings.jsonc:
{
"llm": {
"model": "gpt-4"
}
}Restart ALICE for changes to take effect.
Yes, but you need to edit the config and restart ALICE each time.
Multi-model switching is planned for future releases.
Possible reasons:
- Large model - Try a smaller model
- High temperature - Lower to 0.3-0.5
- Network latency - Check your connection
- LM Studio performance - Local models vary in speed
Yes:
- Use smaller models (e.g., GPT-3.5 instead of GPT-4)
- Lower
maxTokensin config - Lower
temperaturefor more focused responses - Use local LM Studio for no network latency
Causes:
- LM Studio not running
- Wrong baseURL in config
- Network issues
Solutions:
- Start LM Studio
- Verify baseURL:
http://localhost:1234/v1 - Check if port 1234 is accessible
See full troubleshooting guide →
Causes:
- Wrong API key
- Environment variable not set
- API key has expired
Solutions:
- Verify API key is correct
- Check environment variable:
echo $OPENAI_API_KEY - Generate new API key from OpenAI dashboard
Causes:
- Model not loaded in LM Studio
- Typo in model name
- Model not available in your plan
Solutions:
- Load model in LM Studio
- Check model name spelling
- Use "auto" to let LM Studio choose
Causes:
- File not found
- Permission denied
- Invalid parameters
Solutions:
- Check file paths are correct
- Verify you have necessary permissions
- Look at error message for details
Try:
- Press Ctrl+C to interrupt
- Restart ALICE
- Check LLM backend is running
- Check terminal for error messages
Causes:
- Terminal doesn't support Unicode
- ANSI escape codes not working
Solutions:
- Use a modern terminal (Windows Terminal, iTerm2, etc.)
- Update terminal settings
- Try different terminal emulator
Yes! Responses stream in real-time by default.
Not yet. Currently ALICE can only:
- ✅ Read files
- ✅ Search files
- ✅ List directories
- ❌ Write/edit files (planned)
No, ALICE is command-line only. That's the point! 😊
Not recommended. ALICE is designed for interactive use.
For automation, consider using the LLM API directly.
Partially:
- ✅ Local tools work offline
- ❌ LLM requires network (unless using local LM Studio)
No. ALICE is focused on local development tasks.
Web search may be added in future versions.
Yes! ALICE is open source: https://github.com/AndersHsueh/Alice
git clone https://github.com/AndersHsueh/Alice.git
cd Alice
npm install
npm run build
npm run devFile an issue on GitHub: https://github.com/AndersHsueh/Alice/issues
Same place - GitHub Issues with "feature request" label.
See the GitHub Issues and Projects.
| Feature | ALICE | Copilot CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | ✅ | ❌ |
| Local LLM Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| Tool System | ✅ (7 tools) | ✅ (limited) |
| Streaming | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cost | Free* | Paid |
*Free with local LLM, paid with OpenAI
| Feature | ALICE | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| CLI Interface | ✅ | ❌ |
| System Integration | ✅ | ❌ |
| File Access | ✅ | ❌ |
| Command Execution | ✅ | ❌ |
| Web Access | ❌ | ✅ |
| Voice | ❌ | ✅ |
Approximately:
- Base: ~50-100 MB
- With LLM: Depends on model (local models: 2-8 GB)
No. ALICE is lightweight. The LLM backend (if local) may use resources.
Technically yes, but:
- ✅ ALICE itself works fine
- ❌ Local LLMs require powerful hardware
- ✅ Use cloud LLM API instead
Only if you use cloud-based LLMs (OpenAI, etc.).
With local LM Studio, everything stays on your machine.
Yes, if using local LLM. Be cautious with cloud LLMs - check your company's policies.
None. ALICE doesn't have analytics or telemetry.
ALICE only accesses files when:
- The LLM decides to use a tool
- You can see which tool is being called
- You can cancel with Ctrl+C
For dangerous operations, confirmation is required (unless disabled).
- Check the documentation: Home
- Search GitHub Issues: https://github.com/AndersHsueh/Alice/issues
- Ask on GitHub Discussions: https://github.com/AndersHsueh/Alice/discussions
- File a new issue: https://github.com/AndersHsueh/Alice/issues/new
Not finding what you need? Let us know and we'll add it to the FAQ!
{ "dangerous_cmd": false }