Your AI agent, reachable from Telegram, Discord, Slack, LINE, or WhatsApp — not just a terminal window.
Mint is a local-first AI assistant that runs on your own machine and follows you wherever you already are: message it from Telegram, Discord, Slack, LINE, or WhatsApp like you'd message a person, no desktop window required. It's also a native desktop app with a Live2D companion, and a full terminal agent for coding tasks — all backed by the same Tauri v2 + Rust + React/TypeScript core, so chat, memory, knowledge, tools, and safety policies behave identically no matter which door you walk in through.
See Release Notes for what's new.
Mint is a local-first AI assistant running on your machine, capable of handling tasks from a messaging app, the desktop application, or the terminal interface (CLI):
- Message it like a person from Telegram, Discord (Gateway + RPC), Slack, LINE, WhatsApp, Signal, and Email (Gmail) — no desktop window required. Each bridge locks to whoever messages it first, and all of them share one continuous memory/conversation with the terminal CLI.
- Runs unattended 24/7 on a VPS via
mint gateway start/install— a systemd service with aGET /api/gateway/healthendpoint. See Running Mint 24/7 on a VPS.
- An interactive anime avatar (Shiroko) on your desktop with gaze tracking, expression/accessory toggles, and interaction zones (Head, Cheek, Hands, Body) that trigger animations and message toasts.
- Connect to Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Ollama (Local), Hugging Face, and OpenAI-compatible custom endpoints — system instructions, temperature control, voice replies, and multimodal image analysis.
- Run code-agent loops via
/code <task>ormint code agent "<task>": scan the workspace, plan multi-file changes, edit, run tests/shell commands, and verify before finishing. - Delegate focused sub-tasks to specialized subagents (
dispatch_subagent), optionally isolated in a per-session Docker container (sandboxBackend: "docker").
Important
Safety First: Risky actions and file writes require your explicit approval first.
- Persistent conversation memory (SQLite), a searchable local knowledge base, and semantic code search.
- After solving a hard, reusable problem, the agent can write its own skill (
.agents/skills/) — and genuinely refine an existing one instead of duplicating it, the next time a similar task recurs. - Install ready-made skills too, from a local file/folder or straight from a GitHub repo/URL —
mint skills add <source>(or/skill add <source>in chat). See Skills below.
mint cronruns agent tasks on a schedule with no OS-level daemon — rides along on whatever's already open, ormint gateway startfor always-on.- Link a folder (e.g. "Food") and chat that touches its topic gets a short, cross-referenced note written into it automatically.
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for Search, Filesystem, GitHub, and more, plus local plugins for Spotify, Google Calendar, Gmail, and Notion — manage all of it interactively with
mint plugins. - Dedicated Image Search tool and an Auto GitHub Link Resolver that injects a linked repo's metadata/README as context automatically.
- Capture screen snapshots for instant visual analysis, or run real-time continuous overlay translation of a screen region.
- Generate images from chat or terminal using DALL-E 3, Stability AI, Ideogram, Replicate (Flux), and Google NanoBanana — aspect ratio, negative prompts, and automatic local storage.
- Drives a dedicated, isolated Chromium instance (port
9222): open URLs, click, type, and extract page content — the agent registers these tools automatically once it detects the automation browser is running.
- Connect FableMint — a free, open-source browser video editor — as an MCP server, and Mint can cut, grade, caption, chroma-key, and export edits from plain chat, with the open editor tab live-reloading as it works:
See FableMint's README for the full tool list.
mint mcp add fablemint node --args "<path-to>/FableMint/mcp-server.js" mint mcp allow fablemint "*"
- Connect Project Avatar — a free, open-source 3D VRM avatar that reacts live to what the agent is doing — with
/avatarin chat (ormint avatarfrom the CLI):/avatar # pick Web or Desktop, get your share link / token /avatar status # check connection, selected model, viewer count /avatar off # disable - The agent reacts as it works — typing/searching while a tool runs, celebrating on a finished image/video — and can call
avatar_signaldirectly for anything a tool call can't express, like a greeting, a joke, or an apology. - Web viewing just works — picking Web opens
app.projectavatar.io/?token=..., a page the Project Avatar team already hosts for free. No install, no clone, nothing to build; any browser works. - Desktop viewing needs Project Avatar's own desktop app, built separately from their repo — it isn't bundled with Mint. Its first-run screen generates its own token; paste the one
/avatargave you into its "Paste existing token" field instead so it joins Mint's channel rather than its own.
Before you can build or run Mint locally, make sure you have the following system tools installed:
| Tool | Description | Required For |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js & npm | JavaScript runtime and package manager | Frontend UI (React, Vite, TypeScript) |
| Rust Toolchain | Rust compiler (rustc) and package manager (cargo) |
Shared domain logic, CLI, and Tauri backend |
| System Dependencies | Native OS libraries (compiler tools, dbus, webkit) | Compiling window GUI, Webview rendering, and OS utilities |
Install the required C compilers, WebKitGTK, and system libraries for your specific Linux distribution:
Debian / Ubuntu / Linux Mint:
sudo apt-get install -y \
build-essential curl file pkg-config wget \
libdbus-1-dev libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev \
libayatana-appindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev \
libasound2-dev \
poppler-utils unzip patchelfFedora / RHEL / CentOS:
sudo dnf groupinstall -y "Development Tools"
sudo dnf install -y \
webkit2gtk4.1-devel openssl-devel curl wget glibc-devel \
dbus-devel libayatana-appindicator-devel librsvg2-devel \
alsa-lib-devel \
poppler-utils unzip patchelfArch Linux:
sudo pacman -Syu --needed \
base-devel webkit2gtk-4.1 openssl curl wget \
dbus libayatana-appindicator librsvg \
alsa-lib \
poppler unzip patchelfNote
ALSA development headers (libasound2-dev/alsa-lib-devel/alsa-lib) are required to build cpal, used for native microphone capture in the desktop app's voice input feature.
Tip
Other Platforms: If you are developing on macOS or Windows, follow the official Tauri Prerequisites Guide to set up your build environment.
The easiest way to install Mint CLI is using our installation script:
For macOS & Linux:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Pheem49/Mint/main/install.sh | bashFor Windows (PowerShell):
powershell -Command "iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Pheem49/Mint/main/install.ps1 | iex"mint onboard
mint setup
mint
mint web
mint chat "Hello"
mint imagine "A futuristic mint-colored robot" --aspect 16:9Most integrations can be configured from:
mint onboard
mint setup
mintCopy the template and configure your LLM credentials (Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.):
cp .env.example .envOpen the .env file and insert your API keys (e.g. GEMINI_API_KEY=your_key_here).
Install the dependencies and start the application in development mode:
npm install
npm run tauri:devTo compile and build a production standalone desktop package:
npm run tauri:build(The Vite renderer output is generated in out/renderer and can be manually built via npm run build:web)
Pick one way to get the global mint command:
- Release build (recommended — fastest to run):
cargo build --release -p mint-cli sudo cp target/release/mint /usr/local/bin/
- Cargo install:
(make sure
cargo install --path crates/mint-cli
~/.cargo/binis on your shell's$PATH) - Dev alias — recompiles on every run, so code changes apply instantly; best while actively editing Mint itself:
echo 'alias mint="cargo run --manifest-path $(pwd)/Cargo.toml -p mint-cli --"' >> ~/.bashrc # or ~/.zshrc source ~/.bashrc # or ~/.zshrc
No alias set up? Everything below still works via npm run cli -- <command> in place of mint <command>.
Prebuilt downloads from the Releases page — the
desktop .dmg / .exe and the standalone mint-cli_* binaries — are not yet code-signed,
so macOS Gatekeeper and Windows SmartScreen flag them on first launch. The warnings are
expected and safe to dismiss. Installing with install.sh / install.ps1 / npm builds from
source and avoids all of this.
macOS — Gatekeeper blocks unsigned, un-notarized builds until you clear the quarantine flag:
# Desktop app
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Mint.app
# Standalone CLI binary — use the file you actually downloaded
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ./mint-cli_macos_arm64 && chmod +x ./mint-cli_macos_arm64For the app you can instead right-click Mint.app → Open → Open in the dialog (once).
Windows — SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC":
- Click More info.
- Click Run anyway.
This appears once per new version until the builds are signed.
| Desktop Assistant | Settings |
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The desktop app adds Spotlight, a system tray widget, and a background task-queue window on top of everything in "What Mint Can Do" above. The sidebar, Live2D interaction state, and area-guide visibility persist locally, so the dashboard restores its previous state after a restart.
You can interact with Mint's Rust backend directly using the command line —
install the mint shortcut in Installation above, or fall
back to npm run cli -- <command> in its place.
To start the interactive terminal AI chatbot assistant, simply run:
mint
# Or fallback: npm run cliThis opens the Mint interactive shell, where you can type prompts naturally or use /commands (like /help, /cd, /clear, /exit).
You can run individual subcommands by appending them after mint:
mint onboard
mint setup
mint plugins
mint status
mint web
mint api
mint auto
mint chat "<message>"| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
mint |
Start the interactive terminal chat assistant |
mint onboard |
Configure Mint for first use |
mint setup |
Interactively manage enabled agent tools |
mint plugins |
Centralized interactive management for built-in ecosystem plugins & skills |
mint web |
Launch the web UI and local API server |
mint api |
Start only the local API server |
mint gateway start |
Run headless: bridges + cron, no TUI — for VPS/systemd use |
mint gateway start --api-port <N> |
Same, plus the local API/WebUI on port <N> |
mint gateway install [--system] [--now] [--memory-max <size>] |
Register mint gateway start as a systemd unit |
mint auto |
Launch the GUI browser automation isolated port |
mint status |
Show runtime status |
mint config init |
Create the local configuration file |
mint config path |
Print the configuration file path |
mint config show |
Print the current configuration |
mint config set <key> <value> |
Update a configuration value |
mint config doctor |
Validate the local setup |
mint providers |
List configured AI providers |
mint chat "<message>" |
Send one chat message |
mint imagine "<prompt>" |
Generate an image from a text prompt |
mint memory recent |
Show recent conversation memory |
mint task list |
List all tasks (pending and completed) |
mint task pending |
List pending tasks |
mint knowledge add <path> |
Index a local document |
mint knowledge search "<query>" |
Search indexed knowledge |
mint plugin list |
List local plugins |
mint mcp list |
List configured MCP servers |
mint learn <path> |
Import a persistent learned skill file |
mint skills add <path|github-repo|url> |
Install a skill — local path, or a GitHub repo/URL via npx skills |
mint skills list |
List all skills Mint can see (global, workspace, taught) |
mint update --check |
Check for an available update |
Mint includes native workspace tools for code inspection, planning, editing, and execution:
mint code agent "inspect this repo and fix the failing tests"
mint code github-overview "Pheem49/Mint"
mint code summary .
mint code search "shell approval flow" .
mint symbols .
mint semantic-code index .
mint semantic-code search "provider fallback"Inside interactive mode, use:
/code <task>
Code-related fixes, workspace inspection, and test requests are routed into the code-agent loop automatically. Shell commands and file edits require explicit terminal approval before Mint applies them.
mint files find README
mint safety path README.md
mint safety shell cargo test -p mint-core
mint run --approve -- cargo test -p mint-core
mint open README.md
mint open-app code
mint learn ./skill.mdReusable instruction sets the agent loads into context. Besides the ones Mint writes for itself after a hard task, you can install skills from a local file/folder, or straight from a GitHub repo/URL — resolved via the community npx skills CLI, so any skill written for Claude Code, Cursor, or the many other agents it supports works with Mint too, no conversion needed:
# Local file or folder — goes to Mint's global config (~/.config/mint/mint-skills)
mint skills add ./my-skill.md
mint skills add ~/Documents/my-skill-folder
# GitHub repo shorthand, or a full GitHub/GitLab/git URL — lands in
# ./.agents/skills/ of the current project, picked up automatically
mint skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills
mint skills add https://github.com/owner/repo
# Multi-skill repo? Extra flags forward straight to `npx skills` —
# install just the one you want instead of the whole repo
mint skills add vercel-labs/skills --skill find-skills
# See every skill Mint can currently see (global / workspace / self-written)
mint skills listThe same two operations work in interactive chat: /skill add <source> and /skill (or /skill list). Browse skills.sh — an open directory for this same ecosystem — for ready-made skills; every listing's owner/repo installs with the command above as-is.
The GitHub/URL path needs Node.js (npx) on your machine; local file/folder installs don't need anything extra.
Centralized interactive management for built-in plugins (Spotify, Discord RPC, Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, YouTube Music, Vercel, GitHub):
mint plugins- Interactive Terminal Checklist: Toggle plugins on or off directly using terminal spacebar navigation.
- Credential Prompts: Automatically prompts for missing OAuth Client IDs, Client Secrets, or API Tokens.
- PKCE OAuth & REST Polling: Starts OAuth authorization flows and polls local REST endpoints (
http://localhost:3000/api/oauth/*) for seamless Single Sign-On across CLI, Desktop UI, and Web UI.
Add a local MCP server and call one of its tools:
mint mcp add filesystem npx \
--args -y \
--args @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem \
--args .
mint mcp list # `[disabled]` marks turned-off servers
mint mcp allow filesystem "*" # let the agent call every tool
mint mcp call filesystem list_directory \
--arguments '{"path":"."}'| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
mint mcp add <name> <cmd> [--args … --env K=V …] |
Add a server |
mint mcp edit <name> [--command] [--args …] [--env K=V …] [--icon|--no-icon] |
Change one or more fields in place |
mint mcp disable <name> / mint mcp enable <name> |
Turn a server off/on without removing it |
mint mcp allow <server> <tool> / mint mcp disallow <server> <tool> |
Grant/revoke a tool (* = all) |
mint mcp reauth <server> |
Re-run a server's OAuth login |
mint mcp remove <name> / mint mcp clear |
Remove one / all servers |
The same operations are available interactively with /mcp (an arrow-key
picker with an "+ Add" row and a per-server action menu) and from the
Desktop/Web Settings → Plugins → MCP Servers panel, including the per-server
tool allowlist.
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/help |
Show interactive help |
/fast [on|off] |
Toggle fast response mode |
/models [name] |
List or select a model |
/image-provider [name] |
List or select default image generation provider |
/clear or /reset |
Clear the active conversation |
/cd <path> |
Change workspace directory |
/image <path> [prompt] |
Send an image with an optional prompt |
/paste [prompt] |
Use an image from the clipboard |
/learn <path> |
Import a local skill |
/skill [list] |
List all skills Mint can see (global, workspace, taught) |
/skill add <path|github-repo|url> |
Install a skill — local path, or a GitHub repo/URL via npx skills |
/plugins |
Browse plugins — enable/disable, OAuth connect/disconnect, credentials |
/plugin enable|disable <name> |
Toggle a native plugin for the agent |
/memory list |
List stored memories |
/memory clear |
Clear stored memories |
/memory get <key> |
Read one memory value |
/memory set <key> <value> |
Store one memory value |
/mcp [subcmd] |
Manage MCP servers — add, edit, enable/disable, allow/disallow, reauth, remove |
/stats |
Show session statistics |
/code <task> |
Start a code-agent task |
/avatar [web|desktop|status|off] |
Connect agent activity to Project Avatar |
/exit or /quit |
Leave interactive mode |
By default, messaging bridges and cron only run while something's actually
attached — the interactive terminal, the desktop app, or mint web/mint api. Gateway mode is a real headless mode built for unattended
deployment: no TUI, no desktop window, just the bridges and the cron
scheduler running in the background, installable as a systemd service that
survives reboots.
mint gateway startcalls the exact samestart_channels()/start_cron_scheduler()the interactive app uses — it just never launches the terminal UI, so it needs no TTY and can run under systemd with no login session attached.- Every bridge loop auto-restarts on error or panic (5s backoff), so a bad payload from one platform can't silently and permanently kill that bridge.
- All bridges (Telegram, Discord, Slack, LINE, WhatsApp, Signal, Email) share one continuous memory thread with the terminal CLI, not a siloed one per platform.
GET /api/gateway/healthreports each bridge's enabled state, last success, last error, and consecutive-failure count as JSON — check it remotely instead of SSHing in to readjournalctl.
# 1. Install Mint (Linux, needs Node/npm + Rust — the installer offers to set both up)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Pheem49/Mint/main/install.sh | bash
# 2. Configure a provider + the bridge(s) you want (Telegram, Signal, Email, ...)
mint onboard
# 3. Test in the foreground first — fix any config errors here before installing as a service
mint gateway start
# Ctrl+C once you see your bridge(s) come up "Active" and a test message gets a reply
# 4. Install as a systemd service and start it now
mint gateway install --now --api-port 3000 --memory-max 512M
# 5. Per-user units (the default) only run while you're logged in —
# this keeps it running after you log out / reboot with no session at all
sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)"| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
mint gateway start |
Run bridges + cron in the foreground, headless (no TUI) |
mint gateway start --api-port <N> |
Same, plus the local API/WebUI on port <N> |
mint gateway install |
Write + enable a per-user systemd unit (~/.config/systemd/user/, no root) |
mint gateway install --system |
Same, but system-wide (/etc/systemd/system/, needs sudo) |
mint gateway install --now |
Also start the service immediately after installing it |
mint gateway install --memory-max <size> |
Cap the service's memory (systemd size syntax, e.g. 512M, 1G) — unset by default |
Once installed, mint gateway install has already written and enabled the
unit — day-to-day you drive it with plain systemctl (drop --user and use
sudo for a --system unit):
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Start it now | systemctl --user start mint.service |
| Stop it now | systemctl --user stop mint.service |
| Restart it | systemctl --user restart mint.service |
| Is it running? | systemctl --user status mint.service |
| Follow logs | journalctl --user -u mint.service -f |
| Start on boot | systemctl --user enable mint.service (install already did this) |
| Don't start on boot | systemctl --user disable mint.service |
| Uninstall | systemctl --user disable --now mint.service, then delete ~/.config/systemd/user/mint.service |
start/stop control it right now; enable/disable control whether it
comes up on boot — the two are independent. Per-user units also need
sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)" once to keep running with no login
session (see the VPS quick start above).
Don't expose the API/WebUI port to the public internet — reach it over an SSH tunnel or Tailscale instead:
ssh -L 3000:localhost:3000 you@your-vps
curl http://localhost:3000/api/gateway/healthFor an extra layer beyond the tunnel itself, set a shared secret so every API request needs it:
mint config set apiAuthToken "$(openssl rand -hex 32)"Once set, every request (except the browser's CORS preflight) needs
Authorization: Bearer <token> or gets 401 Unauthorized. Leave it unset to
keep the previous open-on-localhost behavior (desktop app / mint web don't
need to change anything).
- Signal has no official bot API, so Mint talks to a self-hosted
signal-cli-rest-apiinstance instead (you link the number yourself first). Config:enableSignalBridge,signalApiUrl,signalNumber. - Email reuses the same Gmail OAuth connection as the
gmailplugin — setgmailClientId/gmailClientSecret, runmint gmail authonce to get a refresh token, then enable it. Both are offered directly inmint onboardunder "Messaging Bridges".
Note
LINE and WhatsApp are webhook-based (the provider pushes to you), which
means they need a real public HTTPS URL — a reverse proxy (Caddy/nginx) +
TLS cert in front of the VPS. Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and Email
all connect outbound instead, so they need nothing public at all. See
docs/WEBHOOK_FORWARDING.md before exposing
a webhook listener.
Mint stores its local configuration in the platform config directory:
| Platform | Typical path |
|---|---|
| Linux | ~/.config/mint/mint-config.json |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/mint/mint-config.json |
| Windows | %APPDATA%\mint\mint-config.json |
Create and inspect the configuration:
npm run cli -- config init
npm run cli -- config path
npm run cli -- config show
npm run cli -- config doctorConfiguration covers provider credentials, model preferences, browser context, voice and TTS, proactive suggestions, headless tasks, updates, workflows, MCP servers, and optional integrations such as Calendar, Gmail, Notion, Telegram, Discord, Slack, LINE, WhatsApp, Google Search, and Brave Search.
Mint drives Ollama through native /api/chat tool calling when the model family
is known to support it (Llama 3.1+/4, Qwen2+/3/QwQ, Mistral/Mixtral, Gemma 4,
Granite 3–4, Command-R/A, Hermes 3, gpt-oss, DeepSeek V3, Phi-4-mini, and others
— see OLLAMA_NATIVE_TOOL_MODEL_PREFIXES in
crates/mint-core/src/system/config.rs). Anything else falls back to a less
reliable prompt-based JSON mode and warns once per run.
Check a specific model with ollama show <model> (look for tools under
Capabilities) or browse ollama.com/search?c=tools.
Force the JSON fallback regardless of model with "forceJsonPromptMode": true in
the config.
The optional browser smart-context helper can provide active-tab context from:
http://127.0.0.1:3212/context
Chromium automation uses the local debugging endpoint:
http://127.0.0.1:9222/json/list
LINE and WhatsApp webhook listeners bind to localhost by default. Read
docs/WEBHOOK_FORWARDING.md before exposing them
through a TLS tunnel.
Mint keeps high-risk behavior behind explicit policy checks:
- Shell commands are evaluated before execution, then run inside an OS-level
sandbox by default (bubblewrap on Linux, Seatbelt on macOS —
sandboxMode). Subagents can additionally be isolated in a per-session Docker container (sandboxBackend: "docker"). - Code edits and update installation require approval.
- Sensitive directories such as
.ssh,.gnupg, and Mint's own config directory are protected by default. - Sensitive filenames such as
.envand private key files are blocked from routine workspace access. - LINE and WhatsApp webhook services listen locally unless you intentionally forward them.
- Every messaging bridge (Telegram, Discord, Slack, LINE, WhatsApp, Signal,
Email) locks itself to a single owner: the first sender it ever hears from
is claimed as that owner, and every other sender is silently ignored from
then on. To hand a bridge to a different sender, clear its stored owner id
(e.g.
mint config set telegramOwnerChatId "") before they message it. - The local API server (
mint api,mint web,mint gateway start --api-port) is open by default, matching the assumption that it's only reached from localhost or your own desktop/web frontend. If you expose the port on a VPS, setapiAuthToken(mint config set apiAuthToken "<secret>") to require every request to carryAuthorization: Bearer <token>— and still prefer an SSH tunnel or Tailscale over opening the port publicly regardless. See Running Mint 24/7 on a VPS.
Review the generated command or edit preview before approving an action.
Useful validation commands:
npm run build:web
cargo test -p mint-core -p mint-cli -p mint-desktop
cargo check -p mint-desktop
npm run tauri:build -- --debug --no-bundlecrates/mint-core Shared Rust domain logic
crates/mint-cli Native Rust CLI
src-tauri Tauri desktop backend and IPC commands
src/renderer React and TypeScript webview UI
docs Project documentation
out/renderer Generated Vite renderer output
Mint's historical Electron desktop runtime and Node CLI have been removed. The
active application is the native Tauri v2 and Rust implementation documented
above. See TAURI_MIGRATION.md for compatibility notes.
We welcome contributions from the community! Whether you want to fix a bug, add a new provider, or build a new integration, please check out our CONTRIBUTING.md guide for setup instructions, project architecture details, and our roadmap.
Mint is licensed under the AGPL-3.0-only license.




