Private memory that stays yours — with a thin Direction strip for people and promises.
Local-first macOS app for people who capture everything and then can’t find it, and who still need continuity with real humans and open promises — without pasting sensitive life into a cloud chat.
| Platform | macOS 15+, Apple Silicon recommended |
| Stack | Swift 6.0+ tools · SwiftPM · standalone repo |
| Data | On this Mac (~/Library/Application Support/CAMAssistant/) |
| Models | Optional local server (LM Studio / Ollama). Find works offline. |
| License | MIT |
Landing page: https://deesatzed.github.io/CAM_Assistant/
(local: docs/landing/index.html; deploy workflow: .github/workflows/pages.yml)
Save once → Find with sources → Keep only what matters
↑
Direction on Home
(people · promises · Talk)
| Place | Job |
|---|---|
| Home | Direction strip · Save Clipboard · Find / Ask · Keep / Discard |
| Library | Browse, search, hide/restore, open citations, kept answers |
| Settings | Watched folders · Local AI · Backup & Restore · Advanced (endpoints / hotkeys) |
Sheets always have Done and Escape. Library detail has Close.
Illustrated product loops (same language as the live app; open the app for the real UI):
| Flow | Preview |
|---|---|
| Save → Find → Keep |  |
| Direction |  |
| Library |  |
| Private by default |  |
Full narrative + comparison table: docs/landing/index.html
| If you feel… | CAM Assistant gives you… |
|---|---|
| “I capture everything and lose it” | Save once → Library → Ask without inventing a taxonomy |
| “I won’t paste this into ChatGPT” | Local vault; no silent cloud on capture / find / Keep |
| “Vendor memory doesn’t feel like mine” | Inspectable people, promises, keeps on disk |
| “I drift between urgency and what matters” | Direction strip always on Home — light, not a life-coach app |
| “Notes apps make me the librarian” | Progressive disclosure; hashes under technical details only |
| Cloud chat | Notes / second brain | CAM Assistant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Conversation | Organization craft | Memory trust + light continuity |
| Default privacy | Cloud history | Local or sync | Local-first; offline find |
| Grounding | Fluency | Manual links | Citations into Library; admit if none |
| Keep discipline | Chat log grows | Everything stays | Ephemeral until Keep |
| People & promises | Prompt residue | Separate tools | Direction strip on Home |
| Stance | Engagement | PKM | Partner — not servant / companion bot |
| Escape | Infinite tabs | Plugin maze | Done / Esc / Close on every trap we found |
Not trying to be: ZoomIt, a coding agent babysitter, enterprise knowledge graph, or a romantic AI.
git clone https://github.com/deesatzed/CAM_Assistant.git
cd CAM_Assistant
swift build
swift test
swift run CAMAssistantRequirements: Xcode command-line tools (or full Xcode; package swift-tools-version: 6.0). Network once to resolve the pinned MeaningCore package (opt-in specialist pilot; not required for ordinary Home/Library/Settings use).
Optional: run a local OpenAI-compatible server, then Settings → Local AI → Check Again.
| Document | Role |
|---|---|
GOAL.md |
Sequenced Phase 1 + Phase 2 |
GOAL_BAREBONES.md |
N4 memory inbox gates |
GOAL_DIRECTION.md |
N3 Direction gates |
| Pattern A positioning | Needs lock |
Historical / specialist (not ordinary nav): GOAL_FINISH_WIKI.md, GOAL_ADD2CAM.md.
Status (2026-08-09): Pattern A controlling goals complete under machine evidence plus explicit owner waiver of human Gates 7 and D6 — see docs/evidence/HUMAN_GATE_WAIVER_2026-08-09.md. Still not App Store / notarized production by default.
/bin/zsh scripts/verify.sh barebones-packaged
/bin/zsh scripts/verify.sh portability
/bin/zsh scripts/package-app.sh # local unsigned bundleFor a plain-language, check-off human test covering the complete ordinary app,
Local AI, Direction, watched folders, restart, and backup/restore, begin with
docs/pilots/NOVICE_TEST_START_HERE.md.
It includes fixed synthetic test data, expected results, safety stop rules, a
reusable problem report, and a final results page.
Sources/CAMAssistantApp/ # SwiftUI shell (Home, Library, Settings, Direction)
Sources/CAMAssistantCore/ # Vault, ingest, retrieval, Direction, modules
Sources/CAMAssistantCLI/ # CLI
Tests/ · scripts/ · Modules/
docs/landing/ # Product landing page + GIF assets
docs/plans/ · docs/evidence/
Package.swift
Primary branch: main. Remote: https://github.com/deesatzed/CAM_Assistant
Read AGENTS.md, then goals → STANDARDS.md → IMPLEMENT.md → DECISIONS.md → PROGRESS.md → TASK_QUEUE.md.
swift test --filter DirectionProfileStoreTests
swift run CAMAssistant- Capture, Library, exact find, Keep, and backup remain useful without a network model.
- No silent cloud provider on ordinary Ask / Talk paths.
- Direction Talk is cite-or-admit for Library claims.
- Controlling Pattern A gates are complete under recorded waiver; this is not a notarized App Store release claim.
MIT — LICENSE. Attributions — THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.