Your AI Desktop Companion
Squig Assistant is a transparent overlay AI agent that lives on your desktop. It has real terminal access, web search, multi-backend AI support, and 15 fun characters with idle animations. Like Clippy — but it actually fixes your problems.
An AI Agent That Actually Does Things
Not just a chatbot — Squig Assistant runs real commands, searches the web, and manages your system. All from a transparent overlay that stays out of your way.
Real Terminal Access
Execute shell commands directly from the AI chat. Full stdout/stderr streaming, exit code tracking, and automatic error recovery. Commands run in your actual shell (fish, bash, zsh).
Web Search & Fetch
Search the web and read pages in real time. The AI can look up documentation, troubleshoot errors, and verify commands before running them — all within the conversation.
6 AI Backends
Connect to Anthropic, OpenAI, GitHub Copilot, Ollama, LM Studio, or your own Squig-Trainer fine-tuned models. Switch backends anytime from settings.
Safety Layer
Every command is analyzed before execution. Destructive operations are blocked, package installs require confirmation, and sudo is auto-replaced with pkexec for graphical authentication.
15 Fun Characters
Choose from 15 procedural ASCII art characters — Squig, Tux, Clippy, Ghosty, Robo, Catto, Wizzy, Octocat, Ferris, Puffy, Beastie, Gopher, Pytho, Dockery, and Kubey — each with unique idle animations.
Secure by Default
API keys are stored in your OS keyring (not plaintext config files). The overlay runs fully local — no telemetry, no cloud dependency, no data leaves your machine.
Command Feedback Loop
After running a command, the AI reads the full output and can automatically diagnose errors and retry with corrected commands — up to 6 rounds of autonomous problem-solving.
Transparent Overlay
The assistant floats as a semi-transparent, always-on-top overlay. Resize, reposition, and adjust opacity. Collapse it when you don't need it — it stays in the system tray.
Linux-Native
Built with PyQt6 for native Linux support. Wayland and X11 compatible. Detects your distro, shell, GPU, and package manager to give tailored system advice.
Pick Your Companion
Squig Assistant ships with 15 hand-crafted ASCII art characters, each rendered procedurally with PyQt6. Every character has unique idle animations — blinking, bouncing, and waving — to bring your desktop to life.
- Squig (default), Tux, Clippy, Ghosty, Robo, Catto, Wizzy
- Octocat, Ferris, Puffy, Beastie, Gopher, Pytho, Dockery, Kubey
- Each character has a unique color palette and animation style
- Switch characters instantly from the settings panel
Safe Terminal Execution
Every command is run through a multi-tier safety analyzer before execution. Dangerous commands are blocked, privileged operations require confirmation, and sudo is automatically replaced with pkexec for graphical password prompts.
- Three safety tiers: SAFE → auto-run, CONFIRM → user approval, BLOCKED → refused
- Auto sudo→pkexec replacement for graphical privilege elevation
- Destructive patterns (rm -rf, dd, mkfs) always blocked or require confirmation
- Package installs, service control, and firewall changes require approval
- Pipe-to-shell patterns (curl | bash) are always blocked
How It Works
Talk to Squig in plain English. It figures out what commands to run, executes them, reads the output, and keeps going until the job is done.
Ask
Describe what you need in plain language
Plan
Squig writes the commands and explains its plan
Execute
Commands run in your real shell with safety checks
Iterate
Reads output, fixes errors, retries — up to 6 rounds
Works With Your Favorite AI
Bring your own API keys or run fully offline with local models. Squig Assistant supports 6 backends out of the box.
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet / Opus / Haiku
OpenAI
GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, o3-mini
GitHub Copilot
GPT-4o, Claude via GitHub Models
Ollama
Llama, Mistral, Qwen, Phi
LM Studio
Any GGUF model
Squig Trainer
Your fine-tuned models
Technical Specifications
Linux (Arch, Ubuntu, Fedora)
Platform
Wayland & X11
Display
Python 3.11+ / PyQt6
Framework
fish, bash, zsh
Shell
6 AI providers
Backends
15 with animations
Characters
OS keyring for secrets
Security
MIT (Open Source)
License
Train Your Own Model. Use It in Squig Assistant.
Fine-tune a language model with Squig Trainer, export it, and use it as your personal AI backend in Squig Assistant. A fully local, private AI desktop experience — no cloud required.
Explore Squig Trainer →