Developer preview · macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon
The local-first AI coding assistant for macOS
Chat with your repository, review every edit as a diff, and approve every command that matters. Bring any OpenAI-compatible model, including local ones.
Damaian_0.38.0_aarch64.dmg
Download v0.38.0
Signed and notarized. Drag Damaian.app into Applications and launch it.
git clone https://github.com/damijanc/damaian.git
Build steps and the CLI are covered in the development guide.
I'll add a test next to the existing parser tests. Here's the change:
use acme_api::config::parse;
- // TODO: cover empty input
+ #[test]
+ fn empty_file_yields_defaults() {
+ let cfg = parse("").unwrap();
+ assert_eq!(cfg, Config::default());
+ }
Command needs approval
cargo test --test config_parser
What is Damaian?
A desktop assistant that works on a Git repository on your machine. It reads your code to answer questions, proposes changes you can inspect, and never acts behind your back.
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Chat with your codebase
Streamed answers about your repository. Each turn lists the files it read, and any file it mentions opens in your editor in one click.
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Diff before every edit
Changes come back as a preview. Apply or reject per file or per hunk. File hashes are checked, so it never overwrites work you changed after the preview.
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Rewind a whole turn
Every turn leaves a checkpoint of the files it changed and your place in the conversation. A wrong direction is one Rewind away.
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You approve the terminal
Read-only commands like git status run on their own. Anything that writes, installs or reaches the network waits for you, with the full command shown.
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Project rules
AGENTS.md files are read as scoped repository instructions, including nested ones for subdirectories.
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MCP servers
Connect local (stdio) or remote (HTTP) Model Context Protocol servers, each with its own approval settings.
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Any OpenAI-compatible model
Bring your own provider, from OpenAI to a local model running in Ollama.
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Search and export sessions
Search every session in a folder and export a conversation as Markdown, with secrets redacted and counted at the top.
Up and running in three steps
- 01Open a project
Select + beside Projects and pick a local Git repository.
- 02Add your model
Open Settings (⌘ ,), add your provider and store the API key in the Keychain.
- 03Ask or change
Ask about the code, or request a change like “add a test for the config parser” and review the diff.
Built for control
Damaian runs locally against your own checkout. Your model key lives in the macOS Keychain, and credentials it detects are redacted from context, command output, diffs and exports.
Consent screens show the full command or change. Nothing is pre-selected toward approval, and anything that outlives the turn, like “always allow”, sits behind an extra click.
Read the security policy →- Keychain
- API key storage
- Per hunk
- Apply or reject
- 1 click
- Rewind a turn
- No Node
- runtime needed to run it
Requirements
- macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer, Apple Silicon
- Git installed and on your
PATH - An API key for an OpenAI-compatible provider, or a local one such as Ollama
FAQ
What is Damaian?
A desktop AI coding assistant for macOS. You point it at a local Git repository, ask questions, and request changes. Every change is shown as a diff before it touches a file.
Which models can I use?
Any provider with an OpenAI-compatible API. That includes OpenAI itself and local providers such as Ollama. You add the provider in Settings.
Where is my API key stored?
In the macOS Keychain. Detected credentials are also redacted from model context, command output and diffs.
Can it run commands on my machine?
Only read-only commands run without asking. Anything that writes, installs or uses the network waits for your approval in the conversation. You can approve once or allow a command for the project.
Does it replace Git?
No. Checkpoints let you rewind a turn during a session, but they are session recovery, not version control. Keep committing as usual.
What do I need to run it?
macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer on Apple Silicon, Git on your PATH, and an API key for an OpenAI-compatible provider. No Node.js runtime is needed.
Is it stable?
It's a developer preview. Releases are signed, notarized and update themselves, but features, configuration and stored data may change between releases.
Try the developer preview
It updates itself from GitHub Releases, so you only install it once.