Locus | Ethan

Locus

Locus sits in the portfolio as experimental developer tooling, not the main public positioning anchor. It shows how I adapt an open-source desktop foundation into a clearer local-first workflow for repositories, provider configuration, packaging, and release-readiness exploration.

2026 — Present

An experimental local-first developer tooling workspace adapted from an open-source coding-agent foundation, focused on local repositories, provider setup, worktree onboarding, packaging, and release-readiness exploration.

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Overview

Locus explores a local-first Electron workspace for repository selection, worktree onboarding, terminal workflows, provider setup, and local SQLite state. The work is framed as an adaptation of an existing open-source coding-agent desktop foundation, with my contribution focused on local workflow boundaries, desktop UX, and release preparation.

Problem

Developer tooling that touches local repositories needs clear boundaries around files, credentials, provider settings, terminal actions, and release trust. The challenge was to make the adaptation useful for local development without implying ownership of the original agent architecture or hiding the limits of an unsigned experimental desktop build.

Role

Product and engineering contributor for the adaptation. My work focuses on local-first workflow adaptation, repository and worktree onboarding, provider configuration, runtime detection, settings UX, packaging, and release-readiness documentation.

Context and constraints

The project started from a fork, so useful upstream compatibility had to be preserved while hosted product surfaces were removed or isolated.

Agent execution needed to work against real local repositories without sending local project paths, chats, provider keys, or credentials through unnecessary hosted paths.

Provider setup, local runtime detection, terminal tooling, and git workflows had to coexist inside one desktop app without overclaiming the original agent layer.

Public source distribution and desktop installer distribution needed separate treatment because signing and notarization were not ready for broad public installer release.

What I built

A local-first product boundary with default local-only behavior, centralized hosted-service blocking, and clearer separation between user-owned providers and upstream hosted services.

Provider and runtime setup flows covering local detection, settings status, command discovery, and provider switching.

Repository-centered workflows with local project selection, chat sessions, worktree setup, terminal access, git diff/staging, and commit support.

Release and update surfaces that use GitHub Releases with user-confirmed checks/downloads instead of silent hosted update behavior.

Technical approach

Built on Electron, React, TypeScript, tRPC, Drizzle ORM, better-sqlite3, and electron-builder.

Kept desktop state local through SQLite and main-process storage boundaries, with renderer code using typed tRPC calls instead of direct credential handling.

Used OpenSpec proposals for larger product or security-sensitive changes so local-only, auth, updater, and command-guide work stayed reviewable.

Added packaging scripts, bundled runtime binaries, release manifest generation, and smoke checks to make internal test builds repeatable.

Outcomes

Adapted an open-source coding-agent desktop foundation into a local-first workspace for repositories, worktrees, terminal tools, provider setup, and SQLite state.

Made the privacy boundary explicit: hosted auth, upstream sandbox, telemetry, inbox, automations, and hosted updater paths are removed or guarded in the default build.

Shipped internal pre-release packaging work with clear unsigned-build labeling, manual GitHub Releases checks, and macOS/Windows release preparation.

Created a supporting portfolio case for desktop engineering, local workflow adaptation, runtime integration, and release operations.

Reflection

The important boundary is ownership. I do not present Locus as an original agent architecture; I present it as an experimental adaptation where the useful work is local-first product shaping, settings, runtime boundaries, packaging, and release communication.