Local AI · Desktop engineering · Formerly AI Sandbox
Iroh
AI tools with explicit workspace boundaries.
A local-first coding assistant built with Rust, Tauri, and React, combining local and cloud models with source-aware retrieval, permission-gated tools, and workspace recovery.
- My role
- Product engineering
- Technology
- Tauri · Rust · React · Ollama · OpenAI / Anthropic APIs
- Project context
- Open-source desktop project
The problem
Coding assistants need access to project context and tools. That access must remain understandable, controlled, and recoverable when an action changes the workspace.
My contribution
Built the Rust backend and React desktop interface for model integration, workspace retrieval, document inspection, controlled tool execution, and persistent conversations.
Engineering decisions
Keep context traceable
Workspace-aware retrieval includes source citations, with PDF and image inspection available alongside code context.
Make permission boundaries explicit
Workspace access, file changes, commands, and browser tools pass through permission gates. Windows DPAPI protects provider credentials in the Rust backend.
Support recovery
Workspace snapshots and rollback provide a recovery path for changes. Model detection and hardware-aware configuration support local model setup.
What it demonstrates
A Windows desktop assistant combining local and explicitly configured cloud models, traceable workspace context, permission-gated tools, and recovery. Build and release verification uses GitHub Actions and Tauri packaging.