314 lines
16 KiB
Markdown
314 lines
16 KiB
Markdown
<p align="center">
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<img src="assets/brand/searchi-app.png" alt="searchi app icon" width="96">
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</p>
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<h1 align="center">searchi</h1>
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<p align="center"><strong>Find what matters. Locally.</strong></p>
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<p align="center">Your documents, code, photos, music and movies. One place to search.</p>
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You remember what was in the file. searchi helps you find it—even when you
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don't remember what it was called.
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Search a filename, a phrase, or describe what you're looking for in your own
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words. See the relevant passage or media preview alongside your results,
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then open the file. Your files stay on your device.
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*One shortcut. One floating search bar. Results appear when you type.*
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*“cancel the supplier partnership” finds the agreement and brings its
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termination passage into view.*
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Press **Ctrl + Shift + Space** on Windows to bring up a floating search bar.
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Type to reveal results and a preview; clear the query to return to the compact bar.
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Escape or closing the window hides it while search stays ready. Use the tray
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icon beside the clock to open searchi or quit it.
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## Find it your way
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| What you remember | What to try |
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| --- | --- |
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| An application to open | `VS Code`, `vscode` or `Calculator` |
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| The file's name | `Supplier agreement.pdf` |
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| Words inside a document | `sixty days written notice` |
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| What a document is about | `cancel the supplier partnership` |
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| What a piece of code does | `retry failed requests with exponential backoff` |
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| An exact code symbol | `refreshAccessToken` |
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| A photo's subject | `mountains reflected in calm water` |
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| An artist or song title | `Nina Simone` or `Feeling Good`, if present in your music tags |
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| A scene or sound | Try `rain and thunder` or `a boat crossing a lake` in experimental media search |
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**Names, words and meaning work together.** Exact filenames help you get
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straight to a known file. Content search finds the words inside it. Google
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EmbeddingGemma 2 adds local semantic search for related meaning, images and
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sound.
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Use **All files** to narrow results by folder, file extension, modification
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date, file size or media duration. Choose a result to inspect it before opening.
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The current Windows app offers **Artist (exact)** and **Track title (exact)**
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filters for music. Enter the complete tag, with or without a text query. These
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filters ignore letter case and surrounding spaces; files without the matching
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music tag stay out of the results. Existing indexes need a media indexing pass
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before these filters can use their tags. They require Windows 0.1.5 or later.
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### Search spoken passages
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Windows 0.1.6 adds experimental local speech recognition for audio
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and video. Describe a spoken topic, inspect the recognized passage, and jump
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to its estimated position. Google EmbeddingGemma 2 remains the search model;
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the additional speech models help turn spoken words into searchable passages.
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For example, try `someone talking about equal rights` in a recording that
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contains that topic. Use the current Windows installer below, or the Linux
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headless 0.1.6 archive.
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### Find the implementation
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Choose **Code** in the **All files** filters to search source files. Look up a
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symbol you know, or describe the behavior you need. Local Google embeddings
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help connect your description to an implementation; the preview preserves code
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formatting and shows the source passage's starting line.
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Rust, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, C/C++, Go, Java, C#, Swift, SQL and many
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other source formats are supported, including named build files such as
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`Makefile` and `Dockerfile`. Add your project folder and let semantic indexing
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finish for meaning-based search. See [code search](docs/CODE-SEARCH.md) for
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details and agent integration.
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## A little less searching. A little more finding.
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Matching words stand out in the results and document preview. PDF results
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retain their page number; text results show the relevant passage. If you'd
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like an explanation, expand the small **Why this result?** detail.
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Light and dark themes follow your system preference. Keyboard navigation,
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short transitions and reduced-motion support keep the interface familiar
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and comfortable. In **Settings → Appearance**, choose a solid, glass or
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frosted-glass window background and adjust its opacity. Reading surfaces stay
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clear. Native glass currently requires **Windows 11 22H2 or later**. macOS,
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Linux, unsupported Windows versions and high-contrast mode currently use a
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solid background; your appearance preference is retained.
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*“mountains reflected in calm water” searches the pictures themselves,
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so a useful filename isn't required.*
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The screenshots show the current compact and expanded interface, rendered
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against the real local search engine; native glass depends on the operating system.
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Images open in the preview. Audio and video have playback controls, and
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matching media segments can jump to their approximate location. Nothing
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autoplays when you select a result.
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## Get searchi
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**Windows x64 version 0.1.8 is available.**
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- [Download the Windows installer](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.8/searchi_0.1.8_x64-setup.exe) — about 100 MB.
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- [Checksums](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.8/searchi_0.1.8_x64-setup.exe.sha256) · [Release notes](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/tag/v0.1.8).
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Already installed? Choose Quit from the tray before updating. Version 0.1.8
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adds the floating launcher, installed-application search and automatic background
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file discovery. Explicit media requests no longer fall back to unrelated media
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channels. It retains local speech search, exact artist/title filters, isolated
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PDF/DOCX processing and bounded media previews.
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The installer creates a launcher and sets up WebView2 if needed. This initial
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release is unsigned. A Linux desktop preview is also available; macOS source build instructions
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are available now. You can also let your local AI agent handle setup.
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**Ubuntu 24.04 x64 desktop preview 0.1.8:** [Download the Debian package](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.8/searchi_0.1.8_amd64.deb)
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and install with `sudo apt install ./searchi_0.1.8_amd64.deb`.
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[Checksum](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.8/searchi_0.1.8_amd64.deb.sha256).
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Packaged startup was tested on WSLg using CPU; native graphical interaction and other
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distributions still need testing. [Compatibility and evidence](docs/LINUX-DESKTOP.md).
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**Running a Linux server?** The optional
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[Linux x64 headless preview 0.1.6](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.7/searchi-headless_0.1.6_linux-x86_64.tar.xz)
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includes the CLI, read-only MCP server, Google runtime, media helpers and
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experimental local speech search. Follow the archive's `START-HERE.txt` to
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download recognition models and index spoken passages.
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It was tested on Ubuntu 24.04 and requires GLIBC 2.39 and a compatible C++
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runtime. [Checksum](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.7/searchi-headless_0.1.6_linux-x86_64.tar.xz.sha256)
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· [Headless setup](docs/LINUX-HEADLESS.md). No desktop dependencies are required.
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### Install with your agent — copy and paste
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Paste this into an agent that can run commands on your computer:
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```text
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Install searchi on this computer and get it ready for my first search.
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Official repository: https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi
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Detect my operating system and processor architecture. Use a suitable official
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release from the README or releases page: choose the newest compatible artifact
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for my platform, even if it is attached to an older release. Use the Windows
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installer, compatible Ubuntu desktop package or Linux headless archive. Check
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its documented system requirements and verify its published checksum. Otherwise,
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set up the current source version using the repository's installation/build
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instructions. Handle the required tools and dependencies for me; don't just
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give me a list of commands to run. Keep the installation in a dedicated folder
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and preserve any existing searchi settings and index.
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Use the public download URLs; no private Gitea token is needed. If Cloudflare
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returns HTTP 403 to a command-line downloader, use a browser download or retry
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the same official URL with User-Agent Mozilla/5.0, then verify the checksum.
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Install the desktop app by default. On headless Linux, install the command-line
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version instead, without desktop dependencies. Set up the genuine local Google
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EmbeddingGemma 2 runtime and model, and the media helpers available for my
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platform. Use supported hardware acceleration with CPU fallback. Explain any
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large downloads or platform limitations before proceeding with those steps.
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On desktop, launch searchi and verify that its window opens and its local search
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model is ready. Create a launcher or shortcut; on Windows, show me the tray icon
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and Ctrl + Shift + Space shortcut. On headless Linux, verify the CLI and its
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bundled workers instead, then provide a repeatable search command or MCP setup.
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On Windows, configure a per-user login launcher with --background so the global
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shortcut is ready after sign-in; keep the app accessible through its tray menu.
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If a prerequisite, platform component
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or permission prevents setup, explain precisely what is missing; don't report
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a working installation until it is verified. Ask for my help only when a
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password, system approval or other manual action is required.
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On desktop, let automatic local file discovery run in the background. Show me
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the floating search bar, an application search and the indexing setting. Keep
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search local and optional cloud summaries disabled. On headless Linux, ask which
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folder to prepare through the CLI. Finish with a filename search followed by
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a search in my own words. Do not claim every file is ready while indexing runs.
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```
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Your agent needs internet access and permission to install software locally.
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Windows x64 setup can use the published installer; Ubuntu 24.04 x64 can use the
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desktop preview, and compatible headless Linux
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systems can use the preview archive. Other platforms currently build from
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source. The local search model downloads approximately **865 MB**
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once. The current Windows speech feature automatically downloads about
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**149 MB** of additional local assets afterward. Cached assets are reused;
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filename and keyword search remain available while models prepare. Your agent should report any platform
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limitation it encounters.
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Prefer to set it up yourself? See the
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[build and launch instructions](docs/BUILDING.md).
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### Your first search
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Once searchi is running:
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1. Press **Ctrl + Shift + Space** on Windows. A compact search bar floats in
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the center of your screen; results and previews appear when you type.
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2. Try `VS Code` to find and launch an installed application. App search is
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available independently of file indexing and the local model download.
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3. searchi automatically discovers accessible local files in the background.
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System folders, caches, build outputs, common credential stores and its own
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data are excluded. Common
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personal folders are prepared first; a large collection takes longer.
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4. Search a filename or words you remember as files become available. The local
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Google model prepares in the background for searches by meaning. First setup
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downloads approximately **865 MB**; the smaller text model becomes usable
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before the larger media assets finish downloading.
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5. Select a result to inspect its passage or media preview, then press **Enter**
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to open it. Escape hides the launcher; the tray keeps it available.
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In **Settings**, you can turn automatic discovery off or add a specific folder,
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including a network folder. Existing indexed results remain searchable when
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automatic discovery is off; an already running scan may finish. Files are
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updated in the background, and **Reindex** checks a selected folder again.
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The desktop keeps the real Google query model warm for subsequent searches.
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searchi automatically chooses supported graphics acceleration when available
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and falls back to CPU when it cannot use it. You do not need a graphics
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development toolkit. Hardware and release validation are still in progress.
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## Private by design
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Desktop file discovery runs automatically across accessible local storage.
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You can change it in Settings. File contents, previews and ordinary search
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processing stay local; searches are not sent to a cloud AI service.
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If you enable optional AI answers, an explicit **Summarize** or **Ask** action
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sends the previewed document excerpt to the endpoint you choose. Ordinary
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searches continue to run locally.
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The model download happens during setup. Once it's ready, semantic inference
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runs on your device. The local search index contains information from your
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files, so protect it as you would the files themselves.
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## Documents and media
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| Files | Current support |
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| --- | --- |
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| Documents | PDF, DOCX, plain text, Markdown and source code |
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| Photos | JPEG, PNG, WebP and BMP |
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| Music and audio | MP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, OGG, Opus, AAC and AIFF |
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| Movies and video | MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WebM, M4V and MPEG |
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**Media search is experimental.** Image, audio and video search are implemented,
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but relevance still needs improvement. Music descriptions can produce broad
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matches; use exact artist/title filters when you know the tags. Video sampling
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can miss a brief scene. In speech search, recognized text can
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contain errors or miss words, and timestamps are estimates rather than verified
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word positions. When your files contain no suitable match, semantic search may
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still show the closest results; a returned result does not prove the requested
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content exists. Inspect the passage or preview before relying on it.
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Playback also depends on the formats your system supports; you can open a
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file in its usual player if the preview cannot play it.
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## Fast should feel fast
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Each search shows a compact result count and timing summary. Want to look
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closer? Enable **Performance details** in settings for a breakdown of where
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the time went. Copied timing reports exclude your search text and file paths.
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<details>
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<summary>See the optional performance view</summary>
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</details>
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## Your agent can search, too
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Connect a local AI agent to searchi's read-only **MCP server**. It can search
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your chosen index and return snippets, source locations and search timings
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using the same engine as the desktop. A reusable skill also helps agents use
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searchi through the command line. [Connect an agent](docs/AGENT-INTEGRATION.md).
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Your agent receives the returned excerpts; cloud agents handle them according
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to that client's configuration.
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On Windows x64, your agent can use the optional
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[CLI/MCP download](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.7/searchi-cli-windows-0.1.6.zip)
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with its [own checksum](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/releases/download/v0.1.7/searchi-cli-windows-0.1.6.zip.sha256).
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Extract the ZIP alongside the installed desktop runtime helpers; it includes
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the document extraction helper. No Rust build is needed. Install the desktop app first for the model setup and
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runtime helpers, then connect the CLI to that app's existing index.
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## Optional answers, your choice
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Want a short summary or an answer about a passage? Connect your preferred
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**OpenAI-compatible endpoint**, including a local model server. Preview exactly
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which excerpt will be sent, then choose **Summarize** or **Ask**. The feature is
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off by default; search works without it. [Set up optional answers](docs/AI-ANSWERS.md).
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## Help shape searchi
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Found a problem, or searched for something that should have been easy to find?
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[Report it or suggest an improvement](https://tea.karlcom.de/karl/searchi/issues).
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Describe what you expected and what happened; use made-up examples if your
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files contain private information.
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For contributors: [building searchi and the headless Linux CLI](docs/BUILDING.md)
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· [roadmap](docs/ROADMAP.md) · [search-quality evaluation](docs/MEDIA-QUALITY.md).
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The screenshots show the current interface searching real example files with
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the local Google model. They are isolated software-test browser captures;
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operating-system integration and native glass are not shown. [Photo credits](fixtures/media/README.md).
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Made by Karl. Open source under the [MIT license](LICENSE).
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