Alchemist Coder gives your coding conversations one searchable home. Your first step can be as small as finding an earlier decision from Claude Code or Codex. Reading and searching history is free and needs no model or account.
1. Install Community 1.3.9
Choose the installer for your computer. These links go to the public GitHub release.
- Mac: Apple Silicon (M-series) or Intel. Check Apple menu → About This Mac if unsure. Open the DMG and drag the app to Applications.
- Windows: download the installer and follow its setup steps.
- Linux x86-64: AppImage or .deb for Debian/Ubuntu. For AppImage, allow executing the file in its properties, then open it.
The first launch may show a security warning
These builds are not notarized by Apple or signed by Microsoft. Only proceed if you intended to install this release and trust its source. On macOS, dismiss the warning, then open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. On Windows, SmartScreen may offer More info → Run anyway.
Read the release notes and compare your downloaded file with SHA256SUMS. On macOS use shasum -a 256 <file>; on Linux, sha256sum <file>; on Windows PowerShell, Get-FileHash <file> -Algorithm SHA256. Matching hashes check file integrity; they do not replace platform signing.
2. Find one earlier decision
No history found? The app reads existing local conversations from Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and Grok Build. A new computer may have none. Cloud-only chats are not imported. You can open a project folder now and return after using a supported CLI.
- Open Alchemist Coder. The welcome screen shows the conversations it has found on this computer. Give the first scan time to finish.
- Open a recent project, then History mode or the search box. Search for a file name, error message or phrase you remember.
- Open the matching conversation and read the answer and its agent tree. You do not need to install a model, sign in or start an agent to do this.
3. Run a local agent when you need one
Running a new agent is a separate step. Community uses Claude Code or Codex with a local model served by Ollama or LM Studio. The welcome screen shows which CLI and local provider are ready, and offers installation steps for missing CLIs. Local model downloads need disk space and enough memory for the model you choose.
Follow the local-model setup guide. Start with a small task in a project you can test, review the changes, and approve tool permissions when you understand what they do.
Keep the conversation you found
You can export a conversation to Markdown, HTML or JSON. For an ongoing copy of Claude Code and Codex history, enable the optional versioned backup in Settings and choose its destination. It cannot recover files that were already deleted before the backup.
Questions
Do I need to pay or join the Pro waitlist?
No. Download Community and search existing local history without an account or payment. Running agents with cloud providers belongs to Pro, whose purchases are not enabled yet.
Does searching history use tokens?
No. History search reads a local index. Running an agent is a different action and uses the model you choose.
What if I get stuck?
Reopen the welcome screen from Help → Welcome. For a bug, use GitHub Issues with your operating system, app version and reproduction steps. Remove API keys, private code and personal details from logs or screenshots before sharing them.
More guides
Checked on November 5, 2026 against the public v1.3.9 source.