lazyllama 0.2.0

A lightweight TUI client for Ollama with markdown support and smart scrolling.
lazyllama-0.2.0 is not a library.

🦙 LazyLlama

LazyLlama is a lightweight, fast Terminal User Interface (TUI) client for Ollama. It is designed for running local AI models with minimal overhead and intuitive, Emacs-inspired controls directly in your terminal.

✨ Features

  • Real-time Streaming: Responses are generated live, providing immediate feedback.
  • Markdown Support: Automatic formatting for headers, lists, and bold text.
  • Code Highlighting: Syntax blocks are visually separated with custom borders and background colors.
  • Smart Scrolling: * AUTOSCROLL: Automatically follows the AI output.
    • MANUAL SCROLL: Locks the view (🔒) when you use PageUp/Down, allowing you to read previous messages undisturbed.
  • Model Management: Easily switch between installed Ollama models using arrow keys with separate input/output buffers per model.
  • Smart Buffer Management: Each LLM maintains its own chat history, input text, and scroll position.
  • Automatic Logging: Every chat session is automatically saved as a text file in ~/.local/share/lazyllama/ (both combined and per-model histories).
  • Performance: Built with Rust and Ratatui for ultra-low latency and minimal resource footprint.

🚀 Installation

Prerequisites

  • Rust (Stable)
  • Ollama (must be running in the background)

Build from Source

  1. Clone the repository:
   git clone https://github.com/Pommersche92/lazyllama.git

   cd lazyllama
  1. Install it system-wide:
cargo install --path .

⌨️ Controls

Key Action
Enter Send message / Re-activate Autoscroll
C-q Quit application safely
C-c Clear chat history
C-s Manually toggle Autoscroll
↑ / ↓ Switch between AI Models (loads separate buffers per model)
PgUp / PgDn Scroll history (activates Manual Mode)

🛠 Project Structure

The project follows a modular design for easy maintainability:

  • main.rs: Entry point and terminal event handling.
  • app.rs: State management and Ollama API integration.
  • ui.rs: Rendering logic and Markdown parsing.
  • utils.rs: File system operations and session logging.

📖 Documentation

You can generate the full technical documentation locally:

cargo doc --no-deps --open

📄 License

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0-or-later. See the LICENSE file for details.

📝 Changelog

v0.2.0 - February 2026

  • 🎯 Per-Model Buffer Management: Each LLM now maintains separate input buffers, chat histories, and scroll positions
  • 🔄 Smart Model Switching: Arrow keys now seamlessly switch between models while preserving individual states
  • 💾 Enhanced Logging: Separate history files are saved for each model on application exit
  • 🎨 Improved UI: Model list shows buffer status indicators and current model highlighting
  • 🪟 Windows Compatibility: Fixed double character input issue on Windows by filtering key event types
  • 📖 Translated Documentation: Documentation in source code AI-translated from german to english
    • Please report any gramatical errors, AI weirdness and/or other inaccuracies in the github issues.

v0.1.0 - Initial Release

  • Basic TUI interface for Ollama
  • Real-time streaming responses
  • Markdown and code highlighting
  • Smart scrolling with autoscroll/manual modes
  • Model selection and automatic logging

Developed with ❤️ in the black forest.