Fancy talking to ChatGPT from your Linux desktop without opening a web browser?
Well, using Bavarder (if I’ve spelt it right) you can.
This new app is written in Python and GTK4/libadwaita and its premise is simple: ask ChatGPT something, receive a reply, then quickly copy the answer (or your question) to the clipboard ready to paste elsewhere.
As the user interface is incredibly straightforward you won’t need an AI (or a half-rate blogger) to understand it. You type your query in the top box, hit the blue send button, then wait for a generated reply to appear in the bottom. You can edit/amend your message to repeat the process.
At the time of testing, Bavarder uses BAI Chat, an GPT-3.5/ChatGPT API based chatbot that is free to use with no signups or API keys required. A recent update to the app adds support for alternative backends, such as ChatGPT 4 and Hugging Chat, though some of these require you to enter an API key.
There’s (currently) no option to regenerate a response (but you can just send the same question again to get, potentially, a different answer). As there’s no “conversation” view it’s hard to track a conversation or iterate and follow up on answers — but it’s great for quick-fire queries.
Naturally, the usual caveats about this kind of AI apply here. Replies may sound convincing but they could contain inaccurate or false information. It’s also quite easy to trick these models into illogical loops, such as convincing them that 2 + 2 = 106 — so keep your wits about you!
Other than that, Bavarder is a great looking app with a clear, well defined purpose. If you’re a fan of ChatGPT and generative AI this app is well worth checking out.
• Get Bavarder on Flathub