A VS Code extension that brings local AI coding assistance to your editor using Ollama. Your code stays on your machine — no cloud API required.

Install

Install Ollama and start it
Pull a model:
```
ollama pull llama3
```
In VS Code, open Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X) and search for Rift AI Coding Assistant
Click Install

Or install from the command line:

code --install-extension TewodrosSeble.rift-ai-coding-assistant

Quick start

Open any code file in VS Code
Press Ctrl+Shift+P and type Rift AI
Try Rift AI: Ask Local AI or select code → right-click → Rift AI: Explain Selected Code
Click the Rift AI icon in the left activity bar (below Extensions) to open chat

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+R opens the Rift AI chat panel.

Don't see the icon? Reload VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window), then scroll the left activity bar — extension icons appear at the bottom. Right-click the activity bar and ensure Rift AI is checked. Or press Ctrl+Alt+R to open chat directly.

Features

Command	What it does
Ask Local AI	Ask any coding question
Explain Selected Code	Plain-language explanation in a side panel
Refactor Selected Code	Improve readability and structure in place
Generate Tests	Create unit tests for selected code
Fix Error	Fix code using a pasted error message
Add Comments	Add helpful comments to selected code
Convert Code	Convert selection to another language
Optimize Code	Performance improvements in place
Index Workspace (RAG)	Index your project for smarter context

Chat sidebar — ongoing conversation in the activity bar.

Workspace context — optionally includes open files, package.json, and README in prompts.

Settings

Open VS Code Settings and search for localAiCoder:

Setting	Default	Description
`localAiCoder.model`	`llama3:latest`	Ollama model for chat and code tasks
`localAiCoder.ollamaUrl`	`http://localhost:11434`	Ollama server URL
`localAiCoder.embeddingModel`	`nomic-embed-text`	Model for workspace indexing (RAG)
`localAiCoder.includeWorkspaceContext`	`true`	Include project context in prompts
`localAiCoder.inlineCompletionEnabled`	`false`	AI inline autocomplete (can be slow)

Recommended models

ollama pull llama3              # general coding
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b    # code-focused
ollama pull nomic-embed-text    # for RAG indexing (optional)

RAG (project-aware context)

For better answers about your codebase:

Run ollama pull nomic-embed-text
Ctrl+Shift+P → Local AI: Index Workspace (RAG)
Use Ask Local AI or the chat sidebar — relevant files are included automatically