Chat On Steroids

Chat On Steroids (CoS) is an open-source desktop workspace, published on GitHub under the totec448-spec account, that lets ChatGPT work on local projects. It exposes local tools through MCP and uses a browser companion extension to drive the ChatGPT conversation. The latest listed release is v2.1.35, and the README describes the project as an independent beta that is not affiliated with OpenAI.

What It Is

CoS is a local-first app for Windows, macOS and Linux that gives a ChatGPT conversation access to your files, terminals and desktop. ChatGPT can read and edit files, run tests, keep terminals open and use the desktop, and tool results are shown as they arrive. It works through your ChatGPT conversation rather than invoking Codex directly.

Workers and long-running tasks

Independent jobs can be split across workers, whose results return to the main session. Workers keep their context, so later tasks can continue where they stopped. For long tasks, you can send a correction while work is running. Goal follows unfinished work, and Loop keeps working within your brief. Compact & Resume carries session and worker history into a fresh chat.

Setup path

Settings → Setup walks through seven steps. You load the companion extension in Chrome, Edge or Brave, share a folder and choose what ChatGPT may do in it, then create a tunnel and a restricted API key at OpenAI. Finally you add the app in ChatGPT as a custom MCP server. This requires a ChatGPT account or workspace that can create custom MCP apps. The interface supports multiple languages, including English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese and Chinese.

Tradeoffs to know

Windows builds are not publisher-signed, and macOS builds are unsigned and unnotarized. Linux needs a Secret Service keyring. Shell commands run with your normal user privileges. The README says CoS also automates the ChatGPT browser UI and records conversation content locally, that this is not a public ChatGPT automation API, and that it is not meant to bypass usage limits or safety controls. Users are told to review provider rules and use it at their own risk.