niri-ai-sidebar/README.md

AI Sidebar for Ignis

A sleek AI chat sidebar that integrates with your Ignis desktop, sliding in from the left side with Ollama AI integration.

Features

• Slide-in Animation: Smoothly slides in from the left side (opposite of QuickCenter)
• Ollama Integration: Chat with local AI models via Ollama
• Conversation Persistence: Your conversations are automatically saved and restored
• Material Design 3: Matches your existing Ignis theme perfectly
• Keyboard Toggle: Bind a key to toggle the sidebar visibility

How to Use

Open/Close the Sidebar

You can toggle the sidebar using:

1. Python/Script: Call window_manager.toggle_window("AISidebar")
2. Keyboard Shortcut: Add a binding in your window manager config

Setting up a Keyboard Shortcut

For Niri, add this to your ~/.config/niri/config.kdl:

binds {
    // ... your other bindings

    // Toggle AI Sidebar with Super+G (or any key you prefer)
    Mod+G { spawn "ignis" "run" "ignis.window_manager.WindowManager.get_default().toggle_window('AISidebar')"; }
}

For Hyprland, add this to your ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf:

# Toggle AI Sidebar with Super+G
bind = SUPER, G, exec, ignis run "ignis.window_manager.WindowManager.get_default().toggle_window('AISidebar')"

For Sway, add this to your ~/.config/sway/config:

# Toggle AI Sidebar with Super+G
bindsym $mod+G exec ignis run "ignis.window_manager.WindowManager.get_default().toggle_window('AISidebar')"

Requirements

• Ignis desktop environment
• Python 3.10+
• Ollama with at least one model installed
• ollama Python package: pip install ollama

Configuration

The sidebar will automatically:

• Detect your default Ollama model
• Store conversations in ~/.config/ignis/modules/aisidebar/data/conversations/
• Apply your current Ignis theme colors

Customization

Change Width

Edit aisidebar.py line 19:

self.content_box.width_request = 400  # Change to desired width

Change Animation Speed

Edit aisidebar.py line 24:

transition_duration=300,  # Change to desired milliseconds

Custom CSS Styling

Edit ~/.config/ignis/styles/aisidebar.scss to customize:

• Colors (uses Material Design 3 color tokens)
• Border radius
• Padding/margins
• Message bubble styling

Troubleshooting

Sidebar doesn't appear:

• Restart Ignis: ignis reload
• Check Ollama is running: curl http://127.0.0.1:11434/api/tags
• Check console for errors: ignis

No AI responses:

• Ensure Ollama is running
• Ensure ollama Python package is installed in Ignis's Python environment
• Check that you have at least one model: ollama list

CSS not applying:

• Restart Ignis: ignis reload
• Check SCSS compilation: Look for errors in Ignis console output

Architecture

~/.config/ignis/modules/aisidebar/
├── __init__.py              # Module exports
├── aisidebar.py             # Main RevealerWindow class
├── chat_widget.py           # Chat UI widget
├── ollama_client.py         # Ollama API wrapper
├── conversation_manager.py  # Conversation persistence
└── data/
    └── conversations/       # Saved conversations (auto-created)

Visual Design

The AI Sidebar follows the same visual language as QuickCenter:

• Material Design 3 color system
• 20px border radius on container
• Surface elevation with shadows
• Smooth slide-in transitions
• Translucent overlay backdrop

Clicking outside the sidebar will close it (same as QuickCenter behavior).