🐱 CATAI Linux – pixel-art desktop cats with optional local AI (Ollama)

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:cat_face: CATAI Linux – pixel-art desktop cats with optional local AI (Ollama)

Hi all,

I’ve been working on a small project called CATAI Linux, and I’d love to get some feedback from the Fedora community. I worked from my Fedora 43 so it has been tested only on Fedora 43 :slight_smile:

:backhand_index_pointing_right: It’s basically:

  • pixel-art cats walking on your desktop (still on a window currently…)
  • that you can interact with
  • and optionally chat with using local LLMs via Ollama

GitHub:

:light_bulb: How this started

I originally came across a similar project on macOS (CATAI), and really liked the idea.

But since it’s built with macOS-specific APIs, it doesn’t work on Linux — and I couldn’t find an equivalent that worked well on Fedora.

So I decided to try building a Linux version myself, keeping it lightweight and simple, and adding optional local AI support along the way.

:clapper_board: Demo

CATAI demo

:play_button: Full video: catai/assets/demo.mp4 at main · gnutux95/catai · GitHub

:rocket: Quick test

git clone https://github.com/gnutux95/catai.git
cd catai
python3 catai.py

(Optional AI chat with Ollama if installed)

:gear: Current state

  • works on Fedora (tested)
  • single-file Python app
  • X11 works best (Wayland fallback exists but limited)
  • still experimental

:handshake: Looking for

  • feedback (useful / fun / pointless?)
  • testers (especially Wayland setups)
  • contributors if anyone wants to improve it

:hammer_and_wrench: Possible improvements

  • better Wayland support ( got a transparency if only… but doesn’t work unfortunately…)
  • code modularization
  • packaging (RPM / Flatpak)

Curious to hear what you think :slightly_smiling_face:

Regards,
G/T

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Cool project. If you want to look at how wayland support might work (especially with regards to transparent windows / wlr-layer-shell), I can recommend wl_shimeji which follows a similar concept (minus the AI integration)

1 Like
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Hi Alex,
I will check soon.

Thank you.

Note : I am still on Fed 43.

Regards,
Aymeric