Open Interpreter

Overview

Open Interpreter is an open-source tool that lets language models run code on your computer. It provides a natural language interface to your computer’s capabilities, allowing you to create and edit files, analyze data, control your browser, and more - all through simple conversation.

With over 58,000 GitHub stars, Open Interpreter has become one of the most popular open-source AI tools, offering a powerful alternative to OpenAI’s Code Interpreter but with full access to your local environment.

System Requirements

• CPU: 2+ cores
• RAM: 4GB+
• GPU: Optional (recommended for local LLMs)
• Storage: 1GB+

Installation Guide

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or 3.11 (run python --version to check)
• Basic knowledge of command line interfaces
• Git (optional)

Option 1: Simple Installation (Recommended)

1. Install Open Interpreter using pip:

   pip install open-interpreter
   

2. Run Open Interpreter:

   interpreter
   

3. For the first run, you’ll need to configure your language model settings. You can use OpenAI’s models (requires API key) or run models locally.

Option 2: Installation with Optional Dependencies

Open Interpreter has optional dependencies for different capabilities:

1. For local mode (to run local LLMs):

   pip install open-interpreter[local]
   

2. For OS mode (enhanced system capabilities):

   pip install open-interpreter[os]
   

3. For safe mode (enhanced security):

   pip install open-interpreter[safe]
   

4. For server mode (to run as an API):

   pip install open-interpreter[server]
   

Option 3: GitHub Codespaces (No Installation)

If you prefer not to install anything on your computer:

1. Visit the Open Interpreter GitHub repository
2. Press the , key to create a codespace
3. After a moment, you’ll receive a cloud virtual machine environment with Open Interpreter pre-installed

Practical Exercise: Getting Started with Open Interpreter

Let’s walk through a simple exercise to help you get familiar with the basics.

Step 1: Starting a Conversation

After installation, start Open Interpreter by running interpreter in your terminal. You’ll see a prompt where you can start typing your requests.

interpreter

Step 2: Your First Task

Try asking Open Interpreter to perform a simple task. For example:

> Create a simple Python script that displays the current time and date

Open Interpreter will generate the code and ask for your permission to run it. Type y to approve.

Step 3: Exploring Advanced Features

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, try exploring some more advanced capabilities:

• Data analysis: “Plot the relationship between columns X and Y in my data.csv file”
• File manipulation: “Create a directory structure for my new project”
• Web automation: “Search for the latest news about artificial intelligence”
• Creative tasks: “Generate a simple animation showing a bouncing ball”

Configuration and Customization

Profiles

Open Interpreter allows you to set default behaviors using YAML configuration files:

interpreter --profiles

This will open the profiles directory where you can edit default.yaml or create new profile files.

Changing Language Models

You can change the language model used by Open Interpreter:

interpreter --model gpt-3.5-turbo

Or in Python:

from interpreter import interpreter
interpreter.llm.model = "gpt-3.5-turbo"

Safety Features

Since Open Interpreter can execute code on your system, it includes important safety features:

• Code execution confirmation (can be bypassed with interpreter -y)
• Experimental safe mode to mitigate risks
• Option to run in isolated environments

Resources

Official Documentation

The official documentation is the best place to find detailed information about Open Interpreter.

Read the Documentation

Community Support

Join the community to get help, share your experiences, and contribute to the project.

GitHub Repository Discord Community

Related Projects

Open Interpreter also has a voice interface project called “01” that brings voice capabilities to the platform:

01 Voice Interface