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Elia

Elia is a Python terminal application for chatting with hosted and locally served large language models, with conversations stored in a local SQLite database.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Elia — OpenViST project profile in Chat & Assistants.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use Elia when you want to conduct model chats from the command line, especially when switching between hosted models and locally served models or working with saved conversation history.

Who it is for

  • People who prefer a keyboard-focused terminal interface for model conversations.
  • Users who want to chat with hosted models or connect Elia to models served locally through Ollama or LocalAI.
  • Users who want to keep conversation history in a local SQLite database or import a ChatGPT JSON export.

Documented uses

  • Start a model conversation inline or in a full-screen terminal interface.
  • Choose a model when launching a chat or configure a default model and system prompt.
  • Add local models served through Ollama or a compatible local server configuration.
  • Import a ChatGPT conversation export and reset Elia’s local conversation database.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

Elia is an open-source Python project under the Apache-2.0 license. Its documented installation uses pipx and Python 3.11; hosted models may require provider API-key environment variables.

  • Elia is a command-line terminal application rather than a browser-based chat interface.
  • Model access depends on the selected provider or local model server; hosted providers may require API keys.
  • The documented local-model setup uses Ollama, while the configuration also gives a LocalAI-style local server example.
  • Keybindings cannot currently be changed within Elia.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Set up Elia with an Ollama model

Prepare an Ollama model for use in Elia.

Before you start

  • Python 3.11 and pipx to install Elia
  • Ollama and a model to run locally

Steps

  1. Install Elia with pipx install --python 3.11 elia-chat.

  2. Install Ollama and pull a model, for example with ollama pull llama3.

  3. Start the local Ollama server with ollama serve.

  4. Add the model to Elia’s configuration, for example as ollama/llama3.

Expected outcome

Elia’s configuration includes the local Ollama model for selection.

Guide limitations

  • The documented steps cover setup; they do not verify that a particular model or environment works.
  • The configuration file location is shown at the bottom of Elia’s options window, opened with Ctrl+O.
Documentation 1 ↗
Source-based practical guide

Import a ChatGPT conversation export

Add conversations from a ChatGPT JSON export to Elia.

Before you start

  • A JSON file exported from the ChatGPT interface
  • Elia installed and available from the command line

Steps

  1. Export conversations to a JSON file using the ChatGPT interface.

  2. Run elia import 'path/to/conversations.json', replacing the example path with the file’s location.

Expected outcome

Elia receives the conversation export through its documented import command.

Guide limitations

  • The instructions specify JSON exports from ChatGPT; they do not describe importing other formats.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
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Sources checked
14 October 2026
Original website title
darrenburns/elia · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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