SlothSync: A Local‑First AI‑Powered File Sync Tool for Hacktoberfest Week 3

Description and use

SlothSync is a local‑first file sync tool that uses an on‑device LLM to summarize changes and back up files to local destinations, preserving privacy and avoiding cloud costs.

Problem

Users need a privacy‑preserving, cost‑free way to keep documents synchronized across devices without uploading data to the cloud.

Outcome

SlothSync provides a lightweight, privacy‑first file sync solution that automatically watches directories, summarizes changes with a local LLM, and backs up files to a specified local destination without incurring cloud costs.

Workflow

• Install Ollama and pull Gemma 2B model
• Clone SlothSync repo and install Python dependencies
• Run slothsync.py with --watch and --backup options
• Watchdog monitors filesystem events
• Events are debounced and batched
• Local Gemma model generates concise change summary
• Summary is logged in .slothsync/logs
• Changed files are copied to backup location preserving timestamps

Evidence

All AI inference runs on‑device using an open‑weight model (e.g., gemma2:2b via Ollama). No data ever leaves your machine.

Source

Zero cost – No per‑request API fees. The only requirement is a local model runner.

Source

Detects new or changed files, generates concise change summaries, and can even suggest better folder structures.

Source