EverFern: open-source local desktop agent for computer use and browser control

The author has released EverFern, an open-source desktop agent built with LangGraph and Electron that performs computer use, browser control, and file operations entirely locally. It serves as a free alternative to cloud-based services like Claude Cowork or Manus, with configuration and history stored in ~/.everfern/store.

• The stack uses Next.js/Electron for the frontend and LangGraph for agent orchestration, supporting local models via Ollama/LM Studio or over 10 cloud providers.
• Testing against Qwen3-8B locally demonstrated multi-step task handling, such as opening YouTube and researching AI startups, though it was slower and less reliable than cloud models.
• Experimental features include runtime tool synthesis gated by human approval and rollback capabilities for destructive shell commands.

The release aims to provide an auditable, local option for agentic tool-use, with the author seeking feedback on reliability when running smaller local models.