Install the local server

Add the local server

You need Python. Choose one of these alternatives; both open the web app and use ~/zerochat/ for local data.

Install from PyPI (recommended)

Linux, macOS and Android (Termux):

pip install zerochat
zerochat

Windows (PowerShell or CMD): use the py launcher, which works even if Python's Scripts folder is not on PATH.

py -m pip install zerochat
py -m zerochat

On subsequent launches, the second line is enough.

Download the script

Linux, macOS and Android (Termux):

curl -fsSL https://albalday.github.io/zerochat/zerochat.py -o zerochat.py
python3 zerochat.py

Windows (PowerShell or CMD): curl.exe ships with Windows 10 and 11; in PowerShell type it with .exe to avoid the Invoke-WebRequest alias.

curl.exe -fsSL https://albalday.github.io/zerochat/zerochat.py -o zerochat.py
py zerochat.py

On subsequent launches, run python3 zerochat.py (py zerochat.py on Windows) from the download folder. You can also download the file manually.

Keep the process running and use the link it opens. Then go to Settings → MCP to check the connection and enable tools.

To use another computer's server from an Android tablet or phone, see home server from Android.

Tested environments and browser compatibility

• Tested environments:
  • Linux: standard distributions (x86_64 and ARM) with Python 3.10+. Command execution uses bash.
  • Windows: Windows 10 and Windows 11 with PowerShell and the py launcher. Command execution natively uses PowerShell.
  • Android + Termux: Termux environment with the python package. Opens URLs with termux-open-url. Playwright cannot currently be used on Termux, so browser_action and Playwright MCP are not available.
• Browser compatibility:
  • ZeroChat does not work with the WebKit engine due to its local network access (Private Network Access) and web storage restrictions. Opening ZeroChat with WebKit redirects you to this section.
  • This affects Safari (macOS) and every browser on iPhone and iPad, including Chrome, Firefox and Edge for iOS/iPadOS, because Apple requires WebKit on those systems.
  • On Linux and Windows it works with Firefox or Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave…). On macOS it should work the same, but it has not been tested.