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BillyGPT

(★ 390)

Maintenance-mode desktop ChatGPT client built with Flet, kept as a small open-source archive with smoke and startup checks.

File Explorer

Download Latest Version (.zip)

- - smoke.yml
- font.ttf
- function_preview.png
- check_frontend_startup.py
- check_release_files.py
- smoke_check.py
.gitignore
api_key_store.py
chat_store.py
LICENSE
main.py
paths.py
prompt_engineering.py
README.md
requirements-lock.txt
requirements.txt

# Installation Guide

1. Get the code

git clone https://github.com/B1lli/BillyGPT

Downloads the entire project code from GitHub to your computer.

cd BillyGPT

Moves into the project folder you just downloaded.

2. Python

Easy Recommended

Prerequisites

Git Needed to download the project code from GitHub.
Python 3 On Windows, be sure to check 'Add Python to PATH' during installation.

pip install -r requirements.txt

Installs the Python libraries listed in requirements.txt (or similar).

pip install -r requirements-lock.txt

Installs the Python libraries listed in requirements.txt (or similar).

✅ If it runs without errors and prints output in the terminal, it worked.

Pulled directly from this repo's README.

// repository documentation

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# BillyGPT

> Maintenance-mode project from March 2023. BillyGPT is kept public as an early ChatGPT API desktop client with reproducible setup, safer local key handling, and a small smoke-check path for future maintenance.

BillyGPT was a free, open-source, cross-platform ChatGPT desktop client built around prompt optimization, local chat history, editable conversations, and bring-your-own API key usage.

![BillyGPT desktop preview](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/B1lli/BillyGPT/main/pic/function_preview.png)

## Status

- Maintenance-mode legacy project.
- Built for the early ChatGPT API era in 2023.
- Uses the OpenAI Python SDK version pinned in `requirements.txt`.
- Kept as a stable historical desktop-client implementation.

## Features

- Local chat history storage.
- Prompt-optimization mode for more structured answers.
- Long conversation summarization.
- Import and export of chat history.
- Editable message role and content.
- Custom font selection.
- Bring-your-own OpenAI API key.

## Usage

Python 3.10 is the verified runtime for this legacy dependency set.

Install dependencies and run:

```bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py
```

For a fully pinned environment, use:

```bash
pip install -r requirements-lock.txt
```

For safer local usage, prefer setting your key through the environment:

```bash
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here"
python main.py
```

The settings dialog keeps an entered key for the current process only. For repeat use, set `OPENAI_API_KEY` in your shell or local environment manager.

## Smoke Check

Run this after installing dependencies:

```bash
python scripts/smoke_check.py
```

The smoke check verifies imports, API key loading, and chat persistence helpers without opening the UI.

To check that the repository's tracked files are sufficient for a fresh clone, run:

```bash
python scripts/check_release_files.py
```

For a browser-rendered startup check, run this with Chrome or Chromium installed:

```bash
python scripts/check_frontend_startup.py
```

The startup check runs a local Flet web server and a headless browser. It does not open the desktop app window or a visible browser window.

## Troubleshooting

Install dependencies before running the checks:

```bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

If the front-end startup check cannot find Chrome, set `CHROME_BIN` to a local Chrome or Chromium executable. The script intentionally fails in environments without a headless browser instead of opening the desktop UI.

## Security Note

Never commit API keys or local chat logs.

This repository ignores legacy `APIKEY.txt` files and chat logs, but if you fork or copy the project, check your changes before pushing:

```bash
git status --short
git diff --cached
```

If a key was ever committed, delete the key in the provider dashboard and create a new one. Removing it from Git history is not enough.

## Framework

Built with Flet, targeting desktop and cross-platform experiments.

## License

MIT.

## Historical Context

BillyGPT was made during the first public ChatGPT API wave. Its value today is mostly historical: it captured early product ideas around prompt optimization, local control, editable conversations, and personal AI clients.