Grux
Menu-bar assistant that reads your active window and reaches local mail, calendar, files
Grux OS sets itself up from one terminal command, then requests macOS permissions only for features you actually pick, needing nothing beyond a model to answer with, which can be a fully local Ollama model with no API key. It reads whatever window you're looking at, so you don't screenshot-and-describe a config error, transcribes meetings on-device with audio that never leaves the Mac, and puts Mail, Calendar, and Contacts three rows apart so a vendor reply becomes one turn instead of three apps; anything that touches the network, deletes a file, or spends money waits in Approvals for your yes. It's free, ships 39 surfaces with 14 explicitly labeled BETA, and the vendor admits 8 of them are internal tooling for their own small business that ships anyway rather than being deleted.
What holds up
- +Costs $0 and keeps none of your data because, per the vendor, there's nowhere to keep it
- +Local Ollama models are rated against your actual free memory before a 17GB download
- +Anything touching the network, deleting a file, or spending money waits for your approval
- +Meeting transcripts build on-device — audio never leaves the Mac
Mind the limits
- −14 of 39 surfaces are explicitly labeled BETA — the vendor calls them "unsanded edges"
- −8 surfaces are the vendor's own internal business tooling you'll likely never open
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