README file from
GithubWorkBuddy - Obsidian plugin
Chat with your locally installed WorkBuddy (Tencent's desktop AI agent) from inside Obsidian. Send the current note or a selection as context, stream the reply into a sidebar, and let WorkBuddy read, search, create and edit notes in your vault.
Unofficial community plugin. Not affiliated with Tencent. Requires the WorkBuddy desktop app to be installed and signed in. Desktop only (Windows verified; macOS/Linux best-effort).
Zero configuration: no API key, no server, no port. The plugin runs the command-line tool that ships inside the WorkBuddy app, using WorkBuddy's own login. The WorkBuddy window does not even need to be open.
快速上手（中文）
- 安装并打开一次 WorkBuddy，完成登录（之后可以关掉它）。
- 在 Obsidian 中安装本插件并启用（见下方「安装」）。
- 点击左侧栏的机器人图标，或按
Ctrl/Cmd+P运行「打开 WorkBuddy 对话」。 - 直接输入问题；勾选「当前笔记」或「选中文本」可以把笔记内容一起发给 WorkBuddy。
- 回复下方有「复制」和「插入到光标处」按钮。
默认权限是「允许修改笔记」：WorkBuddy 可以读取、新建、修改库里的笔记，但不能运行命令。 在对话框底部点击权限标签，或在设置里切换为「只读」/「完全访问」。
如果提示「没有找到 WorkBuddy」：打开 设置 -> WorkBuddy -> 点击「检测 WorkBuddy」查看插件尝试过的路径；
安装位置特殊时，可以在「CLI 路径」里填写
...\WorkBuddy\resources\app.asar.unpacked\cli\bin\codebuddy 的完整路径。
Features
- Sidebar chat with streaming Markdown replies, collapsible "thinking", tool activity lines
(
Read notes/todo.md,Write ...), token usage. - Multi-tab conversations; Send turns into Stop while a reply streams.
- Context toggles: current note (path + full text) and selection (works in Reading View too).
- Commands + ribbon icon: open chat, new tab, send current note, send selection.
- Copy and Insert at cursor under every reply.
- Chat history (persisted in the plugin folder). Reopening a conversation resumes WorkBuddy's own session, so context continues server-side.
- Permission modes: Read only / Allow editing notes (default) / Full access.
- Model and reasoning-effort chips in the footer; working folder (vault root by default).
- Chinese + English UI, auto-selected from Obsidian's language.
How it works
WorkBuddy bundles a Claude-Code-compatible CLI (<WorkBuddy>/resources/app.asar.unpacked/cli/bin/codebuddy).
For every message the plugin spawns it non-interactively:
node codebuddy -p --input-format stream-json --output-format stream-json --include-partial-messages \
--permission-mode acceptEdits [--resume <session_id>] [--model ...] [--append-system-prompt ...]
with the vault as the working directory, feeds one user message over stdin, and renders the NDJSON
event stream. Continuity between turns comes from --resume <session_id>. The Node runtime is found
automatically: WorkBuddy's own bundled Node (~/.workbuddy/binaries/node/...), then the WorkBuddy
executable itself (Electron in Node mode), then node on PATH.
Nothing is stored by the plugin except your settings and chat history (history.json in the plugin
folder). It never reads WorkBuddy's credential or model files.
Permission modes
| Mode | CLI flags | What WorkBuddy can do |
|---|---|---|
| Read only | --permission-mode default --disallowedTools Write,Edit,...,Bash,PowerShell |
read/search notes, web |
| Allow editing notes (default) | --permission-mode acceptEdits |
+ create/edit files in the working folder; no shell |
| Full access | --permission-mode bypassPermissions |
everything, including shell commands - use with care |
The CLI offers no interactive approval channel in non-interactive mode, so the mode is chosen up front.
Install
Via BRAT (recommended until the plugin is listed)
- Install the BRAT community plugin and enable it.
- Run BRAT: Add a beta plugin for testing and paste this repository's URL.
- Enable WorkBuddy under Settings -> Community plugins.
Manual
Download main.js, manifest.json and styles.css from the latest release into
<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/workbuddy/, then enable the plugin.
Settings
- Check WorkBuddy - locates the CLI + runtime and runs
--version; shows the paths it tried on failure. - CLI path / Node runtime (advanced) - overrides for unusual installs.
- What WorkBuddy may do - permission mode (see above).
- Model (empty = WorkBuddy default
auto), Reasoning effort, Max agent turns. - Working folder - vault-relative or absolute; the CLI's cwd.
- Send full note text with "current note", Show thinking, Max chat tabs, Idle timeout.
- Markdown formatting reminder, Custom instructions (appended to the system prompt).
- Language - Auto / 简体中文 / English. Your name - personalizes the greeting.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause / fix |
|---|---|
| "WorkBuddy was not found on this computer" | Install WorkBuddy; open it once. Check the paths listed under Check WorkBuddy; set CLI path if installed elsewhere. |
| "Could not find a Node.js runtime" | Open the WorkBuddy app once (it installs its Node), or set Node runtime to WorkBuddy.exe / any node.exe. |
| "WorkBuddy is not signed in" | Open the WorkBuddy app and sign in, then retry. |
| Reply says it cannot write / tool requests denied | Switch the permission chip to Allow editing notes. |
| No reply for minutes, then a timeout | The first call after a cold start can take a while; raise Idle timeout if your machine is slow. |
Build
npm install
npm run build # -> main.js
npm test # unit tests (pure modules)
npm run lint # Obsidian community lint rules
npm run smoke:live # drives the REAL WorkBuddy CLI through the plugin's client (needs WorkBuddy + network)
Releasing (maintainers)
Bump the version in manifest.json, package.json and versions.json, then push a matching tag
(bare version, no v): git tag 0.1.1 && git push origin 0.1.1. The GitHub Action builds, verifies the
tag matches the manifest, attaches provenance attestations and creates the release with
main.js / manifest.json / styles.css.
License
MIT