OpenHuman GuideOpenHuman Guide

Configuration

OpenHuman Setup Guide

After installing OpenHuman, follow this guide to connect your first integration, configure model routing, set up local AI, and verify everything is working.

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OpenHuman Setup Guide

Practical notes for evaluating a fast-moving open-source AI assistant.

Practical, source-linked OpenHuman guidance

First Launch Checklist

Before connecting any accounts, confirm the basics are working.

  • Open the app and confirm it launches without errors.
  • Check that the version matches what you intended to install.
  • Verify the Memory Tree vault path is set to a location with sufficient disk space.
  • Confirm your preferred theme (light/dark) and language settings.
  • Test the search function to ensure the local index is accessible.

Connecting Your First Integration

Start with one low-risk connector to understand the OAuth flow.

  • Go to Settings > Integrations and pick a service you use daily (e.g., Gmail or Google Calendar).
  • Click Connect and review the OAuth permission screen carefully.
  • Accept only the minimum scopes needed for your use case.
  • Wait one sync cycle (~20 minutes) and check the Memory Tree tab for ingested data.
  • Open the Obsidian vault to inspect what was stored.

Configuring Model Routing

Model routing determines which AI provider handles each task. Understanding this helps you control costs and privacy.

  • Cloud providers (default): heavy reasoning, coding, vision, and voice tasks route to frontier models via the bundled subscription.
  • Local AI (optional): embeddings, summary-tree building, and lightweight tasks can run on Ollama or LM Studio.
  • Path: Settings > AI & Skills > Model Routing.
  • You can override the default provider and base URL in config.toml.
  • Vision tasks always route to a vision-capable model regardless of local/cloud settings.

Setting Up Local AI

Local AI is optional but recommended for privacy-sensitive workflows.

  • Install Ollama or LM Studio separately.
  • In OpenHuman: Settings > AI & Skills > Local AI.
  • Choose a preset: embeddings only, memory plus reflection, or full local where supported.
  • The default local model is Gemma 3 1B, requiring a few gigabytes of RAM and disk.
  • Verify local AI is working by checking that memory embedding tasks appear in the Ollama logs.

Memory Tree Configuration

Fine-tune how the Memory Tree behaves.

  • Vault path: choose a location that is backed up and has sufficient space.
  • Sync frequency: default is ~20 minutes. Reduce for battery life; increase for near-real-time updates.
  • Chunk size: default is 3,000 tokens. Reduce for more granular retrieval; increase for context efficiency.
  • Cleanup: periodically review the vault for outdated or irrelevant chunks and delete them.

Voice and Mascot Setup

Enable the desktop mascot and voice features for a more interactive experience.

  • Grant microphone permission in system settings.
  • Enable voice in OpenHuman: Settings > Voice & Mascot.
  • Whisper STT runs locally for speech recognition.
  • ElevenLabs TTS requires an API key and routes to the cloud.
  • The mascot can join Google Meet as a guest participant with real-time transcription.

Verification Steps

Before relying on OpenHuman for daily use, run through these checks.

  • Ask a question about recent emails and verify the answer references actual content.
  • Check that deleted emails are removed from the Memory Tree after a sync cycle.
  • Test a local AI query and confirm it does not hit the cloud subscription.
  • Verify that revoked connector tokens are handled gracefully (no crashes, no stale data).
  • Confirm the mascot responds to voice commands if enabled.

Troubleshooting First Setup

If something goes wrong during initial setup, these are the most common issues.

  • OAuth hangs: check network, proxy, and system clock accuracy.
  • Memory tab is empty: confirm the vault path is writable and the first sync completed.
  • Local AI not detected: verify Ollama is running on port 11434.
  • Voice not working: check microphone permissions and ElevenLabs API key.
  • Missing permissions on macOS: grant Accessibility, Screen Recording, and Microphone in System Settings.

How to Use OpenHuman

First launch, Memory Tree, model routing, and daily workflows after setup.

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Install Guide

Platform-specific installation instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

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Local AI Setup

Detailed notes on configuring Ollama and LM Studio.

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Troubleshooting

Common problems and how to resolve them.

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Privacy Checklist

Review security considerations before connecting accounts.

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