Vim addicts finally get a chatbot that speaks their language

What it does

Tenere is a Rust-built terminal interface for chatting with LLMs. It plugs into ChatGPT, llama.cpp, or Ollama and gives you a keyboard-driven chat experience with syntax highlighting, persistent history, and file export. The entire interface is built with ratatui, the Rust TUI framework.

The interesting bit

The prompt editor implements actual Vim modes—Normal, Visual, and Insert—with a substantial subset of motions and operators. dd cuts a line, ciw changes a word, G jumps to bottom, p pastes. This isn’t “Vim-like” keybindings as decoration; someone mapped the real grammar. The README even notes you need ctrl prefixes to avoid colliding with your own editing commands.

Key highlights

• Three backend options: ChatGPT API, local llama.cpp server, or Ollama
• Vim-style prompt with Normal/Visual/Insert modes and standard motions
• Chat history auto-saved to numbered archive files, auto-loaded on restart
• Syntax highlighting for code in responses
• Cross-platform including Android via nix-on-droid

Caveats

• Clipboard copy/paste only works on the prompt, not on LLM responses
• 670 stars suggests a niche audience; expect rough edges in less common configurations
• Contributing guidelines include “No AI slop”—charming, but also a signal this is a personal project with opinions

Verdict

Worth a look if you live in tmux and reflexively hit Esc before every command. If you prefer mouse-driven interfaces or haven’t memorized Vim motions, this will feel like typing with mittens.