ChatGPT (Chat Generative-Pre-Trained Transformer) has only been around for a couple of months, but it is fair to say that it has made its mark. Millions of users have used the service for all manner of queries, but each time it required the user to open a browser, log in and then enter a prompt. Well, for Linux users it seems that these steps can be skipped over thanks to a Gnome extension from Rafal Mioduszewski, aka HorrorPills.

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This extension is for the Gnome display manager (KDE fans, the creator has hinted that it could be possible to replicate the project) and right now this early version is not fully working with Wayland, so Xorg is the way to go for now. Mioduszewski also notes that mouse integration is a little buggy right now, so keyboard navigation is a must.

The extension is installed by downloading the files via Mioduszewski’s Github repository, copying them to the correct directory and then using the gnome-extensions application to enable it. A quick reboot / log off and you can access ChatGPT from the comfort of your desktop, provided you have an account and that ChatGPT is not at capacity.

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So what can we do using this extension? Pretty much anything we would do in the browser. We’ve asked it to successfully win Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’s Kobayashi Maru. Even AI couldn’t win that battle without reprogramming the simulator. On a more serious note, we asked it to write some CircuitPython with an LED on pin 13. Then we tasked it with writing raw G-Code to control the nozzle of a 3D printer to draw a 30 mm cube. While that G-Code will need a little tweaking, it shows promise. Lastly, we asked ChatGPT to work out the correct resistor for a fictional LED in a circuit using Ohm’s Law. 

If you have an account and a Linux distro running Gnome then this extension is well worth investing a little time into. It may just save you some work.