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Saving files from chat

Some models can do more than just emit text — they can call tools, including a write_file tool that saves any content the model generates directly to disk. Ekorbia exposes this safely, with permission controls and a sandbox.

When the feature is available

A model can save files when it supports tool calls. You’ll see a TOOL badge next to the model name in the picker for any tool-capable model. Models known to support tools include:

  • gemma4 (any size)
  • llama3.1 and llama3.2
  • qwen2.5
  • mistral-nemo
  • Most newer mid-and-large models

For models that don’t support tools, you can still save individual code blocks manually — see the fallback section below.

First-save permission flow

The first time a model in a given chat tries to save a file, a modal appears:

You have three options:

  • Allow — pick an output folder (pre-filled to ~/Library/Application Support/dev.ekorbia.desktop/Outputs/<chat-slug>/). All future saves in this chat go to this folder.
  • Block — prevents any saves for this chat. The model is told it can’t save; subsequent tool calls return an error and no modal re-appears.
  • Not now — skips this single write only. The modal will re-appear on the next attempt.

The choice sticks until you change it. You can change it later from the Files panel (see below).

The Files panel

Open the third tab in the right sidebar (the document icon, alongside Prompts and Watches) to see every file the model saved in the current chat.

Each row shows:

  • Relative path (relative to the output folder)
  • Byte size
  • Age (e.g. “2 minutes ago”)
  • Version count if the model has overwritten the file (v3 means the model has saved this path 3 times)
  • Reveal button — opens the file in Finder
  • Open button — opens the file with your default application
  • Click the row to scroll the chat to the message that produced the save

Header buttons

In the Files panel header you can:

  • Change… — pick a new output folder for this chat
  • Reveal — open the current output folder in Finder
  • Block — prevent any further saves for this chat

Atomic writes

Every save is atomic: Ekorbia writes to a temporary file in the same directory, then renames it into place. If the app crashes mid-write, the previous version of the file stays intact. You never end up with a partially-written file.

Sandbox

All saved files are sandboxed to the output folder you picked. Any path the model tries to write that:

  • Contains .. segments (e.g. ../etc/passwd)
  • Starts with / (absolute path)
  • Resolves through a symlink outside the output folder
  • Contains a NUL byte

…is rejected. The model receives an error from the tool and typically tries again with a corrected path, or gives up gracefully.

Fallback: saving code blocks manually

For models that don’t support tools, fenced code blocks in assistant messages get a per-block Save button (next to the Copy button).

Ekorbia infers a filename for the save:

  1. From a comment hint inside the code block — <!-- index.html -->, # main.py, // config.json
  2. Otherwise, from the fenced language tag — python → untitled.py, html → untitled.html

The save flows through the same permission modal and sandbox as the tool path. Files saved this way are tagged manual in the Files panel so you can distinguish them from tool-generated saves.

Common use cases

  • Have a model write a small Python script and save it where you can run it
  • Generate an HTML mockup and have the model save it as index.html + styles.css
  • Draft a few config files (docker-compose.yml, nginx.conf, …) in one go
  • Take dictation into Markdown notes that go straight into a folder you sync elsewhere