lilbee / code search
Ask questions about your codebase, answers cite the file and line. lilbee indexes a repo and searches it by meaning, all on your own machine.
Local AI code search in one program. It chunks code so functions stay whole, ranks the matches that actually answer you, and points you at the exact line.
search by meaning, not by pattern
grep finds the text you typed. lilbee finds the code you meant. Ask in plain English, and it retrieves the functions and definitions that answer the question, ranks them by relevance, and replies with a citation back to the file and line. When nothing matches well, it says so rather than inventing an answer.
code-aware from the ground up
chunked with tree-sitter
Code is split along its real structure, so a function or class stays whole instead of being cut mid-body. Retrieval is only as good as the chunks underneath it.
cited to the line
Every answer links back to the file and line, so you can jump straight to the source and confirm it.
a library per project
Each repo gets its own scoped library, so one codebase never bleeds into another's results.
reach it any way
Use it as a terminal app, a command-line tool, or an MCP server your coding agent talks to.
for you and for your agent
Search your own codebase from the terminal, or hand the same retrieval to your coding agent over MCP so it reads the real code before it answers. lilbee is also a complete model manager and runs the models itself on Metal, Vulkan, or CUDA, or works with your existing Ollama or LM Studio setup.
questions
How is this different from grep?
grep matches exact text. lilbee searches by meaning, ranks the results by how well they answer your question, and cites the file and line. You ask in plain English instead of guessing the right pattern.
What languages does it handle?
lilbee chunks code with tree-sitter using a broad language pack, so functions and definitions stay whole across many common languages.
Does my code leave my machine?
No. Indexing and search run locally. lilbee uses a cloud model only if you choose one; the code search itself stays on your machine.
Can my coding agent use it?
Yes. lilbee runs as an MCP server, so an MCP-aware coding agent can search your codebase through it and answer with file and line citations.
Does it work offline?
Yes. With local models in place, lilbee indexes and answers with no internet connection.