Steroid_Kit
Steroid CLI›Local vs Connected
Local vs Connected Mode
This is the primary product axis. Steroid runs in exactly one of two modes — every user is in one cohort or the other, and each mode determines what capabilities your IDE gets. You pick a mode at onboarding and can switch anytime in Settings.
The One-Line Difference
- Local mode — no Steroid account or connection string. History storage and indexing are local; answering recall uses an installed agent CLI, which may contact its model provider.
- Connected mode — the Local memory tools, plus the MCP tool marketplace and workflow automation (Flows) through Steroid services.
TIP
Connected is a strict superset of Local. Local is the privacy-first entry point; Connected adds the networked capabilities. Start with local indexing — connect when you want the marketplace and workflows.
Feature Matrix
| Capability | Local | Connected |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-IDE conversation-memory recall | ✅ | ✅ |
| History readers: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cursor CLI, Copilot | ✅ | ✅ |
| Project tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Runs with no account and no connection string | ✅ | — |
| Local storage and LLM-free indexing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Recall inference through the agent's configured provider | ✅ | ✅ |
| MCP tool marketplace — 200+ servers, surfaced just-in-time | — | ✅ |
| Workflow automation (Flows) | — | ✅ |
Local encrypted credential storage through cred store | ✅ | ✅ |
| Requires a connection string (internet) | — | ✅ |
The Two Cohorts
Local cohort — “privacy-first memory.” Developers who want cross-IDE memory/recall and IDE wiring without a Steroid account or connection string. Local indexing can run without inference. Before using answering recall in a restricted environment, check the coding agent's provider, authentication and network requirements.
Connected cohort — “memory + the networked layer.” Teams that also want the MCP tool marketplace (200+ registry entries, with matching tools discovered on demand) and explicit workflow orchestration. External APIs and LLM outputs can still fail or vary.
What Each Mode Exposes to Your IDE
Steroid registers a single MCP server in your IDE. The tools it makes available depend on your mode.
Local mode — three recall tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
recall_memory | Search your past conversations for this project and get an answer with citations. |
recall_turn | Fetch the full text of a past conversation turn. |
recall_diff | Fetch the full code diff behind a recall result. |
Connected mode — the recall tools above, plus the networked tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
search_tools | Search the catalog for tools. |
run_tool | Run a tool from the search results. |
search_workflows | Find one of your workflows. |
run_workflow | Run a workflow. |
create_workflow | Build a new workflow from a description. |
repair_workflow | Fix a failing workflow. |
NOTE
In Local mode only the recall tools are available — the marketplace and workflow tools appear only in Connected mode.
Choosing Your Mode
Effective mode uses a valid STEROID_MODE environment override first, then the saved mode, then a Connected fallback. Choose a mode in onboarding/Settings or persist it with steroid mode set local or steroid mode set connected. Use steroid mode show --json to diagnose the effective setting. Restart each IDE's MCP process after changing modes; tool registration is fixed at process startup.
Onboarding — Mode Selection
The first onboarding screen is a two-card mode picker (before IDE selection):
| 🟢 Local only | 🔵 Connected |
|---|---|
| Conversation-memory recall | All features of “Local Only” |
| Cross-IDE context | Just-in-time tool calls from the MCP hub |
| Auto-synced chat history | Deterministic workflow automation |
| No Steroid backend required; inference uses your agent | Marketplace, Flows and credential injection |
Flow: Mode picker → IDE selection → (Connected only) paste connection string → Home. In Local mode the connection step is skipped entirely; step labels read “of 2” in Local and “of 3” in Connected.
Switching Modes Later
A Mode section in Settings shows the current mode and a switch button. The switch is deliberate and shows a disclaimer dialog.
→ Switch to Local
- Removes marketplace/workflow tools from this client after its MCP process restarts.
- Clears the stored connection string.
- Your published workflows stay on the server. Independent webhooks and other eligible clients can still execute them.
- The TUI reconciles managed skills and restarts the daemon without connected credentials.
- Restart your IDE's Steroid connection so the marketplace/workflow tools drop off.
- Unaffected: memory recall, projects, and locally saved secrets.
→ Switch to Connected
- Enables marketplace and workflow tools after the MCP process restarts.
- Prompts you to paste a connection string (needs internet).
- Restart your IDE's Steroid connection so the new tools load.
- The TUI reconciles mode-managed skills and connected daemon state; existing project indexes are retained.
Trust & Privacy Story
- Storage and indexing are local in both modes. Building indexes does not call an LLM or require the Steroid backend.
- Answering recall has two inference stages per answering source: selecting relevant tree nodes, then synthesizing selected transcript excerpts. The calling agent is preferred as executor, with a source-agent fallback. Its provider may receive those prompts.
- Full-turn and diff retrieval do not use inference. Marketplace calls and Flows have separate cloud execution and credential-retention boundaries.
WARNING
Headless mode set only persists the mode; it does not perform every TUI transition side effect, such as clearing connection credentials. Do not treat it as a credential-revocation or cloud-workflow-disable operation.
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