ChatAnchor

中文：README.md

This extension grew out of the problem discussed in official Codex issue 26836: existing threads may no longer be automatically reattached after a project directory is renamed or moved. ChatAnchor gives each project a path-independent local identity and uses signals such as Git remotes, commits, and previous paths to recognize the project at its new location and reconnect its threads. We also documented this approach and shared it with OpenAI in this comment.

Name note: this extension was formerly ThreadRelink and is now ChatAnchor. Marketplace extension IDs cannot change after publishing, so the Marketplace URL and extension ID remain ascendho.threadrelink, and command/setting prefixes remain threadrelink.*.

Features

• Detects Codex, Cursor Agent CLI, and OpenCode independently, showing only providers with a local CLI or history so one missing agent never blocks the others
• Automatically reconnects after a project is renamed or moved, based on conservative evidence such as Git remote + commit and path aliases — never links by directory name alone
• Resume existing conversations or start new Codex / Cursor / OpenCode sessions directly from the ChatAnchor view
• Carry context across agents: copy Codex / Cursor @path, export OpenCode JSON, or create compact Markdown transcripts
• Organize conversations with custom descriptions, hide / unhide controls, and Find Old Conversations
• Runs entirely locally — no telemetry, nothing uploaded

OpenCode conversations live in the local opencode.db and do not have standalone raw files, so Reveal / Copy @ Path is unavailable for them. For cross-agent handoff, prefer Copy Compact @ Transcript; use Export OpenCode JSON and Copy @ Path when you need a generated JSON @path. An explicit export can use a read-only database fallback even when the OpenCode CLI is temporarily unavailable.

Getting started

[!NOTE] ChatAnchor only reads local metadata. It never uploads data and never reads message bodies. Before first use, you must explicitly grant consent and set up each project.

1. Install the extension

   • Install from the Visual Studio Marketplace, or run:

     code --install-extension ascendho.threadrelink
     

   • Or download the latest VSIX from GitHub Releases and run:

     code --install-extension threadrelink.vsix
     

2. Open the ChatAnchor view: click the ChatAnchor icon in the Activity Bar; if it is hidden, right-click the Activity Bar and enable ChatAnchor.

3. Enable metadata scan: click "Enable Local Metadata Scan" to allow reading metadata for locally available Codex / Cursor / OpenCode conversations. Providers are detected independently, so a missing agent never blocks the others; projects are never scanned without explicit consent.

4. Set up the current project: click "Set Up This Project". If the folder is inside a parent Git repository, you will be asked to choose an independent directory identity or the parent repository identity.

5. Rename and reopen the folder: close the Codex terminal, rename the folder outside VS Code, reopen it, then click "Refresh Conversations".

6. Resume the original conversation or start a new one: hover a conversation row and click the continue icon. ChatAnchor opens an integrated terminal running codex resume --cd <new-path> <thread-id>, agent --resume <chat-id> --workspace <new-path>, or opencode <new-path> --session <id> at the new path. You can also use the title-bar plus button, or the plus button on a provider group, to start a new Codex / Cursor / OpenCode session directly in the project.

7. Organize the list: right-click a conversation to edit its description, hide it, generate compact context, or run Reveal Conversation File for Codex / Cursor conversations. The title-bar eye button shows hidden conversations or unhides them all.

8. Carry context across agents: right-click a historical conversation and choose Copy Compact @ Transcript. The first use asks for confirmation before reading the conversation body; then ChatAnchor writes a compact local Markdown file and copies its @path for pasting into another agent.

Link Management Examples

For everyday cleanup, use Hide Conversation. Open link management only when a conversation belongs to the wrong ChatAnchor project.

Local data and privacy

ChatAnchor runs entirely on your machine. By default it only reads conversation metadata (title, timestamps, working directory, Git info), never reads message bodies, uploads nothing, and has no telemetry; scanning only happens after explicit project setup and consent.

Custom descriptions, hidden state, and project links are stored only in the local ChatAnchor registry. ChatAnchor does not modify the original Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode conversation data. Only explicit Export OpenCode JSON and Copy @ Path or Copy Compact @ Transcript actions read or write local conversation-content files, and those files stay on your machine.

Roadmap

ChatAnchor currently runs fully locally and uploads nothing. Cross-device conversation history sync (for example via a private sync folder or a self-hosted backend) is not implemented yet, but it is under consideration.

Reporting bugs

Feedback is welcome. File reproducible bugs or feature requests in GitHub Issues — please search existing issues first. For security issues, use GitHub private vulnerability reporting instead of a public issue.

Feedback and contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome:

• Contributions adding support for other coding agents (such as Claude Code, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot) are welcome; see the existing provider adapters in packages/core/src/;
• Remove absolute paths from screenshots and diagnostics; never upload ChatAnchor registry files, Codex transcripts, or unredacted local paths;
• Keep pull requests focused, describe the user impact, update tests or docs, and run pnpm check before submitting.

License

GPL-3.0 © 2026 ascendho

This project is licensed under GNU GPL-3.0. In short:

1. Attribution required — keep the copyright notice.
2. Derivatives must be open source — any modification, fork, or redistribution must be released under GPL-3.0 (or a compatible license) with full source code.
3. Free to use, modify, and redistribute — including commercial use; binary distributions must ship with the corresponding source.
4. No proprietary forks, paid-only redistribution, or relicensing to closed source.

Full terms: see LICENSE.