Tingly Box For VSCode
Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) — True AI Freedom for VSCode
Transform GitHub Copilot Chat into a universal AI gateway. Connect any OpenAI or Anthropic compatible provider with your own keys — no vendor lock-in, no proxies, direct API connections.
Why BYOK?
- 🔑 Your Keys — Stored locally in VSCode's SecretStorage
- 🌐 Direct API — Extension → Your provider (no intermediaries)
- 🔄 Instant Switch — Change providers via status bar
- 🏢 Self-Hosted — Use local models, private clouds
Features
- Status Bar Switcher — Instantly switch between OpenAI ↔ Anthropic API styles
- Secure Storage — Tokens encrypted in VSCode's SecretStorage
- Model Discovery — Auto-fetch models from your endpoint
- Streaming & Tools — Full chat streaming and tool calling support
Quick Start
- Install extension from Marketplace
- Click status bar "⚠️ Setup Required"
- Configure:
- Base URL:
https://api.openai.com/v1
- Token: Your API key
- API Style:
OpenAI or Anthropic
- Start chatting in Copilot Chat!
Switch API Styles
Click status bar → Select API style → Models auto-fetch
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Tingly Box: Manage Settings |
Open configuration webview |
Tingly Box: Fetch Models |
Refresh models from API |
Tingly Box: Start/Stop Server |
Manage Tingly Box server |
Tingly Box: Show Status |
View connection status |
Status Bar
- ⚠️ Setup Required — Click to configure
- ✅ N Models [OpenAI] — Connected, click to switch style
- ✅ N Models [Anthropic] — Connected, click to switch style
- ⊘ Disconnected — Connection failed
BYOK Architecture
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ VSCode Chat │────────▶│ Tingly Box │────────▶│ Your API │
│ (Copilot) │◀────────│ Extension │◀────────│ Endpoint │
└─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
│
▼
┌──────────────┐
│ SecretStorage│
│ (Your Token) │
└──────────────┘
Key Guarantees: Direct connection • Local storage • No telemetry • Open source (MPL-2.0)
Supported Providers
OpenAI Style: OpenAI, Azure, Together, Groq, Anyscale, any /v1 compatible
Anthropic Style: Anthropic Claude, any Anthropic compatible
Self-Hosted: Ollama, LocalAI, corporate gateways
Why Tingly Box?
| Feature |
Tingly Box |
Copilot |
Others |
| BYOK Support |
✅ True BYOK |
❌ |
⚠️ Limited |
| Direct API |
✅ Yes |
❌ |
⚠️ Proxy |
| Multi-Provider |
✅ OpenAI + Anthropic |
❌ |
⚠️ Specific |
| Self-Hosted |
✅ Yes |
❌ |
⚠️ Rare |
| Open Source |
✅ MPL-2.0 |
❌ |
⚠️ Varies |
| Local Storage |
✅ SecretStorage |
❌ |
⚠️ Cloud |
| Status Switch |
✅ Instant |
N/A |
❌ |
Settings
tinglybox.debug — Enable debug logging (default: false)
Troubleshooting
- Connection failed → Check Base URL includes
/v1, verify token
- No models → Run "Fetch Models" command
- Switch not working → Ensure both API styles configured
Requirements
- VS Code 1.104.0+
- API key from your provider
License
MPL-2.0 — Free for personal and commercial use
Tingly Box: Your AI, Your Keys, Your Control 🚀
Marketplace • GitHub • Issues
