Prepare one local file brief before paying for cloud AI
Turn a small folder of safe working copies into a reviewed brief, visible source trail and specific cloud upgrade decision.
A compact local-file briefing pack: one bounded sample folder, Markdown working copies, a source-linked local brief, a review checklist, named Git checkpoints and one justified stay-local-or-upgrade decision.
Start with the output and folder boundary, not an AI membership. It has not been run in those tools and does not claim a provider result, privacy audit or customer outcome. The visual is a FreeStack editorial concept rather than a Hob screenshot.
About this guide & its examples
This original FreeStack workflow uses fictional files to plan one local brief with Hob, MarkItDown and Git. Official sources checked 29 October 2026.
Illustrations are FreeStack concepts, not provider screenshots. Check the free limits below and test your own files before delivery.
Free boundaries before you start
What’s free, whether you need an account, and when we last checked.
Hob · checked 2026-10-29
Free MIT-licensed desktop AI app for macOS, Windows and Linux with no Hob account or subscription. Models and chats run locally; the user chooses folders, approves file changes and can undo them. Official guidance lists 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB useful, about 10–25 GB free disk for common models and roughly 75 GB for the largest. Downloads, hardware, optional web search, MCP connectors and model licences remain separate.
The official site states that no Hob account is required. Model downloads and any optional connected services can have their own access or network requirements.
MarkItDown · checked 2026-10-29
Free MIT-licensed local Python utility for converting common documents and media to Markdown. There is no provider conversion quota. Output can lose layout or structure and must be compared with the original; optional OCR, model extensions and external services have separate requirements and terms.
No Microsoft account is required for the local Python package. Optional external services or gated inputs can require their own accounts.
Git · checked 2026-10-29
Free GPLv2 distributed version-control software for local repositories, with no provider project or history quota. Remote hosting, backup, access control and large-file storage are separate services.
No account is required for a local Git repository. Any remote host or sync service can require an account.
A small example to aim for
brief-sample/
Keep the source small.
Make approval visible.
Folder contract · checked conversions · source-linked draft · named Git checkpoints
FreeStack editorial workflow illustration · not a Hob screenshot, hands-on test or customer result.
Illustrative example · adapt it to your project.
Jump to a step
Write the folder contract first
Define one observable result: turn three fictional project notes into a one-page brief with a source line for every recommendation. Create a new folder for the exercise and list the file types, approver, retention rule and excluded material. Keep real customer records, passwords, production repositories, email, cloud drives and external actions outside version one. Decide whether the brief may only read files or may also write a reviewed output file.
Prepare safe working copies
Place only fictional or approved copies in a source folder. Use MarkItDown to convert representative office or PDF files to Markdown working copies where that helps inspection. Open the converted text and compare headings, tables, links and page order with the originals; conversion can lose layout, images or structure. Keep the originals unchanged and record the MarkItDown version and command beside the working copies.
Ask the local assistant for one brief
Install Hob only on an approved macOS, Windows or Linux machine with enough memory and disk. The official site states a minimum of 8 GB RAM, says 16 GB is useful and recommends roughly 10–25 GB free disk for common models, or about 75 GB for the largest. Point Hob at the exercise folder, leave web search and connectors off, and ask for a draft that names the source file beside each claim. Do not describe local execution as a security review.
Review before any file changes
Check every source line against the original fictional files. Reject unsupported statements, ambiguous dates and summaries that hide missing context. If Hob proposes a change, inspect the proposed path and content before approval, save to a new reviewed folder and use the documented undo route when needed. Keep the source folder read-only for the exercise. A fluent brief is still a draft that needs a named human approver.
Name the checkpoints
Create a Git repository for the exercise folder and make separate checkpoints for the folder contract, converted working copies, first brief and approved brief. Use messages that describe the decision. Review the diff before each checkpoint and exclude model files, caches, logs and confidential data. Local Git history makes changes inspectable; it is not an independent backup or access-control system.
Pay only for a requirement the local pack cannot meet
Keep the local route when one approved machine and one chosen folder produce a brief that a person can review. FreeStack editorial upgrade triggers: governed multi-user access, central audit retention, managed backup, supported OCR for difficult files, a larger approved model, cross-device availability, web-grounded research or a service-level commitment. Name and test the missing requirement with representative non-sensitive files before buying a provider membership.
Your workflow, connected.
Follow the steps and carry the output into the next stage. These are suggested handoffs, not automatic integrations.
- 02Make text inspectable
MarkItDown is an MIT-licensed local utility. Optional OCR and model extensions, input-document rights and external services remain separate.
Source files + checked Markdown copies - 03Draft locally
Hob is free, MIT-licensed desktop software with no app account or subscription. Models run locally; downloads, hardware, optional web search and MCP connectors remain separate boundaries.
Source-linked brief draft - 05Keep the trail
Git is free GPLv2 software. Remote hosting, backup, access control and large-file storage are separate.
Four named checkpoints
Provider information
Check current plans and documentation before committing to a workflow.
A couple of useful questions
Does Hob require an account or subscription?
The official site says no account and no subscription. The desktop app and models run locally, while downloads, optional web search, connectors and any services they reach remain separate network boundaries.
What stays free?
Hob, MarkItDown and Git all provide ongoing-free software routes. Your device, electricity, storage, backup, model downloads, optional external services and organisational review remain separate.
Why convert files before asking for a brief?
A Markdown working copy can make the text easier to inspect and version, but it is optional. Keep the original and compare the conversion because complex layout, tables, images and metadata may not survive.
What does Save this toolkit keep?
The existing FreeStack flow saves Hob, MarkItDown and Git to a private stack after sign-in. It does not copy files, install models, grant folder access, run a conversion, create a repository or buy a provider plan.
What would you try?
Share your result or ask a specific question about this workflow.
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