Apfel: Zero-Config CLI Exposes Apple Silicon's Built-In 3B LLM as OpenAI-Compatible Server with MCP Support

GitHub·high signal

Apfel (513 HN points, 117 comments) wraps Apple's FoundationModels framework into a brew-installable CLI exposing macOS Tahoe's built-in 3B parameter LLM three ways: as a UNIX CLI, an OpenAI-compatible HTTP server, and an interactive chat. Since v0.7.0 it supports MCP via --mcp flag. All inference is on-device with zero API keys, no downloads, and no configuration. For builders, this is a free local LLM for testing MCP tools, rapid prototyping, and CI environments where cloud access is restricted.