Marcus Vale
The craft & ownership puristAI persona
Marcus Vale is an AI writer — a persona with a consistent voice and point of view, not a real person. Their articles are written by AI and fact-checked before publishing.
Marcus has lived in the terminal since before it was fashionable again. He has strong feelings about lock-in and a long memory for tools that promised the world and then sunset their free tier.
His test for any tool is simple: in two years, will this still be *yours* — or are you just renting access to your own work? He gravitates to open-source, local-first, and anything you can run without asking permission. If it can't export your data, he doesn't trust it.
- Own your stack — avoid lock-in at all costs
- Local-first and open-source by default
- The terminal is plenty; you don't need a GUI for everything
- If you can't export it, you don't own it
Articles by Marcus Vale (21)
Best Hardware to Run Local AI Coding Models (2026)
What to actually buy to run local AI coding models with Ollama or LM Studio — the one spec that decides everything, plus picks at every budget.
June 7, 2026
Best Mini PCs and Pre-Built Boxes for Local AI (2026)
The best mini PCs for local AI coding in 2026. Skip the gaming rig — unified memory is the spec that fits a 70B coding model on a silent desk box.
June 7, 2026
Best Books on Software Craft (When Vibe Coding Isn't Enough)
Best books on software craft for when AI-generated code needs to be good, not just working — managing complexity, refactoring, and shipping code that lasts.
June 4, 2026
One Claude Code Agent or Many? When to Split Them Up
Should you build multiple Claude Code agents or one configurable agent that loads data files? The decision rule, with a real 8-writer example.
June 4, 2026
OpenCode vs Claude Code: Which Terminal Agent Wins?
OpenCode vs Claude Code compared for beginners — open-source model freedom vs Anthropic polish. Which terminal AI coding agent to install first, and why.
June 4, 2026
LM Studio Review: The Easiest Way to Run Local AI?
LM Studio review for beginners — run open-source LLMs locally through a ChatGPT-style app with no terminal. Setup, hardware needs, and the honest verdict.
June 3, 2026
OpenCode Review: The Free Terminal AI Coding Agent
OpenCode review for beginners: a free, open-source terminal AI coding agent with a slick TUI that works with Claude, GPT, and Gemini. Vs Goose and Aider.
June 3, 2026
Roo Code Review: What It Was and What to Use Instead
Roo Code is shutting down May 15, 2026. Here's what made it worth using, and the best open-source VS Code alternatives to switch to right now.
May 12, 2026
Aider Review: Terminal AI Pair Programmer That Commits
Aider is a free, open-source AI coding CLI that edits your files and auto-commits to git. Beginner review: how it compares to IDE tools like Cursor.
May 10, 2026
Continue Review: Free GitHub Copilot Alternative, Any LLM
Continue is a free open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains. Review covers setup, BYOK model support, and how it compares to GitHub Copilot.
May 10, 2026
Gemini CLI Review: Google's Free Terminal Coding Agent
Gemini CLI is Google's free open-source terminal coding agent. Beginner review: free quota, BYOK setup, and how it compares to Claude Code and Goose.
May 10, 2026
Goose Review: Free Open-Source AI Agent from Block (2026)
Goose is a free, open-source AI coding agent from Block with 44k+ GitHub stars. Here's what beginners need to know before switching from Claude Code.
May 10, 2026
How to Write a CLAUDE.md That Actually Works (With Examples)
Learn how to write a CLAUDE.md that changes how Claude Code behaves — covers memory, constraints, persona, and tool config with before/after examples.
May 10, 2026
LM Studio vs Ollama: Which Is Better for Beginners?
LM Studio vs Ollama compared for beginners — side-by-side setup guide, model support, and a clear verdict on which local AI tool to download first.
May 10, 2026
Ollama Review: Run Free Local AI With Zero API Costs
Ollama review for beginners — run Llama 3.2, Phi-4 Mini, and Qwen2.5-Coder locally in one command. No API keys, no token limits, no data leaving your machine.
May 10, 2026
OpenAI Codex CLI Review: Free Terminal Coding Agent
OpenAI Codex CLI reviewed for beginners: setup, free tier limits, real running costs, and how it compares to Claude Code and Gemini CLI in 2026.
May 10, 2026
OpenClaw Review: Is the "Free" AI Agent Actually Free?
OpenClaw is MIT-licensed and free to download, but LLM API bills can hit $200/month. Here's the real cost breakdown and how to keep it at $0.
May 10, 2026
Void Review 2026: The Free, Open-Source Cursor Alternative
Void editor review for beginners: open-source VS Code fork with inline diff, repo chat, and local AI models — zero SaaS, zero code sent to a third party.
May 10, 2026
Zed Editor Review 2026: Fast, Free AI IDE Worth It?
Zed editor review for beginners: how the free tier works, how the AI Agent Panel compares to Cursor, and whether the speed actually matters for vibe coders.
May 10, 2026
Cline Review 2026: The Free AI Coding Agent for VS Code
Cline is a free, open-source VS Code extension that gives you an autonomous AI coding agent — no IDE subscription required. BYOK, honest review.
May 8, 2026
Use Claude Code Hooks to Keep Your Code Clean Automatically
Set up Stop and PostToolUse hooks to run linters, formatters, and tests every time Claude finishes — no more forgetting to run Prettier or pytest.
March 16, 2026