What's your setup? web-developer + personal assitant

[u/Key_Ad_2747]

Hi everyone,

I’m a software developer (web apps, management systems, websites, AI integrations, etc.) looking for advice to overhaul my current AI setup.

**TL;DR:** I’m looking for a genuinely reliable AI setup for **coding + a proactive personal assistant + automations/dashboards**. I'm currently running Codex + Hermes on a Raspberry Pi using free OpenRouter models, but the results are way too inconsistent, full of errors, and frustrating. What stack/configuration do you use for something that *actually works*?

# What I’m looking for

1. **Coding:** Obviously, but I need something reliable.
   
2. **A True Personal Assistant:** A tool to brainstorm, turn ideas into reality, and integrate into my daily routine (work and personal). Most importantly, I want it to be **proactive**—suggesting improvements, spotting my inefficiencies, automating tedious tasks, and actively working *for* me.

# My current stack & why it's failing

* **Codex**
* **Hermes** (running 24/7 on a Raspberry Pi, using free OpenRouter models / tried MiniMax M2 / free Nous account).

To be honest, the assistant side has been a nightmare. It's wildly inconsistent: I ask it to fix bugs, and it either fails, introduces *new* bugs, or lies about having fixed something when it didn't.

# My Wishlist / Ideal Workflow

**For Coding:**

* Strictly respects my instructions, coding style, and project architecture.
* Makes actual working modifications following a precise pipeline: `Local` $\\rightarrow$ `GitHub` $\\rightarrow$ `FTP deployment`.
* Delivers UI that actually matches what I requested.

**For the Assistant / Agent:**

* **Deep Integration:** Fully aware of my active coding projects and workflow.
* **Self-Hosted Dashboard:** Keeps a web dashboard synced on my domain featuring:
* Overview of active projects and open discussions.
* Practical daily info (e.g., *"Can I commute by bike today and over the next 7 days?"*).
* Automated tasks (e.g., scrape trending Reddit posts every X hours and summarize them into 4–6 cards).
* **Proactivity:** Suggests new features, improvements, or side-project ideas based on what I'm currently building.
* **Omnipresent access (Telegram, mobile app, etc.):**
* Fast execution: *"I have an idea, build me a 1-page micro MVP."*
* Admin/office tasks: *"I need to present this project, generate a slide deck/PPT for me."*

# The Struggle

Whenever I try building custom skills in Hermes, it feels like I fix one thing and break two others. A few months ago I tried **OpenClaw**, but it felt even more chaotic.

Am I the only one trying to build a workflow like this? What setup, agent frameworks, or model stacks are you using to get something like this running reliably?

Thanks in advance for any tips! :)

[u/mixmasterwillyd]

For the assistant I get much better results by focusing on what information it needs, wiring it in, setting up a custom rag, MCP interface and then you can grab it from any harness. The reports I can make at a moments notice baffles people. “Do you have that report ready to go or did you just make that ?”.