Show HN: Bobby, Self-Hosted Discord AI Code Assistant with Claude Code

1 point

a year ago

I built Bobby, a Discord bot that integrates Claude Code for codebase analysis while keeping everything completely self-hosted for privacy.

## The Problem

Development teams face constant interruptions: - Stakeholders asking "Does our app support X feature?" - Product managers creating vague tickets that need 3+ refinement cycles - Developers context-switching to answer basic codebase questions - Knowledge silos when team members are unavailable

## The Solution

Bobby acts as an always-available senior developer who knows your entire codebase. Built on Claude Code, it provides instant answers while maintaining complete privacy through self-hosting.

*Core capabilities:* - Analyzes code architecture and explains complex functions - Detects bugs and automatically creates GitHub issues - Answers stakeholder questions without developer interruption - Maintains conversation context via Discord threads - Read-only by design (analysis only, no code modifications)

## Technical Architecture

*Stack:* - Node.js/Bun runtime with Discord.js - Claude Code CLI for AI-powered analysis - GitHub CLI for automatic issue creation - Docker container with automated setup

*Key technical features:* - Streaming responses with real-time JSON parsing - Thread-based session management for context retention - Fire-and-forget concurrency model (each message spawns independent Claude process) - Comprehensive system prompt optimized for Discord constraints - Server whitelisting and permission controls

*One-line deployment:* ```bash docker run -d --name bobby \ -e DISCORD_TOKEN=token \ -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=key \ -e GITHUB_REPO=owner/repo \ stewart86/bobby:latest ```

## Privacy-First Design

Unlike SaaS alternatives: - Your code never leaves your infrastructure - You create and control your own Discord bot - Direct API relationship with Anthropic (no middleman) - Isolated Docker environment - Complete audit trail

## Real-World Impact

After months of dogfooding with my team: - 70% reduction in developer interruptions for basic questions - Stakeholders get instant answers instead of waiting for meetings - Product tickets come with proper technical context - Bug detection during normal conversations

*Example workflow:* 1. PM asks: "Can users reset passwords via email?" 2. Bobby analyzes authentication flow and responds in 30 seconds 3. If bugs found, auto-creates GitHub issues with technical details

## Open Source & Production Ready

- *GitHub*: https://github.com/Stewart86/bobby - *Docker Hub*: https://hub.docker.com/r/stewart86/bobby - MIT licensed - Automated Docker publishing via GitHub Actions - Comprehensive documentation and setup guides

The combination of Claude Code's analysis power with Discord's accessibility creates a unique developer experience that closes the gap between AI tooling and team collaboration.

Built for teams who value both AI assistance and data privacy.