Docs · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers about privacy, models, permissions and troubleshooting.
Does anything I say leave my machine?
Local models run on the computer hosting them, and conversations are stored locally as plain JSON. Cloud models, web research and other connected tools send the data needed for their requests to the configured services. Downloads and update checks also use the network. The website’s support and article assistants are hosted services; see the data terms before sharing information.
What does "paid model" mean?
A paid model is a cloud model used through OpenRouter with your own key. You pay per call, each step is recorded, and spending is capped by the limit you set in the Money panel. When the limit is reached, paid models stop and the figures are shown. Local models are never limited.
Why did priestai launch qwen refuse?
Because "qwen" could mean more than one of your installed models, and the resolver will not choose for you. The refusal names every candidate. Type more of the name and it uses that one. The same rule refuses a short name that matches nothing: it names what would have worked instead of sending your typo to a paid API.
Why was a tool refused when nothing asked me?
A disabled tool is refused in every permission mode, including bypass. The message identifies the tool and the reason. Review the tool switches in the panel if you want to enable it.
Can I keep working when the internet is down?
Yes, once the runtime and model are installed on your computer. Cloud models, web research, downloads and remote services need a connection. The panel shows which model servers are available.
Where do my conversations live?
On your disk, as plain JSON, in the install's chats folder. The engine also keeps tool-run records. Local files remain accessible to people and software with permission to read or change them. /chats in the console lists conversations; priestai resume continues the newest.
What should I do first when something breaks?
Start with the status command. The test suite is available for further diagnosis:
PAVONA> python run-tests.py # the same checks this release shipped against
Then use News → Report a problem in the panel. It composes the whole report on your screen (version, system, whether Ollama answers, which model is selected) and shows you the text before sending. Review it and remove private paths, credentials, personal information and conversation content you do not want to share. The full walk-through is on Support.
How do updates work?
Each release is checked before it ships, with the full test suite, a preflight of the built tree and an identity scan. It is verified against its published hash before it installs. You say yes to the install; if the new build fails to start, the panel restores the previous build by itself. The patch notes page and your News panel say what changed.
How do music and ambient fractals work?
The listening room is a dock in the corner of the home page and a widget in the app under Settings → Personalize, below Appearance. Each names the track before anything loads. On the home page, press Play to connect to Spotify and hear Mastodon's Feast Your Eyes; close the dock to remove it, and closing is remembered on that browser. In the app, choose Load Spotify player to open Mastodon's Tread Lightly, and Unload Spotify player to remove it — leaving or replacing the settings view also removes it. Open in Spotify provides a direct link when the embed is unavailable. Spotify controls playback and availability.
Ambient fractals start off and work independently of the player. Turn them on for subtle movement inside the glass. Your computer's reduced-motion setting takes priority; the cursor light is separate. PAVONA does not analyze the music, request Spotify credentials, capture audio, or use the microphone. Spotify connects only when you press Play, choose Load Spotify player, or open the direct link.