{
  "id": 16459378,
  "title": "# SlothSort: a local-first file organizer for people who would rather not sort files",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/slothsort-a-local-first-file-organizer-for-people-who-would-rather",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-25T10:16:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/nirajthapawork/-slothsort-a-local-first-file-organizer-for-people-who-would-rather-not-sort-files-4dni"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Title: SlothSort: Simplifying Local File Organization for Busy Users\n\nSlothSort is a Python command-line tool designed to help users manage their files without the hassle of manually sorting them into appropriate folders. Created for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 3, this app is ideal for those who would rather not sort files but still want a tidy Downloads folder.\n\nThe tool sorts files into folders such as Documents, Images, Videos, Audio, Code, and Archives. Users can preview a cleanup, organize the files in one pass, or watch for new files and sort them after they finish downloading. SlothSort skips hidden and temporary files, avoids overwriting duplicate names, and never opens file contents.\n\nTo use SlothSort, simply run the command python main.py followed by the path to your Downloads folder. You can add the --dry-run option to preview proposed moves, or the --once or --watch options to organize the folder once or watch for new files, respectively.\n\nSlothSort is a local command-line app, not a hosted web page. It uses Ollama, a local AI service, to classify file names based on filename and extension rules. If Ollama is unavailable or does not return a recognized category, SlothSort will fall back to its built-in rules. The tool is written in Python and can be run from a terminal without the need for a hosted AI API.\n\nThe project's source code is available on GitHub, and users can install the required Python dependencies using pip install -r requirements.txt. To run the local model classification, install Ollama and pull the gemma3:4b model with ollama pull gemma3:4b. Even without the Ollama model, SlothSort's built-in rules ensure that users can still organize their files effectively.",
  "summary": "This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 3: Slow and Steady . What I Built My Downloads folder tends to collect files faster than I feel like organizing them. SlothSort is a small Python command-line tool that sorts files into folders such as Documents, Images, Videos, Audio, Code, and Archives. Point it at a folder to preview a cleanup or organize the files in one…",
  "key_points": [
    "SlothSort organizes files locally without manual sorting",
    "Python command-line tool for managing files",
    "GitHub repository available for source code"
  ],
  "editors_take": "By integrating local AI classification with traditional rule-based fallback, this tool provides a privacy-focused way for users to automate digital clutter management without relying on external web services.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}