Quickstart
Quickstart is the guided setup that takes you from a fresh install to a working agent in one pass. It runs on three surfaces: the CLI, the zerocode terminal interface, and the web gateway. All three drive the same underlying flow, so the config they produce is identical. Use whichever fits where you are.
Install
Unix fast path
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw/master/install.sh | sh
This route is noninteractive and does not open a picker.
It prefers a matching prebuilt binary and falls back to a source build when needed.
A prebuilt archive may contain zerocode; a noninteractive source fallback installs the default app without opening a picker.
The command uses a fixed feature set.
If a source build is needed, the installer can bootstrap Rust when it is missing.
On Unix, the installer updates the shell profile when allowed; reload the parent shell before relying on the new PATH.
The installer skips setup and prints zeroclaw quickstart as the next step.
Unix guided path
git clone https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw.git
cd zeroclaw
./install.sh
This route is guided and may offer supported choices.
On supported targets, it offers prebuilt or source installation.
A prebuilt archive may contain zerocode; a source choice selects it by default and allows app selection.
The source path also lets you select optional Cargo features.
If a source build is needed, the installer can bootstrap Rust when it is missing.
On Unix, the installer updates the shell profile when allowed; reload the parent shell before relying on the new PATH.
For an unconfigured install, it offers zeroclaw quickstart or browser-based Quickstart.
Windows prebuilt path
Use the PowerShell block in the Windows setup guide. Installation and PATH setup are idempotent; Quickstart still runs.
This route is noninteractive and does not open a picker.
This route installs a prebuilt release archive.
The archive may also contain zerocode; availability depends on the release asset.
The command uses a fixed feature set.
This prebuilt route does not require a Rust toolchain.
On Windows, the PowerShell path updates the current process and the persistent user PATH.
The PowerShell block finishes by running zeroclaw quickstart automatically.
Advanced source path
Unix
./install.sh --source
This route is guided and may offer supported choices.
This route always builds from source.
Source installation selects zerocode by default and lets you change the app selection.
The source path also lets you select optional Cargo features.
If a source build is needed, the installer can bootstrap Rust when it is missing.
On Unix, the installer updates the shell profile when allowed; reload the parent shell before relying on the new PATH.
For an unconfigured install, it offers zeroclaw quickstart or browser-based Quickstart.
Windows
cargo install --locked --path .
This route is noninteractive and does not open a picker.
This route always builds from source.
This command installs the core zeroclaw binary; it does not install optional apps.
The command uses a fixed feature set.
A Rust toolchain is required before using this command.
This Cargo command does not edit PATH; make sure Cargo’s bin directory is already available in your shell.
After installation, run zeroclaw quickstart.
The steps
Important: if any of these terms are unfamiliar, read Getting Started → Concepts first. It defines model provider, risk profile, alias, and the rest in one place.
Every surface walks the same checklist and writes the same config. Required steps must be satisfied before the agent can be created; optional steps can be skipped.
| Step | Required | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| Model provider | yes | Provider family (Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama, OpenRouter, …), its API key or endpoint, and the model. |
| Risk profile | yes | Autonomy and sandbox posture. Pick a preset or reuse an existing [risk_profiles.<alias>]. |
| Memory | yes | Memory backend (sqlite, markdown, postgres, qdrant, lucid, or none). |
| Channels | optional | Chat platforms (Telegram, Discord, Slack, …). The built-in cli channel always works; add others here or later. |
| Peer groups | optional | Multi-agent peer membership for the channels you configured. |
| Agent | yes | Agent alias, system prompt, and any personality files. |
The runtime profile is set automatically. Quickstart installs the
unboundedpreset for the new agent. Tune budgets and timeouts afterward by editing[runtime_profiles.<alias>](see Reference → Config).
CLI
The fastest path on a headless box or over SSH:
sh
zeroclaw quickstart
You answer one prompt per step in the terminal. The built-in cli channel
works immediately, so Channels and Peer groups can be skipped. For an
all-defaults, no-approvals config, see YOLO mode.
OpenAI Codex subscription auth
Quickstart can configure the OpenAI Codex subscription path without an API key.
Authenticate once, then choose OpenAI as the provider and set
Authentication to codex when prompted:
# If you already signed in with the Codex CLI:
zeroclaw auth login --model-provider openai-codex --import ~/.codex/auth.json
# Or start ZeroClaw's own OpenAI Codex login flow:
zeroclaw auth login --model-provider openai-codex
For scripted setup, openai-codex is accepted as a quickstart input alias and
writes the canonical [providers.models.openai.<alias>] entry:
zeroclaw quickstart --model-provider openai-codex --model gpt-5.4 --agent assistant
Claude subscription setup-token auth
Quickstart can also configure Claude/Anthropic with a normal Console API key or a token generated by Claude Max:
claude setup-token
zeroclaw quickstart --model-provider anthropic --model claude-sonnet-4-5 --agent assistant
Choose Anthropic, set Authentication to setup_token, then paste the
token from claude setup-token into the API key/token prompt. Scripted input
may use --model-provider claude as an alias. Quickstart still writes the
canonical [providers.models.anthropic.<alias>] entry; the token is stored
through the same credential path as api_key.
zerocode
In the zerocode terminal interface, the Quickstart pane is one of the tabs. Drive it with the keyboard:
Switch to the Quickstart pane:
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
Alt+← / Alt+b | prev pane |
Alt+→ / Alt+f | next pane |
Inside the pane:
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
k / ↑ | prev |
j / ↓ | next |
Enter | open |
q / Esc | leave |
c / C | create agent |
Mouse works too: click a tab in the mode bar to switch panes, click a step to select and open it, and scroll to move through the list.
Each step opens a modal that mirrors the checklist above, with a “Use existing” option that lists the matching aliases already in your config.
Web gateway
With the daemon running, open the dashboard in a browser:
sh
zeroclaw daemon
zeroclaw daemon runs the full runtime: the gateway, your configured channels,
the scheduler, and the heartbeat monitor. (zeroclaw gateway starts only the
HTTP gateway if that is all you need.)
Then visit http://127.0.0.1:42617/quickstart. A fresh install with no agents
configured redirects there automatically; afterward you can always reach it
from the dashboard navigation.
The web form presents the same steps as cards. On submit it applies your
submission through the daemon (POST /api/quickstart/apply), which returns a
structured error list if anything is invalid, then reloads the daemon in place
so the new agent is live without a restart. A separate
POST /api/quickstart/validate endpoint runs the same checks without applying,
for clients that want to validate first.
After Quickstart
- Drive it from zerocode: the terminal interface is the best
way to chat, watch live logs, manage config, and monitor the daemon, all in
one place. Just run
zerocode. - Quick one-off from the shell:
zeroclaw agent -a <alias> -m "your message". - Run always-on:
zeroclaw service install && zeroclaw service start. - Add channels later: Channels → Overview.
- Tune autonomy and budgets: Reference → Config.