# Quick Start

From zero to AI-assisted coding in under a minute.

## 1. Install

    npm install -g clew-code
    clew --version

Make sure Bun 1.3+ is installed first. The npm package does not bundle Bun.

## 2. Set a Provider Key

Set at least one API key as an environment variable. See Providers for all 27 options.

    # Anthropic (recommended for best tool calling)
    export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

    # Or DeepSeek
    export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=sk-...

    # Or Google Gemini
    export GOOGLE_API_KEY=...

## 3. Launch

    cd /path/to/your/project
    clew

The terminal UI starts with model name, provider, and context usage in the status bar.

## 4. First Commands

    > "explain this project's structure"

    > "find all the test files"

    > /status          # Check model, provider, API status

    > /model sonnet    # Switch model (alias or full ID)

    > /doctor          # Run environment diagnostics

## 5. Key Commands to Know

Command | Use
--- | ---
`/clear` | Clear conversation and free context
`/compact` | Compress context to save tokens
`/model <name>` | Switch model or provider
`/permissions` | Manage tool permission rules
`/plan` | Toggle plan mode
`/config` | Open config panel
`/help` | Show all available commands

## 6. Sessions

    # Continue last conversation
    clew -c

    # Resume a specific session
    clew -r

    # Print mode (non-interactive, pipe-friendly)
    clew -p "find all unused exports"

    # With structured output
    clew -p --output-format json "list all dependencies"

Tips Type `/` to discover all commands. Use `/powerup` for interactive lessons. Set `--model sonnet` at startup to skip the default model.