exoshell/docs/quickstart.md
2026-06-06 13:32:00 -07:00

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# Quickstart
This guide gets Exoshell running and shows the main Phase 2 workflow.
Exoshell suggests commands and explains system work. It does not execute commands.
## Prerequisites
Install a current Rust toolchain with `rustup`.
```sh
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs -o /tmp/rustup-init.sh
sh /tmp/rustup-init.sh -y --profile default --default-toolchain stable
. "$HOME/.cargo/env"
```
Check the toolchain:
```sh
cargo --version
rustc --version
rustfmt --version
```
On Ubuntu or WSL, provider dependencies may also need:
```sh
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pkg-config libssl-dev
```
## Configure a Provider
For OpenAI-compatible hosted providers, set an API key:
```sh
export OPENAI_API_KEY="..."
```
For a local OpenAI-compatible provider, create a config file:
```toml
[provider]
base_url = "http://localhost:11434/v1"
model = "local-model"
request_timeout_seconds = 120
[shell]
family = "posix"
[interaction]
stance = "operator"
```
Local provider URLs such as `localhost` and `127.0.0.1` do not require an API key.
## Start Exoshell
Run with defaults:
```sh
cargo run
```
Run with a config file:
```sh
cargo run -- --config path/to/config.toml
```
Select a shell family:
```sh
cargo run -- --shell posix
cargo run -- --shell powershell
```
Select an operating stance:
```sh
cargo run -- --stance audit
```
## First Session
At the prompt:
```text
exo> /help
```
Attach a note as explicit context:
```text
exo> /add-note this repo is a Rust CLI called Exoshell
```
Inspect context:
```text
exo> /context
exo> /context stats
```
Ask a question:
```text
exo> What should I inspect before changing command parsing?
```
Exoshell may return suggested commands in fenced shell blocks. Suggested commands are reviewable text. You decide whether to copy and run them in your shell.
## Context Tour
Context is explicit and session-scoped. Exoshell only sends enabled context to the model.
Add a file:
```text
exo> /add-file Cargo.toml
```
Add a shallow directory summary:
```text
exo> /add-dir src
```
Paste command output without Exoshell running the command:
```text
exo> /add-output
paste command output; finish with a single '.' line
... test result: ok
... .
```
Inspect one entry:
```text
exo> /context show ctx-001
```
Control inclusion:
```text
exo> /context disable ctx-001
exo> /context enable ctx-001
```
Control pruning preference:
```text
exo> /context pin ctx-001
exo> /context priority ctx-001 high
```
Remove an entry:
```text
exo> /context remove ctx-001
```
## Stance Tour
Stances change the compact behavior fragment in the prompt.
Show the current stance:
```text
exo> /stance
```
Switch stance:
```text
exo> /stance operator
exo> /stance audit
exo> /stance teach
exo> /stance quiet
```
Use `operator` for concise next steps, `audit` for risk review, `teach` for fuller explanations, and `quiet` for minimal prose.
## Command Suggestion Tour
When a model response includes shell fenced blocks, Exoshell assigns command IDs such as `cmd-001`.
Print a suggested command:
```text
exo> /copy cmd-001
```
Clipboard support is not implemented yet, so `/copy` prints the command. It does not execute it.
Explain a suggestion:
```text
exo> /explain cmd-001
```
Discard a suggestion:
```text
exo> /discard cmd-001
```
Risk warnings are heuristic. Treat a warning as a prompt for careful review. Lack of a warning does not prove a command is safe.
## Session Panel
Show the current operating state:
```text
exo> /panel
```
The panel includes stance, shell family, provider/model, transcript state, context entries, and prompt estimates.
## Multi-Line Prompts
Use `/multi` for longer prompts:
```text
exo> /multi
multi-line input; finish with a single '.' line
... Review this plan:
... 1. Add parser tests.
... 2. Refactor command rendering.
... .
```
## Piped Input
Pipe text into Exoshell as explicit context:
```sh
printf 'build failed in openssl-sys\n' | cargo run
```
Exoshell records piped content as user-provided context. It does not claim to know the upstream command unless you provide that separately.
## Quality Checks
Run:
```sh
cargo fmt --check
cargo test
cargo clippy --all-targets --all-features
```
If `cargo test` fails on Ubuntu or WSL with an OpenSSL or `pkg-config` error, install:
```sh
sudo apt install pkg-config libssl-dev
```
## Exit
Quit the REPL:
```text
exo> /exit
```
If transcripts are enabled, Exoshell writes a markdown transcript at shutdown.