Send the first message

Once the environment is ready, use the shortest path to prove the app works: add a project → choose a provider → send a message.

Open a project

Launch ccgui
On Home, pick an existing workspace or Add project
After you enter the project, the chat canvas is in the middle and the input is at the bottom

Open the provider / model picker at the bottom of the input and pick one:

Goal	Choose	Still needed
Fastest check	Claude Code	An API key or CLI login
OpenAI ecosystem	Codex	Codex config or `~/.codex/`
Local CLI	Kimi / Grok / OpenCode / Pi	The command on PATH, plus a local config or provider in CLI configuration
Host runtime	DeepSeek Harness	DSH running and host/port reachable

For the first try, use Claude Code. Per-engine notes: Providers / CLI.

In the input, type:

Describe this project's stack in one sentence.

Press Enter to send. If you changed the send shortcut to Cmd/Ctrl+Enter, use that instead. When it works you will see:

Type @ to search and attach a project file
Drag a file from the file tree into the input
Type / to try a slash command
Type ! to try a prompt; pick an agent from the input toolbar; type @@ to try project memory

Prompt	Cause	Next step
Provider not configured	The current runtime has no working credentials	Prepare your environment or Provider overview
CLI not installed	The matching binary is missing	Detect and install
No workspace	You have not added a project	Prepare your environment
Permission dialog stays open	Default mode is waiting for you	Modes and permissions

More troubleshooting: FAQ.