Prepare your environment

After you install the app, you still need at least one working AI runtime and a project workspace.

1. Understand the dependencies

The desktop app is a full application. You do not need VS Code or IDEA. Chat still depends on a local runtime:

If you want	You need
Claude Code	Follow the guide to install the CLI and configure it
Codex	Follow the guide to install the CLI and configure it
Kimi / Grok / OpenCode / Pi	The matching command on this machine, plus local config or a third-party provider
DeepSeek Harness	Start DSH locally and finish its setup

Open Settings → CLI configuration (providers) to see detect status and install notes. Available engines and Coming soon items appear in separate groups.

2. Configure CLI

Open Settings → CLI configuration. The left list is grouped as Enabled / Disabled / Coming soon. Open an engine to detect its version, install or update the CLI, and configure credentials. Available engines and Coming soon entries both appear. If Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, Qwen, or similar sit under Coming soon, do not configure them as shipped runtimes.

Add a hosted provider: name, API key, base URL, model mapping
Or use local ~/.claude/settings.json / CLI login
Official direct traffic goes to Anthropic; third-party presets (Zhipu, Kimi, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and others) route to their endpoints
Hosted profiles live in ~/.ccgui/config.json
You can override the Claude CLI path
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: Claude Code.

Add a provider; config is written to ~/.codex/
Or use local config.toml / auth.json
For a subscription account, run codex login in a terminal first
You can add custom models and message / MCP environment variables
You can override the Codex CLI path
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: Codex.

Use local ~/.kimi-code/config.toml (override with $KIMI_CODE_HOME)
Or add a third-party provider: name, base URL, API key, model. Enabling it writes that config.toml (backed up first as config.toml.bak)
Provider types: Kimi Code official / OpenAI-compatible / Anthropic-compatible
Quick presets: Kimi Code (official), Moonshot Open Platform
You can override the Kimi CLI path
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: Kimi.

Use local ~/.grok/config.toml (override with $GROK_HOME)
Or add a third-party provider: name, base URL, API key, model. Enabling it writes that config.toml (backed up first as config.toml.bak)
API backends: Chat Completions / Responses / Messages (Anthropic)
Quick preset: xAI (official)
You can override the Grok CLI path
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: Grok.

Use local ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json ($OPENCODE_CONFIG wins)
Or add a third-party provider: name, base URL, API key, model list. Hosted providers use env injection and do not change opencode.json
Quick preset: OpenCode Zen (official)
You can override the OpenCode CLI path, or move this engine to Disabled
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: OpenCode.

Auth lives in ~/.pi/agent/auth.json (mode 0600)
You can enter API keys for Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, xAI, OpenRouter, and others
For subscription auth, click Log in: the app opens the built-in terminal, starts pi, then sends a command such as /login anthropic. You can also run pi /login in a system terminal. The app does not run OAuth for you; it only reads auth.json
Resolve order: --api-key → auth.json → environment variables → models.json
You can override the Pi CLI path
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: Pi.

The app connects to a local DSH host. It does not take another API key
Set Host (default 127.0.0.1) and Port (default 3080)
You can turn on Auto-start host
Configure models and API keys in the DSH Web UI. Click Open DSH settings
You can override the DSH binary path
If it is not installed, click Install on that page, or install from the terminal commands on the engine page

Details: DeepSeek Harness.

Full notes for each engine are in the sidebar Providers / CLI group. Detect and PATH troubleshooting: Detect and install.

API keys stay on this computer. Mask them before you screenshot or record.

3. Install CLI

The app does not silently install any CLI. In CLI configuration, click Install / Update (it shows a plan first, then runs after you confirm), or install in a system terminal and come back to Settings to detect again. Install commands live on each engine page so this page does not copy them:

Engine	Install notes
Claude Code	Install
Codex	Install
Kimi	Install
Grok	Install (use WSL on Windows)
OpenCode	Install
Pi	Install
DeepSeek Harness	Install

Failed detects, PATH, and custom paths: Detect and install.

4. Config paths

Path	Use
`~/.ccgui`	CCGUI config
`~/.claude/settings.json`	Claude Code CLI config
`~/.codex/config.toml`, `auth.json`	Codex CLI config
`~/.kimi-code/config.toml`	Kimi CLI config
`~/.grok/config.toml`	Grok CLI config
`~/.config/opencode/opencode.json`	OpenCode CLI config
`~/.pi/agent/auth.json`	Pi CLI config

5. Add a project workspace

The app organizes sessions and files as a workspace / project:

Open Home
Click Add project
Choose a local folder
Confirm to enter that workspace

Without a workspace, file references, the Git panel, and project memory have no root.

6. Auto-update

The app has a built-in updater. It reads latest.json from GitHub Releases. When a new version is available, follow the prompt to install. Next: Send the first message.

Get started

Guides

Providers / CLI

Advanced

Community

Prepare your environment

1. Understand the dependencies

2. Configure CLI

3. Install CLI

4. Config paths

5. Add a project workspace

6. Auto-update

​1. Understand the dependencies

​2. Configure CLI

​3. Install CLI

​4. Config paths

​5. Add a project workspace

​6. Auto-update

1. Understand the dependencies

2. Configure CLI

3. Install CLI

4. Config paths

5. Add a project workspace

6. Auto-update