Skills › Scientific Agent Skills › pi-agent › quickstart.md

quickstart.md

75 lines · skills/pi-agent/references/quickstart.md at 5f2bc03

Project instruction file

Open on GitHub

Most marks come from matching words in the file, so treat them as pointers.

1# Quickstart

3Source: https://pi.dev/docs/latest/quickstart

5Reviewed against Pi 0.99.2 and the package versions listed in `../SKILL.md` on 2026-09-30.

Quickstart

Source: https://pi.dev/docs/latest/quickstart

Reviewed against Pi 0.99.2 and the package versions listed in ../SKILL.md on 2026-09-30.

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7## Install and Uninstall

9```bash

10npm install -g --ignore-scripts @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

11```

13`--ignore-scripts` disables dependency lifecycle scripts. Pi does not need install scripts for normal npm installs.

15Uninstall with the package manager that installed Pi. The curl installer uses global npm, so curl and npm installs both remove with npm:

17```bash

18npm uninstall -g @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

19pnpm remove -g @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

20yarn global remove @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

21bun uninstall -g @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

22```

24Uninstalling Pi leaves settings, credentials, sessions, and installed packages in `~/.pi/agent/`.

Install and Uninstall

npm install -g --ignore-scripts @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

--ignore-scripts disables dependency lifecycle scripts. Pi does not need install scripts for normal npm installs.

Uninstall with the package manager that installed Pi. The curl installer uses global npm, so curl and npm installs both remove with npm:

npm uninstall -g @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent
pnpm remove -g @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent
yarn global remove @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent
bun uninstall -g @earendil-works/pi-coding-agent

Uninstalling Pi leaves settings, credentials, sessions, and installed packages in ~/.pi/agent/.

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26## Authenticate

28Use `/login` in interactive mode for subscription providers; built-in logins include OpenAI Sign in with ChatGPT, legacy OpenAI Codex, Claude, GitHub Copilot, Meta, xAI, OpenRouter, and Radius (available methods depend on the provider). API-key providers can be configured by environment variable or stored through `/login` in `~/.pi/agent/auth.json`.

30```bash

31export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

32pi

33```

35See `references/providers.md` for the full provider list.

Authenticate

Use /login in interactive mode for subscription providers; built-in logins include OpenAI Sign in with ChatGPT, legacy OpenAI Codex, Claude, GitHub Copilot, Meta, xAI, OpenRouter, and Radius (available methods depend on the provider). API-key providers can be configured by environment variable or stored through /login in ~/.pi/agent/auth.json.

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
pi

See references/providers.md for the full provider list.

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37## First Session

39```bash

40cd /path/to/project

41pi

42```

44By default the model gets four tools: `read`, `write` (create/overwrite), `edit` (patch), and `bash`. Read-only built-ins `grep`, `find`, and `ls` are available through tool options. Pi works in the current directory and can modify files there — use git or another checkpointing workflow for rollback.

First Session

cd /path/to/project
pi

By default the model gets four tools: read, write (create/overwrite), edit (patch), and bash. Read-only built-ins grep, find, and ls are available through tool options. Pi works in the current directory and can modify files there — use git or another checkpointing workflow for rollback.

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46## Project Instructions

48Pi loads context files at startup:

50- `~/.pi/agent/AGENTS.md`

51- `AGENTS.md` or `CLAUDE.md` from parent directories and the current directory

53A directory containing `AGENTS.override.md` contributes that file instead of its `AGENTS.md`/`CLAUDE.md`. Run `/reload` or restart after changing context files.

Project Instructions

Pi loads context files at startup:

~/.pi/agent/AGENTS.md
AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md from parent directories and the current directory

A directory containing AGENTS.override.md contributes that file instead of its AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md. Run /reload or restart after changing context files.

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Project instruction file AGENTS.md :50

Project instruction file CLAUDE.md :51

55## Common First Tasks

57```bash

58pi @README.md "Summarize this"

59pi @src/app.ts @src/app.test.ts "Review these together"

60!npm run lint

61!!npm run lint

62pi -c

63pi -r

64pi --name "my task"

65pi --session <path|id>

66pi -p "Summarize this codebase"

67cat README.md | pi -p "Summarize this text"

68pi -p @screenshot.png "What's in this image?"

69pi --mode json "List files"

70pi --mode rpc --no-session

71```

73Use `!command` to run shell and send output to the model; `!!command` runs without adding output to model context. Paste text or images with Ctrl+V (Alt+V on Windows and WSL), or drag images into supported terminals.

75Switch models with `/model` or Ctrl+L, cycle thinking level with Shift+Tab, and cycle scoped models with Ctrl+P / Shift+Ctrl+P.

Common First Tasks

pi @README.md "Summarize this"
pi @src/app.ts @src/app.test.ts "Review these together"
!npm run lint
!!npm run lint
pi -c
pi -r
pi --name "my task"
pi --session <path|id>
pi -p "Summarize this codebase"
cat README.md | pi -p "Summarize this text"
pi -p @screenshot.png "What's in this image?"
pi --mode json "List files"
pi --mode rpc --no-session

Use !command to run shell and send output to the model; !!command runs without adding output to model context. Paste text or images with Ctrl+V (Alt+V on Windows and WSL), or drag images into supported terminals.

Switch models with /model or Ctrl+L, cycle thinking level with Shift+Tab, and cycle scoped models with Ctrl+P / Shift+Ctrl+P.

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