🐈 **nanobot** is an open-source, ultra-lightweight personal AI agent you can truly own. It keeps the agent core small and readable while giving you the practical pieces for real long-running work: WebUI, chat channels, tools, memory, MCP, model routing, automation, and deployment.
| Deploy to the cloud or keep nanobot running as a service | [Deployment](./docs/deployment.md), including [one-click Render setup](./docs/deployment.md#render) |
The Agency Release turns nanobot from a durable workbench into an agent runtime that can coordinate helpers, switch models per session, and carry authorized work through to completion.
Prerequisites: Python 3.11 or newer. Git is only needed for a source install. Published packages already include the WebUI; a current-source install needs `bun` or `npm` to build it.
If terminals, API keys, or config files are new to you, use the guided zero-background walkthrough in [Start Without Technical Background](./docs/start-without-technical-background.md) instead of this compact README path.
The default command installs or upgrades `nanobot-ai` from PyPI, then starts `nanobot onboard --wizard`. It avoids system-wide pip installs by using an active virtual environment, `uv`, `pipx`, or a managed venv under `~/.nanobot/venv`. If Quick Start finishes, skip the manual initialize/configure steps below and go straight to **Open the WebUI**. The installer also prints the exact command it used to run nanobot; reuse that full command below if `nanobot` is not on `PATH`.
If pip reports `externally-managed-environment` on macOS or Linux, use the one-command installer, `uv tool install nanobot-ai`, `pipx install nanobot-ai`, or install inside a virtual environment.
On Windows, if pip reports that it cannot launch `npm`, run `cd webui`, `npm.cmd install --package-lock=false`, `npm.cmd run build`, and `cd ..` in order, then retry the install. Contributors who need an editable checkout should follow [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](./CONTRIBUTING.md) and [`webui/README.md`](./webui/README.md).
If `nanobot` is not on `PATH`, invoke it through the method that installed it: reuse the recommended installer's command, use `uv tool run --from nanobot-ai nanobot ...` or `pipx run --spec nanobot-ai nanobot ...`, or use the Python executable from the environment where pip installed the package.
`nanobot onboard` creates `~/.nanobot/config.json` and `~/.nanobot/workspace/`. Configure these **two parts** in the config file. Add or merge the following blocks into the existing file instead of replacing the whole file.
The example below uses a generic OpenAI-compatible `custom` provider so the compact path does not recommend one hosted service. Provider examples are recipes, not rankings or endorsements. For copyable provider-specific setup, see [Provider Cookbook](./docs/provider-cookbook.md).
Direct `agents.defaults.provider` and `agents.defaults.model` still work for existing configs, but named presets are the recommended path because they also power `/model` switching and `fallbackModels`.
For another provider, the same config shape still applies:
| Replace | Where |
|---|---|
| Provider config key | `providers.<provider>` |
| API key | `providers.<provider>.apiKey` |
| Preset provider name | `modelPresets.primary.provider` |
| Model ID | `modelPresets.primary.model` |
| Endpoint URL, only when needed | `providers.<provider>.apiBase` |
Leave the terminal open and visit `http://127.0.0.1:8765`. Current source versions also provide `nanobot webui`, which prepares the local WebSocket channel if needed, starts the gateway, and opens the browser automatically. The first-run WebUI binds to `127.0.0.1` by default, so it is not exposed to your LAN. Prefer not to keep a terminal open? Use `nanobot gateway --background`, then manage it with `nanobot gateway status`, `logs`, `restart`, and `stop`.
In `nanobot status`, it is normal for most providers to say `not set`. The active preset's provider should be configured, and `Config` plus `Workspace` should show check marks.
Need help with `PATH`, API keys, provider/model matching, or JSON errors? See the fuller [Install and Quick Start](./docs/quick-start.md) and [Troubleshooting](./docs/troubleshooting.md).
- Want a pasteable provider setup? See [Provider Cookbook](./docs/provider-cookbook.md)
- Want to understand provider/model matching? See [Providers and Models](./docs/providers.md)
- Want web search, MCP, security settings, or more config options? See [Configuration](./docs/configuration.md)
- Want to run locally? See [Ollama](./docs/providers.md#ollama), [vLLM or another local OpenAI-compatible server](./docs/providers.md#vllm-or-other-local-openai-compatible-server), and the full [provider reference](./docs/configuration.md#providers).
The WebUI ships **inside the published wheel** — no extra build step. It is the browser workbench for topics, workspace controls, Apps, Skills, Automations, and settings. For the full user guide, see [`docs/webui.md`](./docs/webui.md).
On current source versions, the command enables the local WebSocket channel after confirmation, starts the gateway, and opens [`http://127.0.0.1:8765`](http://127.0.0.1:8765). If your installed stable release does not include `nanobot webui`, run `nanobot gateway` and open that address manually. To open it from another device on your LAN, see [WebUI docs -> LAN access](./docs/webui.md#lan-access).
🐈 nanobot stays lightweight by centering everything around a small agent loop: messages come in from chat apps, the LLM decides when tools are needed, and memory or skills are pulled in only as context instead of becoming a heavy orchestration layer. That keeps the core path readable and easy to extend, while still letting you add channels, tools, memory, and deployment options without turning the system into a monolith.
Browse the [repo docs](./docs/README.md) for the latest features and GitHub development version, or visit [nanobot.wiki](https://nanobot.wiki/docs/latest/getting-started/nanobot-overview) for the stable release documentation.
Nanobot was started by [Xubin Ren](https://github.com/re-bin) as a personal open-source project and is now maintained collaboratively with contributors from the open-source community. Feel free to contact [xubinrencs@gmail.com](mailto:xubinrencs@gmail.com) for questions, ideas, or collaboration.
