The goal is small: get one local nanobot reply in your browser. Do not connect Telegram, Discord, Docker, local models, or deployment yet. Those are easier after the first reply works.
You will paste commands into a terminal. Copy only the command text inside each code block; do not copy the ``` marks.
| System | How to open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Press `Win`, type `PowerShell`, then open **Windows PowerShell**. |
| macOS | Press `Command` + `Space`, type `Terminal`, then press `Enter`. |
| Linux | Open your app launcher, search for `Terminal`, then open it. |
When the terminal opens, click inside it, paste the command, and press `Enter`. If a command prints text and returns to a prompt, that is usually normal.
## 2. Install Python
Install Python 3.11 or newer from [python.org](https://www.python.org/downloads/).
On Windows, enable **Add python.exe to PATH** during installation if the installer shows that option.
In that terminal, check Python:
```bash
python --version
```
If Windows says `python` is not found, close and reopen PowerShell. If it still does not work, try:
```bash
py --version
```
If `py` works but `python` does not, replace `python` with `py` in the commands below.
If macOS or Linux says `python` is not found, try:
```bash
python3 --version
```
If `python3` works but `python` does not, replace `python` with `python3` in the manual commands below. The one-command installer already checks both `python3` and `python`.
nanobot does not create AI accounts or API keys for you. Use an AI provider account, company endpoint, subscription endpoint, or local model server that you already control. If the provider has an OpenAI-compatible base URL in its docs, keep that nearby too.
The easiest path is the one-command installer. It installs or upgrades nanobot, then starts the setup wizard. On macOS and Linux it avoids system-wide pip installs by using an active virtual environment, `uv`, `pipx`, or a managed venv under `~/.nanobot/venv`.
If pip reports `externally-managed-environment` on macOS or Linux, go back to the one-command installer, use `uv tool install nanobot-ai`, use `pipx install nanobot-ai`, or create a virtual environment first.
For the first setup, choose `[Q] Quick Start (provider + key)`. It configures the recommended local browser UI and default AI settings for you. Use `Advanced Settings` later only if you need a provider that is not in the Quick Start menu, a chat app, or a tool setup.
If you already know that you need a provider or endpoint that is not in the Quick Start menu, choose `Advanced Settings` instead. [`provider-cookbook.md`](./provider-cookbook.md) has copyable examples for several common provider setups. After you change advanced settings, a save option appears in the main menu. Choose `[S] Save and Exit`.
Most docs examples are snippets, not whole files. Your `config.json` has one outer `{ ... }`. Add new top-level sections such as `providers`, `modelPresets`, `agents`, or `channels` inside that same outer object.
Do not paste two separate JSON objects into one file:
Notice the comma after the `providers` block. JSON needs commas between sibling sections, but not after the last section. If this feels hard, use `nanobot onboard` whenever possible.
First check that nanobot can read the saved setup:
```bash
nanobot status
```
This should show the config file path, workspace path, and the active model or preset. If `nanobot` is not found, use `python -m nanobot status`, `python3 -m nanobot status`, or `py -m nanobot status`, matching the Python command that worked in step 2.
It is normal for most providers to say `not set`. Only the provider you selected for the active preset needs to look configured.
If that works, nanobot is installed and can call the model. You should see a normal assistant reply in the browser. The exact words will differ, but it should look like this shape:
Once this works, nanobot can help with its own next setup step. In the browser UI, ask it to read these docs and update your current config for one specific goal, then run `/restart` when nanobot tells you the config is ready. For example, ask it to add one provider preset or configure one chat app.
| `nanobot: command not found` | The install worked in Python, but your shell cannot find the script. Use `python -m nanobot ...`, `python3 -m nanobot ...`, or `py -m nanobot ...`, matching the Python command that worked earlier. |
| No response after editing config | Restart the command. Long-running processes read config when they start. |
For a fuller diagnosis path, see [`troubleshooting.md`](./troubleshooting.md).
## What Not to Configure Yet
Skip these until the first local message works:
- `apiBase`: hosted built-in providers often already have default endpoints. You only need `apiBase` for local models, proxies, custom OpenAI-compatible providers, or special regional/subscription endpoints.
If `nanobot` is not found, run `python -m nanobot gateway`, `python3 -m nanobot gateway`, or `py -m nanobot gateway`, matching the Python command that worked earlier. More details are in [`webui.md`](./webui.md).
1. Read the section for one app in [`chat-apps.md`](./chat-apps.md).
2. Add only that app's config snippet. Merge it into the existing file instead of replacing the whole file.
3. Run:
```bash
nanobot channels status
nanobot gateway
```
4. Leave the gateway terminal open, then send a message from the allowed account.
Start with a private chat or a test server. Do not set `allowFrom` to `["*"]` unless you intentionally want anyone who can reach that channel to talk to the bot.
### Change Models or Add Backups
Use [`providers.md`](./providers.md) when a provider/model pair fails, and [`provider-cookbook.md`](./provider-cookbook.md) when you want copyable snippets. Keep model choices in `modelPresets`, then select the active one with `agents.defaults.modelPreset`.
