Quick Start Guide

Get your first Hoosh conversation running in under 5 minutes.

1. Initial Setup

Run the interactive setup wizard:

hoosh setup

The wizard will guide you through:

• Select your AI backend (Anthropic, OpenAI, Together AI, or Ollama)
• Configure API credentials (paste your API key or use environment variables)
• Choose your default model (e.g., Claude Sonnet, GPT-4, Llama 3)

You can re-run hoosh setup anytime to reconfigure.

2. Start a Conversation

Launch Hoosh in interactive mode:

hoosh

You'll see the Hoosh TUI interface with:

• Message input area at the bottom
• Conversation history above
• Status bar showing mode and configuration
• Tool execution feedback when AI uses tools

3. Have Your First Conversation

Type a message and press Enter. For example:

> How do I sort an array in Rust?

Hoosh will respond with detailed explanations and code examples. If it needs to execute tools (like running a command or reading a file), it will ask for permission first.

4. Key Commands

While chatting, use these commands:

Command	Effect
Shift+Tab	Toggle between Review and Autopilot modes
/untrust	Revoke project-wide permissions
Ctrl+C	Exit Hoosh

Common Use Cases

Get Code Help

> Write me a Rust function that validates email addresses

Debug Issues

> I'm getting this error: [paste error]. What's wrong?

Generate Documentation

> Create a comprehensive README for my project in ./src

Refactor Code

> Refactor the login function for better readability and performance

File Operations

Grant Hoosh access to your project:

hoosh --add-dir ./src

Then ask it to:

> Review the code in src/ and suggest improvements

Review vs Autopilot Mode

Review Mode (Default) ✓

• You approve each tool execution before it runs
• Maximum control and transparency
• Perfect for learning or critical operations

Autopilot Mode 🚀

• Tool calls execute automatically
• Still respects the permission system
• Ideal for trusted tasks
• Toggle with Shift+Tab

Continuing Conversations

Resume where you left off:

hoosh --continue

This loads your last conversation and maintains full context.

Specifying a Backend

Use a specific backend for this session:

# Use Anthropic (Claude)
hoosh --backend anthropic

# Use OpenAI (GPT-4)
hoosh --backend openai

# Use local Ollama
hoosh --backend ollama

# Use Together AI
hoosh --backend together_ai

Tips for Best Results

✅ Be specific - "Create a binary search function in Rust" works better than "write code"

✅ Grant permissions wisely - Use "Trust project" for trusted codebases, one-by-one for others

✅ Review tool calls - Especially at first, watch what Hoosh does before approving

✅ Use context - Reference files and directories to give Hoosh more information

✅ Ask for explanations - "Explain this code" helps you learn

Next Steps

• 🎨 Customize configuration
• 🔐 Understand security model
• 💻 Explore all backends
• ⚙️ Advanced features

Troubleshooting

"No API key configured"

• Run hoosh setup to add your API key
• Or set it manually: hoosh config set anthropic_api_key sk-ant-...

"Permission denied"

• This is working as intended! Review the operation and approve if it looks correct
• Or use "Trust project" to auto-approve operations in your project directory

"Connection error"

• Check your internet connection
• Verify your API key is valid
• Try a different backend

Still stuck? Open an issue on GitHub.