---
title: "Getting started"
description: "Install GSD, configure your LLM provider, and run your first autonomous session."
---

## Install

```bash
npm install -g gsd-pi
```

Requires Node.js 22+ and Git.

<Note>
**`command not found: gsd`?** Your shell may not have npm's global bin directory in `$PATH`. Run `npm prefix -g` to find it, then add `$(npm prefix -g)/bin` to your PATH. See [troubleshooting](/guides/troubleshooting) for details.
</Note>

GSD checks for updates every 24 hours. Update in-session with `/gsd update`.

## First launch

```bash
gsd
```

On first launch, a setup wizard walks you through:

1. **LLM provider** — 20+ providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, GitHub Copilot, Amazon Bedrock, Azure, and more). OAuth handles Claude Max and Copilot subscriptions automatically; otherwise paste an API key.
2. **Tool API keys** (optional) — Brave Search, Context7, Jina, Slack, Discord. Press Enter to skip any.

Re-run the wizard anytime:

```bash
gsd config
```

### Set up API keys

For non-Anthropic models, you may need a search API key. Run `/gsd config` to set keys globally — they're saved to `~/.gsd/agent/auth.json` and apply to all projects.

### Set up MCP servers

To connect GSD to local or external MCP servers, add project-local config in `.mcp.json` or `.gsd/mcp.json`. See [configuration](/guides/configuration) for examples. Use `/gsd mcp` to verify connectivity.

### Offline mode

GSD works fully offline with local models (Ollama, vLLM, LM Studio). Configure a [custom model](/guides/custom-models) and GSD handles the rest — no internet connection required.

## Choose a model

GSD auto-selects a default model after login. Switch anytime:

```
/model
```

Or configure per-phase models in [preferences](/guides/configuration).

## Two ways to work

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Step mode">
    Type `/gsd` inside a session. GSD executes one unit at a time, pausing between each with a wizard showing what completed and what's next.

    - **No `.gsd/` directory** → starts a discussion to capture your project vision
    - **Milestone exists, no roadmap** → discuss or research the milestone
    - **Roadmap exists, slices pending** → plan the next slice or execute a task
    - **Mid-task** → resume where you left off
  </Tab>
  <Tab title="Auto mode">
    Type `/gsd auto` and walk away. GSD autonomously researches, plans, executes, verifies, commits, and advances through every slice until the milestone is complete.

    ```
    /gsd auto
    ```

    See [auto mode](/guides/auto-mode) for the full details.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Two terminals, one project

The recommended workflow: auto mode in one terminal, steering from another.

**Terminal 1 — let it build:**

```bash
gsd
/gsd auto
```

**Terminal 2 — steer while it works:**

```bash
gsd
/gsd discuss    # talk through architecture decisions
/gsd status     # check progress
/gsd queue      # queue the next milestone
```

Both terminals read and write the same `.gsd/` files. Decisions in terminal 2 are picked up at the next phase boundary automatically.

## Project structure

GSD organizes work into a hierarchy:

```
Milestone  →  a shippable version (4-10 slices)
  Slice    →  one demoable vertical capability (1-7 tasks)
    Task   →  one context-window-sized unit of work
```

All state lives on disk in `.gsd/`:

<Accordion title="Directory structure">
```
.gsd/
  PROJECT.md          — what the project is right now
  REQUIREMENTS.md     — requirement contract (active/validated/deferred)
  DECISIONS.md        — append-only architectural decisions
  KNOWLEDGE.md        — cross-session rules, patterns, and lessons
  RUNTIME.md          — runtime context: API endpoints, env vars, services
  STATE.md            — quick-glance status
  milestones/
    M001/
      M001-ROADMAP.md — slice plan with risk levels and dependencies
      M001-CONTEXT.md — scope and goals from discussion
      slices/
        S01/
          S01-PLAN.md     — task decomposition
          S01-SUMMARY.md  — what happened
          S01-UAT.md      — human test script
          tasks/
            T01-PLAN.md
            T01-SUMMARY.md
```
</Accordion>

## Resume a session

```bash
gsd --continue    # or gsd -c
```

Resumes the most recent session. To pick from all saved sessions:

```bash
gsd sessions
```

## VS Code extension

GSD is also available as a VS Code extension (publisher: FluxLabs). It provides:

- **`@gsd` chat participant** — talk to the agent in VS Code Chat
- **Sidebar dashboard** — connection status, model info, token usage, quick actions
- **Full command palette** — start/stop agent, switch models, export sessions

The CLI (`gsd-pi`) must be installed first — the extension connects to it via RPC.

## Web interface

```bash
gsd --web
```

A browser-based dashboard with real-time progress and multi-project support. See [web interface](/guides/web-interface) for details.

## Troubleshooting

### `gsd` runs `git svn dcommit` instead of GSD

The [oh-my-zsh git plugin](https://github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/tree/master/plugins/git) defines `alias gsd='git svn dcommit'`.

**Option 1** — Remove the alias in `~/.zshrc` (after the `source $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh` line):

```bash
unalias gsd 2>/dev/null
```

**Option 2** — Use the alternative binary name:

```bash
gsd-cli
```

Both `gsd` and `gsd-cli` point to the same binary.
