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Getting Started

Knotic Installation

This guide covers the normal desktop setup path for Knotic.

Provider setup required

A fresh installation is not enough on its own. Sessions, Architect, and Brainstorming will only become useful after at least one provider is configured in Knotic Settings.

Download Knotic

Download the correct build for your platform from:

https://knotic.dev/download

Knotic is distributed for:

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux

Use the installer or package provided on the download page for your operating system.

Install the App

Windows

  1. Download the Windows build from https://knotic.dev/download.
  2. Run the installer.
  3. Launch Knotic from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

macOS

  1. Download the macOS build from https://knotic.dev/download.
  2. Open the downloaded package or archive.
  3. Move Knotic into your Applications folder if requested.
  4. Launch Knotic.

Linux

  1. Download the Linux build from https://knotic.dev/download.
  2. Install or unpack the package provided for your distribution.
  3. Launch Knotic from your applications menu or terminal.

First Launch Setup

After Knotic opens, configure one AI provider before expecting Sessions, Architect, or Brainstorming to do useful work.

Open Knotic Settings in one of these ways:

  • Use the side bar entry named Knotic Settings
  • Press Ctrl+Alt+,

From there, set up the provider you want to use:

  • Knotic: enter your Knotic license key if your workflow uses the hosted Knotic runtime.
  • OpenRouter: add your OpenRouter API key.
  • GitHub: add your GitHub Models API key.
  • Anthropic: add your Anthropic API key.
  • OpenAI: add your OpenAI API key.
  • Local: point Knotic at your local OpenAI-compatible endpoint and choose local models.

Then choose the model and runtime behavior you want:

  • default model
  • reasoning visibility
  • maximum tool iterations
  • local tool routing and local completion options

If you want the Knotic-managed tools and inference path, follow Artiforge License Key.

For the complete runtime setup model, continue with Knotic Settings and Multi-Provider.

Verify the Installation

Use this quick check after setup:

  1. Open Sessions with Ctrl+Alt+I.
  2. Create a conversation.
  3. Send a simple prompt such as asking Knotic to inspect the current workspace.
  4. Confirm that Knotic responds without a provider or credential error.

After your first real session, Knotic typically creates project context files under .knotic/, including brain.loom and a session .knot file.

Optional Next Steps

Once installation is complete, the most useful follow-up steps are:

  1. Open Context Lens with Ctrl+Shift+L to inspect the context Knotic is preparing.
  2. Try Brainstorming for an idea or feature that is still fuzzy.
  3. Use Architect for work that should be broken into explicit steps.
  4. Visit HQ to review Skills, Monitoring, Models, and MCP Servers.

If Something Does Not Work

Most first-run issues come from missing provider configuration.

Check these first:

  • the selected provider is configured with a valid key or endpoint
  • the default model is available for that provider
  • local mode points to a reachable endpoint if you are using a self-hosted runtime

If the app opens correctly but model calls fail, the installation is usually fine and the issue is in provider setup rather than in the desktop install itself.