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NexisNexis Wiki

Quick start

This guide gets you from download to a working AI-assisted terminal in about five minutes.

1. Install

Section titled “1. Install”

Download a build for your platform, or install from a package manager. Full details live in the installation guide:

  • Linux — .deb, .rpm, AppImage, or the AUR package. See Linux.
  • macOS — .dmg for Apple Silicon or Intel. See macOS.
  • Windows — NSIS or MSI installer, plus first-class WSL. See Windows & WSL.

2. Open a project

Section titled “2. Open a project”

On first launch, choose a preset. Standard is the broad default; Web Dev, AI / ML, and Art promote their primary tools into the workbench. A preset only selects feature-pack toggles, so you can change the mix later under Settings → Features.

Spotlight (Ctrl/Cmd+P) finds files and commands, with a live preview beside the results.

Launch Nexis and open a folder — File → Open Folder, or drag a directory onto the window. The file explorer, source control, and terminal all scope to that workspace. A terminal tab opens in the project root automatically.

Drop a NEXIS.md file in the project root to give the AI persistent project memory — conventions, architecture notes, or anything you want it to remember across sessions.

3. Connect AI (or run offline)

Section titled “3. Connect AI (or run offline)”

Open Settings → AI → Models:

  • Bring your own key — pick a provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Groq, and more) and paste your API key. Keys are stored through the OS keychain, not in Nexis settings files.
  • Run offline — point Nexis at a local LM Studio, MLX, or Ollama endpoint. No key required, nothing leaves your machine.

Toggle the AI panel any time with the AI panel shortcut (see keyboard shortcuts).

4. Do something useful

Section titled “4. Do something useful”
  • Type a command; select its output and click Ask Nexis or Explain to send it to the AI chat.
  • Open a file, start typing, and accept an inline autocomplete suggestion.
  • Ask the AI to make a change — it proposes edits as per-hunk diffs you approve or reject individually.
  • Stage your changes in Source Control and let the AI draft a Conventional Commit message from the diff.
  • Open Atlas from the title bar to scan local repositories, or choose the AI / ML preset to keep ML Lab and Benchmark close at hand.

Where to go next

Section titled “Where to go next”