> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/yocxy2/claurst/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Build Claurst from source and run your first AI coding session in under five minutes.

<Note>
  You can configure Claude's behavior for a specific project by adding a `CLAUDE.md` file to your project root or to `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` for global settings. Claurst automatically discovers and injects these files into the system prompt at startup. See [CLAUDE.md configuration](/configuration/claude-md) for details.
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Build from source">
    Clone the repository and build the release binary with Cargo.

    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/yocxy2/claurst
    cd claurst/src-rust
    cargo build --release
    ```

    This produces a single binary at `target/release/claude`. Building in release mode is recommended — it enables full optimizations and produces a significantly faster binary.

    For full installation options including PATH setup and pre-built binaries, see the [Installation guide](/installation).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your API key">
    Claurst connects to the Anthropic API. Export your API key before running the binary.

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash bash / zsh theme={null}
      export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
      ```

      ```bash fish theme={null}
      set -x ANTHROPIC_API_KEY "sk-ant-..."
      ```

      ```powershell PowerShell theme={null}
      $env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    To make this permanent, add the export line to your `~/.bashrc`, `~/.zshrc`, or equivalent shell profile. You can also pass the key inline at runtime with `--api-key`.

    Get an API key from the [Anthropic console](https://console.anthropic.com).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the interactive terminal">
    Run `claude` from any project directory to open the interactive TUI.

    ```bash theme={null}
    ./target/release/claude
    ```

    Or, if you have added the binary to your `PATH`:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude
    ```

    Claurst opens a full terminal UI powered by **ratatui**. You will see a message history area, an input box at the bottom, and a status bar showing the current model and session cost. Streaming responses appear in real time as Claude types.

    **Keyboard shortcuts in the TUI:**

    | Key                     | Action                                |
    | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
    | `Enter`                 | Submit prompt                         |
    | `Ctrl+C`                | Cancel streaming / clear input / quit |
    | `Ctrl+D`                | Quit (when input is empty)            |
    | `Up` / `Down`           | Navigate input history                |
    | `Page Up` / `Page Down` | Scroll message history                |
    | `F1` or `?`             | Toggle help overlay                   |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Try your first prompt">
    Type a prompt and press `Enter`. Claude will respond in the message area, and you will see tool calls appear as status messages while they run.

    ```
    > Explain what this project does based on the README
    ```

    Claude reads your project files, runs tools as needed, and streams its response directly in the terminal. Tool executions show a status message like `Running Read...` while in progress.

    For a non-interactive one-shot command (useful for scripts), pass the prompt directly:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude "List all TODO comments in the codebase"
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use a slash command">
    Slash commands give you direct control over the session. Type `/` to start a command.

    ```
    > /help
    ```

    <Tip>
      `/help` lists every available slash command with a short description. Use it any time you want to discover what's available — there are 34 built-in commands covering session management, model switching, MCP server control, git workflows, and more.
    </Tip>

    A few commands worth trying right away:

    | Command    | What it does                                               |
    | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
    | `/model`   | Show or change the active Claude model                     |
    | `/cost`    | Display cumulative token cost for the session              |
    | `/compact` | Manually compact the conversation to save context          |
    | `/plan`    | Enter plan mode (read-only — Claude proposes, you approve) |
    | `/status`  | Show session metadata and current configuration            |
    | `/clear`   | Clear conversation history and start fresh                 |

    See the [Commands reference](/reference/commands/overview) for the complete list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/installation">
    PATH setup, environment variables, feature flags, and system requirements.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLAUDE.md configuration" icon="file-text" href="/configuration/claude-md">
    Teach Claude about your project with a persistent project-level instruction file.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tools reference" icon="wrench" href="/reference/tools/overview">
    Every tool Claude can invoke: file ops, shell, web, agents, cron, and more.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP integration" icon="plug" href="/advanced/mcp-integration">
    Extend Claurst with external Model Context Protocol servers.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>