> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.grindxp.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Install Grind and complete your first quest in under 5 minutes.

## Prerequisites

* [Bun](https://bun.sh) v1.0+. Grind runs on Bun, not Node.
* A terminal.

## Install

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run the installer (recommended)">
    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash macOS-Linux-WSL2 theme={null}
      curl -fsSL https://grindxp.app/install.sh | bash
      ```

      ```powershell Windows theme={null}
      iwr -useb https://grindxp.app/install.ps1 | iex
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    For other installation methods (npm, yarn, pnpm, or from source), see [Installation](/docs/install).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Initialize your vault">
    ```bash theme={null}
    grindxp init
    ```

    This runs the setup wizard. It will:

    * Create `~/.grind/` (your config and vault directory)
    * Generate an encryption key for your SQLite vault
    * Create your user profile (name, timezone)
    * Run database migrations

    <Tip>
      You can skip AI setup for now. Grind works fully without an API key. Add one later with `grindxp setup`.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check your status">
    ```bash theme={null}
    grindxp status
    ```

    You should see your character's level, XP, and an empty quest log.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first quest">
    ```bash theme={null}
    grindxp quest create
    ```

    The interactive wizard will ask for:

    * **Title**: what you're doing
    * **Type**: `daily`, `weekly`, `bounty`, `epic`, `chain`, or `ritual`
    * **Difficulty**: `easy`, `medium`, `hard`, or `epic`
    * **Skills**: which skill tags this quest contributes to
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete it">
    ```bash theme={null}
    grindxp complete
    ```

    Select your quest and self-report completion. You'll see XP awarded and skill progress updated.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Open the TUI" icon="monitor" href="/docs/tui">
    Launch the terminal dashboard for a real-time view of your quests, skills, and XP. `bash bun
            tui `
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set up your AI companion" icon="brain" href="/docs/cli/companion">
    Configure an AI provider to unlock the companion and agent features. `bash grindxp setup `
  </Card>

  <Card title="Start timer tracking" icon="timer" href="/docs/cli/start">
    Use `start` and `stop` to get a 1.5x XP proof bonus for timed work.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automate with the Forge" icon="zap" href="/docs/core/forge">
    Create rules that watch your git activity, filesystem, or webhooks.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Environment Variables

Grind reads configuration from `~/.grind/config` and environment variables. Copy `.env.example` to `.env` for development:

```bash theme={null}
cp .env.example .env
```

Key variables:

| Variable                       | Description                                        |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `GRIND_VAULT_PATH`             | Path to your vault directory (default: `~/.grind`) |
| `GRIND_ENCRYPTION_KEY`         | AES key for vault encryption (generated on init)   |
| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`            | Anthropic API key for the companion                |
| `OPENAI_API_KEY`               | OpenAI API key (alternative)                       |
| `GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY` | Google Gemini API key (alternative)                |
| `OLLAMA_BASE_URL`              | Ollama endpoint for local models                   |

See [Environment Reference](/docs/reference/env) for the full list.