fabro/docs/getting-started/quick-start.mdx
Bryan Helmkamp 44731e0926 Rename arc setup to arc install for clarity
The one-time environment setup command (LLMs, certs, GitHub) is now
`arc install`, freeing up naming space for a future `arc init` command
for per-project initialization.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-03-10 12:56:53 -04:00

89 lines
2 KiB
Text

---
title: "Quick Start"
description: "Get up and running with Arc"
---
<Warning>
Arc is in private research preview. Contact [bryan@qlty.sh](mailto:bryan@qlty.sh) if you're interested in trying it.
</Warning>
<Note>
Arc has two modes:
- **Standalone mode** — Run workflows directly from the CLI. This is what the quick start covers below.
- **Server mode** — A REST API server with a web frontend for launching and managing workflow runs. See [Server Deployment](/administration/deploy-server) for details.
</Note>
## Prerequisites
- [Rust](https://rustup.rs/) (latest stable)
- At least one LLM API key (e.g. `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_API_KEY`, or `GEMINI_API_KEY`)
## Clone and build
```bash
git clone https://github.com/qltysh/arc.git
cd arc
cargo build --release
```
## Configure API keys
Copy the example environment file and fill in your API keys:
```bash
cp .env.example .env
```
Edit `.env` and add at least one LLM provider key:
```bash
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
GEMINI_API_KEY=AI...
```
<Note>
You only need one provider key to get started. Add more to enable multi-model workflows.
</Note>
## Run the setup wizard
The interactive setup wizard validates your environment and walks you through configuration:
```bash
./target/release/arc install
```
## Verify your installation
```bash
./target/release/arc doctor --live
```
This checks that your API keys, tools, and environment are working correctly.
## Run a workflow from the CLI
Try the hello world workflow:
```bash
./target/release/arc run docs-internal/demo/01-hello.dot
```
Or a multi-step plan-approve-implement workflow with a human approval gate:
```bash
./target/release/arc run docs-internal/demo/10-plan-implement.dot
```
## Next steps
<Columns cols={2}>
<Card title="Why Arc?" icon="lightbulb" href="/getting-started/why-arc">
Understand the problems Arc solves.
</Card>
<Card title="Workflows" icon="diagram-project" href="/core-concepts/workflows">
Learn how to define workflow graphs in DOT.
</Card>
</Columns>