Quick Start

1. Open a project directory#

Dash works on the folder you launch it from — that folder is the working directory for all of its tools.

cd path/to/your/project

2. Start Dash#

dash

The interactive terminal UI opens with a prompt that reads Ask dash to code something…. Press Enter to send a message, and Ctrl+Enter for a new line.

3. Configure an AI provider#

Model features need an API key. Open the provider setup with /providers (the alias /provider also works) and paste your NVIDIA API key — keys start with nvapi_. The key is saved to your local configuration and encrypted at rest.

4. Send your first request#

Describe a concrete, self-contained task, for example:

Add a /health endpoint to the Express server that returns {"status":"ok"}

Dash plans the work, uses its tools (reading files, editing code, running commands when approved), and shows the progress in tool rows such as Read, Edit, and List.

Expected workflow#

1. Dash reads the files it needs from your workspace to understand the task.
2. It proposes and applies edits; inside your workspace no approval is needed for file writes, but every shell command requires your explicit approval.
3. Before editing, it records a checkpoint so changes can be rolled back with undo_checkpoint.
4. You can inspect results with /sessions, switch models with /models, or start fresh with /new.