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Getting Started

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Ulvi Mammadov edited this page Oct 19, 2026 · 2 revisions

Getting Started

This page takes you from a fresh install to your first chat with a project folder. It takes about five minutes.

How to use

1. Install

macOS (Apple silicon). Download the .dmg from the Releases page, drag Artemis to Applications and open it. The build is unsigned, so macOS asks you to confirm the first launch: right-click the app and choose Open, or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.

From source (macOS, Windows, Linux). You need Node.js 20+ and pnpm.

git clone <repo-url> artemis
cd artemis
pnpm install
pnpm dev         # development (Vite + Electron, hot reload)
pnpm start       # build and run the production bundle

Only the macOS arm64 build is packaged. Computer control, Touch ID and the macOS permission checks work on macOS only.

2. Add a provider

Artemis has no built-in model provider. You bring your own.

  1. Open Settings (Cmd/Ctrl+,) and choose Providers.
  2. Click Add provider….
  3. Under Start from, pick a preset: Cloudflare Workers AI, Ollama (local), LM Studio (local), OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude API) or Custom (OpenAI-compatible).
  4. Paste your API key (local servers usually need none).
  5. Click Fetch models to load the provider's model list, then pick models with Add a model.
  6. Click Test connection to check, then Add provider.

See Providers and Models for details on each provider type.

3. Pick a default model

  1. In Settings → General, open Default model.
  2. Choose a model. New chats use it; you can switch per chat with the model picker at the top of a chat.

4. Create your first project

A project ties chats, instructions and a working folder together. Without a folder Artemis can still chat, but it cannot read or write your files.

  1. Click Projects in the sidebar, then Create your first project (or New project).
  2. Enter a Project name.
  3. Under Project folder, click Choose… and select the folder Artemis may work in.
  4. Optionally add Project instructions (added to every chat in the project) and a Project logo.
  5. Click Save and start a chat in the project.

5. Send a message

Type in the message box and press Enter. Try something like "List the files in this folder and summarize what the project does." When Artemis wants to change a file, it shows an approval card first.

Settings

Setting Where What it does
Default model Settings → General → Model Model used for new chats
Tools on by default in new chats Settings → Tools & safety Gives new chats files, memory, notes, web and terminal tools
Keep running in the background Settings → General → Startup and background Closing the window keeps Artemis running (needed for the phone bot and scheduled tasks)
Start Artemis when I log in Settings → General → Startup and background Launches Artemis at login

Tips

  • Small local models work better with fewer tools. Turn tools off per chat with the Tools pill next to the model picker.
  • Set a spending limit early in Settings → Usage limits. See Usage Limits.
  • If you used ChatGPT or Claude before, import your history from Settings → General → Import. See Files and Attachments.
  • Upgrading from the older Ares builds: quit the app and run pnpm migrate:ares (dry run), then pnpm migrate:ares -- --apply.

Limits and safety

  • File tools stay inside the project folder unless Full file access is on, and every change asks first unless you turn on auto-allow. See Tools and Approvals.
  • Data (chats, notes, memory) is stored locally. Keys are encrypted with the OS keychain.

See also

Home

Set up

Everyday use

Agents and automation

Tools and control

Voice and integrations

Security and help

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