Quick Start

Install CORA CLI, run the doctor check, and have your first conversation.

Install the CodeMate Toolbox

There is only one thing to install: the CodeMate Toolbox. CORA comes inside it. Installing the Toolbox installs the cora command-line tool too, and sets it up for you there is no second download, no file to move, and nothing to configure.

The Toolbox is also the app that signs you in and connects CORA to the AI model, so it needs to be running while you work. If it is not, CORA tells you so clearly. You do not need Node, Python, or anything else on your machine.

1

Download the Toolbox

Go to app.codemate.ai/download.

2

Install it

Download and run the installer for your system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

3

Open the CodeMate Toolbox app

Installing it is not enough it has to be running.

4

Sign in

Sign in with your CodeMate account.

Leave it running in the background. CORA talks to it every time you use it. That is the whole installation the cora command is now available in your terminal.

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Open a new terminal

Close any terminal windows that were already open and start a fresh one. A terminal that was open during the install has not picked up the new command yet. This is the single most common reason cora appears to be missing right after installing.

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Check that everything works

Open a terminal, go to a project folder, and run:

cora --doctor

You should see something like:

cora 0.1.10
runtime v24.3.0 on win32/x64
workspace C:\Users\you\my-project
mode code
context none — /init writes AGENTS.md
toolbox available (v3.5.80)
Toolbox ready.

The line that matters is toolbox. If it says anything other than available, CORA tells you exactly what to do:

It says	What to do
not_installed	Install the Toolbox from the download page
not_running	Open the CodeMate Toolbox app
not_authenticated	Open the Toolbox and sign in
incompatible_version	Update the Toolbox to a newer version

Run cora --doctor first whenever anything looks wrong. It explains most startup problems on its own see Troubleshooting for the rest.

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Your first conversation

Go to the folder you want to work in and type:

cora

The interface opens. Type a question and press Enter:

What does this project do?

CORA reads a few files, thinks, and answers; you watch it work as it goes.

To quit: press Ctrl+C twice. The first press stops whatever is running; the second closes CORA.

A good first ten minutes

Try these in order. None of them changes a file.

1

What does this project do?

2

Where is the code that handles logins?

3

explain @src/app.js the @ attaches a real file; press Tab to complete the path.

4

/help the list of everything you can type with a /.

5

/status where you are, what mode you are in, and whether the connection is healthy.

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Next steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, read Modes to understand what CORA is allowed to do in each mode, and Writing effective prompts to get better results from your first message.