// get started

Overview

Astra is a terminal coding agent with an Ink TUI. It reads and edits code, runs shell commands with your approval, searches the web, uses MCP servers, loads skills, schedules tasks over chat gateways, and can orchestrate parallel agents on the same codebase.

Requirements

Node.js 20 or newer is the only hard dependency. Everything else is optional and installed on demand.

Quick start

Install globally from npm

npm install -g astra-coder
astra

Or run from source

git clone https://github.com/VishalDevx/astra.git
cd astra
npm install
npm run dev

Add a model

Astra needs at least one API key. The default provider is free OpenRouter models, so you can start without spending a cent:

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...   # Free models (default)
# or any of these
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...          # ChatGPT
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...   # Claude
export GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...           # Groq
export GEMINI_API_KEY=...             # Google Gemini

Keys are read from the environment or from ~/.astra/settings.json under apiKeys. Prefer env vars — they are never written to disk.

First run

$ astra

you> Fix the flaky test in src/agent/loop.ts and explain what changed.

Astra explores the project, proposes an approach, then edits files and runs npm test to verify — asking for approval before every shell command and git write.

Chat anywhere, not just the terminal

With a gateway connected, the same agent answers on Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp — and can deliver scheduled reminders and daily tasks on time.

Next steps

Browse the CLI reference for flags and interactive commands.
Learn the agent modes — Build, Plan, boss, and multi-agent.
Read about providers and automatic failover.
Set up permissions for unattended runs.