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Install

The installer downloads the binary for your platform and puts aster on your PATH. Inspect the script first if you prefer to read what runs. From source instead, with Rust 1.85+:
Upgrade later with aster upgrade, or pin a version with aster upgrade --version 0.4.0 --force.

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Sign in

Run aster init in any directory. The wizard walks through:
  1. Provider and model. Pick from the catalog, sign in through the browser, or paste an API key. Keys are written to ~/.aster/.env, never to yaml.
  2. Scope. Global (~/.aster) by default, or --local to keep the config in the repository.
  3. Web keys, optional. Search and page extraction work without a key; crawl and screenshots need one.
aster init --yes --force skips the questions and writes defaults. aster status shows what the next turn will use. Provider sign-in is also available on its own:
aster login codex runs on a ChatGPT subscription against https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/codex. Aster translates OpenAI’s Responses API in both directions, so models and tools behave as they do anywhere else.

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First turn

In a repository:
The TUI prints a session header (model, provider, skills) and a prompt. Start with a question:
Aster reads files, searches, and answers with file and line references. Then ask for a change:
In the default edit mode, edits land in your working tree and commands run in a sandbox. Press esc to interrupt a turn, shift+tab to change the permission mode, and esc esc to quit.

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Everyday flow

Outside a repository, chat still works, with less to look at.