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Getting Started

Install Brainstorm, run your first session, and configure your workspace.

Getting Started

Brainstorm is a CLI-first AI coding assistant with intelligent model routing. It routes your tasks to the optimal model across 10+ models and 8 providers, so you always get the best result for the job.

Installation

Install Brainstorm globally via npm:

``bash

npm install -g @brainstorm/cli

`

Verify the installation:

`bash

storm --version

`

Your First Session

Launch an interactive chat session:

`bash

storm chat

`

This opens the terminal UI where you can start asking questions, writing code, or exploring your codebase. Brainstorm automatically detects your project context and routes each request to the best available model.

For a quick one-off prompt without entering the TUI:

`bash

storm run "Explain the architecture of this project"

`

Initial Setup

Run the setup wizard to configure your environment:

`bash

storm init

`

This walks you through:

  • Selecting your preferred providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, and more)
  • Adding API keys to the encrypted vault
  • Setting routing strategy preferences
  • Discovering local models (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp)

Configuration Files

Brainstorm uses a layered configuration system:

  • Global config: ~/.brainstorm/config.toml -- your personal defaults applied to every project
  • Project config: ./brainstorm.toml -- per-project overrides checked into your repo
  • Context file: BRAINSTORM.md -- natural language project context that shapes how Brainstorm understands your codebase

A minimal global config looks like:

`toml

[routing]

strategy = "combined"

default_model = "claude-opus-4-6"

[providers.anthropic]

enabled = true

[providers.openai]

enabled = true

`

Project Context with BRAINSTORM.md

Create a BRAINSTORM.md at your project root to give Brainstorm deep context about your codebase:

`markdown

My Project

Architecture

This is a Next.js 16 app with a Python FastAPI backend...

Conventions

  • We use Drizzle ORM for database access
  • All API routes return standardized error responses
  • Tests use Vitest with React Testing Library

`

Brainstorm reads this file automatically and uses it to provide more relevant assistance. Context files are hierarchical: global ~/.brainstorm/BRAINSTORM.md`, repo root, and subdirectory levels all merge together.

Next Steps

  • Learn about [all available commands](/cli/commands)
  • Explore the [42+ built-in tools](/cli/tools)
  • Configure [intelligent routing](/cli/routing) across providers
  • Set up the [encrypted vault](/cli/vault) for API key management