Agent setup

Set up agents in Coldtea by setting them up in your normal terminal first.

Coldtea hosts CLI agents. It does not replace their install, login, model selection, or permission system. If the agent cannot start from your shell, fix that before debugging Coldtea.

What you need

Start with one supported agent CLI, not all of them.

Common agent launchers include Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and OpenCode. The exact set can vary by build and workspace settings.

Before opening a real task, check the CLI you plan to use:

claude --version
codex --version
gemini --version
opencode --version

You only need the command for the agent you actually use. A missing command usually means the binary is not installed, not on your PATH, or not visible to the shell Coldtea launches.

Keep the agent's own setup intact

Each agent owns its own first-run setup:

• Provider login.
• Model or provider selection.
• Slash commands.
• Permission prompts.
• Local config files.
• Session history.

Run the agent once in a normal terminal if it has never been configured. Complete the provider flow there, then reopen Coldtea or start a fresh agent pane.

Open the right project

Coldtea launches agents inside a project or worktree directory. Before starting a brew:

1. Open the local Git repository in Coldtea.
2. Check the active path and branch.
3. Choose whether the agent should run in the base project or a worktree.
4. Start with a small prompt that does not edit files.

A safe first prompt:

Inspect this repo and summarize the main app structure and test commands. Do not edit files yet.

That proves the project path and agent setup before the agent creates a diff.

If the agent is missing

Check these in order:

• The CLI is installed.
• The binary is available on your shell PATH.
• The command works in a normal terminal.
• The agent has completed its own provider login.
• Coldtea has been restarted after a new install or shell setup change.
• You are using a build that includes that launcher.

For OpenCode, provider setup stays in OpenCode. Use OpenCode's own /connect flow or opencode auth login from a shell pane when OpenCode asks for credentials. Coldtea does not collect those provider keys.

Treat every agent pane like a shell

Agent panes run local processes with local permissions. They can run commands, read files, write files, and use credentials available to your user account.

Coldtea adds workspace context and review surfaces around the process. It does not make unsafe commands safe.

Next: provider credentials or your first brew.