# Quick start

How to get from nothing to a working agent.

## 1. Install the CLI

The install script downloads a single self-contained binary for macOS or Linux. It needs no
Node, npm, or any other runtime.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://github.com/lvndry/jazz/releases/latest/download/install.sh | bash
```

It installs to `~/.local/bin` by default, verifies the download against the release
checksums, and tells you if that directory is not on your `PATH`. Override the location with
`JAZZ_INSTALL_DIR`, or pin a version with `JAZZ_VERSION`:

```bash
JAZZ_INSTALL_DIR=/usr/local/bin JAZZ_VERSION=v0.13.12 \
  curl -fsSL https://github.com/lvndry/jazz/releases/latest/download/install.sh | bash
```

Jazz is also on npm, which is the route to use on Windows or on a platform with no published
binary:

```bash
# npm
npm install -g jazz-ai

# bun
bun add -g jazz-ai

# pnpm
pnpm add -g jazz-ai

# yarn
yarn global add jazz-ai
```

`jazz update` upgrades either kind of installation: a binary replaces itself from the GitHub
release, and a package install goes back through the package manager that put it there.

## 2. Start talking to it

```bash
jazz
```

On first run Jazz walks you through provider setup and creates an agent. After that, `jazz`
drops you straight into a conversation.

Jazz itself is free and always will be — it's MIT-licensed with no account and no tiers. The
only variable cost is the model you choose, and there are two ways to make that zero:

- **Start using Jazz for free** — choose [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai) and the
  [`Free Models Router`](https://openrouter.ai/openrouter/free) model. No credit card.
- **Keep it entirely local** — choose `ollama`, and the model runs on your machine too.

## 3. Update Jazz

Keep Jazz up to date with the latest features and improvements:

```bash
jazz update
```

## Next steps

- **[Creating agents](./creating-agents.md)** — configure one for a specific job
- **[Use cases](../use-cases/index.md)** — run the same agent headless, on a schedule, in CI, or in a chat thread
- **[Playbooks](../playbooks/index.md)** — copy-pasteable recipes
- **[Concepts](../concepts/index.md)** — learn the vocabulary behind Jazz