Getting started
This is the shortest path from a fresh install to a working chat. On your first launch, Brisal opens the required Onboarding wizard. It creates the workspace, provider, model, and default agent that every session needs. Then you make a project and start talking.
The whole path is:
launch → finish onboarding → create a project → start your first session.
1. Finish onboarding
On a fresh install, the Onboarding wizard opens automatically. Its defaults are ready to submit: it names a workspace, connects Mistral, adds Mistral Medium 3.5, and clones Le Chaton Fat as the default agent. You can change the workspace name, paste an API key, choose a starter agent, rename it, or enable external skills before pressing Done.
Brisal opens the new workspace’s Projects tab when setup finishes. For each choice, API-key recovery, and retrying a failure, see Onboarding wizard.
2. Create a project
A project is the unit of work a session lives in; you cannot start a session without one. From the workspace’s Projects tab, press + New Project, choose From Scratch, give it a Name, and create it.
A from-scratch project is empty — no code attached — which is enough for a first chat. Creating it selects the project, ready for the next step. To attach an existing folder or repository instead, see Projects.
3. Start your first session
A session is one conversation with an agent. From the project’s Sessions tab, press Start Session. The agent and worktree default sensibly, so type a message and send it.
The first send creates the session and streams back a reply. From there, you can keep chatting, use tools, or switch agents — see Sessions.
What was one-time, and what repeats
The onboarding wizard is one-time. The workspace, provider, model, and agent it creates persist for later projects and sessions.
| One-time setup | Every session |
|---|---|
| Workspace, provider, model, default agent | Pick an agent and worktree (both default) |
| Create a project (reuse it, or add more) | Type your first message |
Starting your next session is just Start Session → type → send.