Getting Started

July 12, 2026 · View on GitHub

New to AgentOps? You're in the right place. This section answers three questions in order: what is it, how do I install it, and what's the first useful thing I can run.

If you're evaluating AgentOps for a team, start with the Newcomer Guide — it frames the product in fifteen minutes. If you're ready to ship code with it, skip to Install and then Golden Paths. If you want a structured curriculum, jump to the Levels path at the bottom. If you are upgrading from an older release, read Upgrading first.

  • :material-rocket-launch: Newcomer Guide


    Practical repo orientation, mental model, and a fast path to becoming productive in the AgentOps codebase.

  • :material-puzzle-plus: Create Your First Skill


    Fast path for authoring a first skill without tripping CI.

  • :material-school: Behavioral Discipline


    Before/after examples of good coding-agent behavior.

  • :material-frequently-asked-questions: FAQ


    Comparisons, limitations, subagent nesting, and uninstall.

  • :material-hand-coin: Contributing


    How to contribute code, skills, and documentation.

  • :material-shield-check: Security


    Vulnerability reporting and security policy.

Install

Pick the installer for your runtime.

=== "Claude Code"

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boshu2/agentops/main/scripts/install-claude.sh | bash
```

=== "Codex CLI"

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boshu2/agentops/main/scripts/install-codex.sh | bash
```

Codex installs hookless by default. Use `install-codex.sh --with-hooks`
only when you intentionally want native Codex hooks.

=== "OpenCode"

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boshu2/agentops/main/scripts/install-opencode.sh | bash
```

=== "Gemini / Antigravity"

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boshu2/agentops/main/scripts/install-agy.sh | bash
```

Then install the ao CLI for repo seeding, health checks, and terminal workflows.

=== "macOS"

```bash
brew tap boshu2/agentops https://github.com/boshu2/homebrew-agentops
brew install agentops
```

=== "Windows PowerShell"

```powershell
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boshu2/agentops/main/scripts/install-ao.ps1 | iex
```

For other skills-compatible agents, install selected skills with:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/boshu2/agentops/main/scripts/install.sh)

Day-2 install, update, backup, permission, recovery, and escalation paths are in Install And Day-2 Operations.

Verify the install

ao doctor              # Checks runtime, skills, hooks, paths
ao --version           # Prints installed ao version

ao doctor is the canonical health check. It prints a per-component status line and non-zero exits on a real problem. If anything looks wrong, see Troubleshooting or run ao doctor --verbose.

Product map (read once)

AgentOps is the operating loop from intent to validated code. Skills are the front door. The membrane only accepts work against a behavior contract (Gherkin → ATDD).

Golden Paths

Pick one path. Each path ends with proof against a named acceptance behavior (and usually an artifact under .agents/ or an explicit PASS/WARN/FAIL verdict).

I want to...RunSuccess signal
Set up a repo for the first timeao quick-start, then /bootstrap if neededReadiness summary; skills resolve in the agent
Make the first validated change/plan/implement/validate (or /rpi "a small goal")Gherkin scenario exists; acceptance went RED then green; /validate cites that scenario
Stress-test a plan before build/pre-mortemPlan HOLD/PASS before implement
High-stakes review/validate then /councilIndependent judges + acceptance mapping
Continue tracked workBEADS_DIR="$(ao beads dir)" br ready, then /implement <issue-id> or /crank <epic-id>Bead acceptance examples still map to evidence
Full loop mapRead Intent → Validated CodeYou can name moves 1–7 and their primary skills

Command Reference

ao quick-start     # Canonical repo seed and readiness repair
ao quickstart      # Stable alias for the same golden path
ao doctor          # Health check (skills, reviewers, paths)
ao status          # Where was I?
# Drive the loop in-session via skills: /plan → /implement → /validate (or /rpi)

Learning path

If you want a structured curriculum, walk through the progressive Levels L1–L5:

  1. L1 — Basics: single-session work
  2. L2 — Persistence: cross-session bookkeeping
  3. L3 — State Management: issue tracking with beads
  4. L4 — Parallelization: wave-based execution
  5. L5 — Orchestration: full autonomous operation