First Run

Install term2 first. For your first session, use a project you can inspect and choose one of these authentication paths.

1. Connect a provider

term2 --codex-login

Complete the browser login with an account that has access to the provider. Login stores credentials; it does not select Codex as the active provider. You will choose a Codex model in the next step.

OpenAI API key

Set your own key in the shell where you will launch term2:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key"

For OpenRouter, use OPENROUTER_API_KEY; for Grok, use term2 --grok-login. Direct Anthropic, Gemini, and local endpoints first need a custom provider entry through /providers or settings. Setting their environment variables alone does not register the provider. See provider setup and authentication.

2. Open a project and choose a model

cd /path/to/your/project
term2 --model

Select a model from the provider you authenticated. Bare --model opens the picker in an interactive terminal with no prompt on the command line. It does not open a picker in a pipe or a non-interactive invocation.

During a session, /model or Ctrl+O opens model selection; /providers manages connections and accounts. If the catalog or login fails, see troubleshooting.

3. Explore before editing

Enter this slash command in the chat:

/plan

Then ask:

Explain how this project starts. Point me to the entry points and the command for running its tests.

Plan mode blocks workspace mutations. Review the files and commands the agent uses, then compare its answer with the project itself. A useful first result names the actual entry points and test command, rather than guessing a generic setup.

4. Make one small change

Enter /plan again to return to Standard mode. Describe a narrow change and how to check it, for example:

Add a test for this edge case, fix the failure, and run that test. Explain the resulting diff.

Default interactive settings prompt for shell commands. Valid local workspace edits can apply without a prompt; file operations outside that boundary or needing additional authorization can ask for approval. Review approval requests, the resulting diff, and check output. Keep the defaults for your first session; see approvals and shell sandboxing before changing them.

5. Pick up later

Use /quit to leave the session. From the same project, run:

term2 --resume

To list saved sessions or branch an existing conversation:

term2 --resume ls
term2 --resume <session-id> --fork

A fork creates a separate conversation; it does not create a git branch or restore file changes. See sessions and resumption.