# Quickstart

Four steps from nothing to a first short drama project, with your coding agent running every command.

## Install MiniCut

Open a new chat in your coding agent and paste the install prompt for your computer. The install downloads a few GB and can take 30 minutes.

```text macOS, Linux
Install Minicut on this computer (macOS or Linux), region Global. Run each line in the background and wait for it to finish.
1. curl -fsSL https://minicut.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --region global   (a few GB, can take 30 minutes)
2. ~/.minicut/bin/minicut setup. It downloads the tools Minicut brings. If it says Python 3.12 or ffmpeg is missing, download it from its site (Python 3.12: https://www.python.org/downloads/, ffmpeg: https://ffmpeg.org/download.html), install it, then run ~/.minicut/bin/minicut setup again. Ask me for my password only if the computer needs it.
3. If you are Claude Code or Codex: ~/.minicut/bin/minicut agent-rules
4. ~/.minicut/bin/minicut login --device --lang en. Show me the address and code. Then run ~/.minicut/bin/minicut login --complete every 10 seconds until it says signed in, up to 15 minutes. Do not wait for me to say done.
5. ~/.minicut/bin/minicut doctor
6. Read SKILL.md in the miniharness-short-drama skill folder step 1 made, and use it in this chat. Do not ask me to restart.
7. ~/.minicut/bin/minicut. Tell me what is installed, what is missing and why, and the app address.
If a line fails, run it once more; if it fails again, tell me the error and stop. Download Python and ffmpeg only from the sites in step 2.
```

On Windows, or in China mainland, take the prompt for your computer and region from [Install with your agent](/docs/cli/install-with-your-agent).

## Sign in

Your agent shows you an address and a code. Open the address, sign in to minicut.ai or make an account, and confirm the code. Your agent sees the sign-in within 10 seconds and goes on with the install.

Until this computer is signed in, most commands stop with exit code 10:

```bash Terminal
minicut me
```

```text Output
You are not signed in. Ask your agent to run minicut login.
```

## Make your first project

Tell your agent your idea in one or two sentences. It runs `minicut new` with a short id and a title:

```bash Terminal
minicut new snow-bus --title "Snow bus"
```

MiniCut makes one folder for the project. Every loop saves its work there, so you and your agent can open any of it.

## Run the loops

Your agent runs `minicut loop next` and follows the one command it prints. The Script loop goes first. It writes the story and the episode script, then shows you the script.

```bash Terminal
minicut loop next
```

Your agent writes the script in its own chat, and every check runs on your computer.

## Next

[Overview](/docs/cli/overview) [Install in a terminal](/docs/cli/install-in-a-terminal)