Back to CVC
Getting Started

Up and running in 60 seconds

Install CVC, meet Sofia (your AI agent), and give your AI a time machine. Two commands. That's it.

60-Second Quickstart

From zero to time machine

1

Install

bash
curl -fsSL https://jaimeena.com/cvc/install.sh | bash

Installs Python 3.11+ via pyenv if needed, then installs CVC. Works on macOS 12+ and Ubuntu 20.04+.

2

Launch

bashFirst run triggers setup wizard
cvc

The setup wizard guides you through provider selection and API key configuration. Takes about 30 seconds.

3

Code with a time machine

bashYour first CVC session
User: Help me build an Express API with auth
Sofia: [designs and builds the API]

/commit "API with auth complete"     ← Save the AI's brain
/branch "risky-refactor"             ← Try something new
/restore abc1234                     ← Go back if it fails
/log                                 ← See full history

Meet Sofia

Your AI agent with a time machine

Plans before acting

Creates step-by-step plans for complex tasks before writing code

Learns from mistakes

Records corrections in lessons.md — never makes the same mistake twice

Verifies her work

Runs tests and checks before declaring a task complete

Delegates to specialists

7 sub-agents for Security, UI, Data, AI, and more

Provider Setup

Configure your LLM provider

Anthropic (Claude)

Recommended
bashSet your Anthropic API key
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key-here
claude-opus-4-6claude-sonnet-4-5claude-haiku-4-5
Get API key

Three Modes

Three interfaces, one brain, one database

Agent Mode

cvc

Full AI coding assistant in your terminal. Sofia + 17 tools + 31 slash commands.

  • Interactive terminal UI
  • Sub-agent delegation
  • Trust mode permissions
  • Full time-travel

Proxy Mode

cvc launch claude

Transparent API proxy wrapping your existing tools. Claude Code, Aider, Codex.

  • Zero config for tool
  • Auto-capture conversations
  • Prompt caching built-in
  • Cross-tool continuity

MCP Mode

cvc mcp

Model Context Protocol server for VS Code + Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf.

  • Native IDE integration
  • Sidebar commands
  • Inline status updates
  • Full CVC tool access

Essential Slash Commands

Your quick reference for CVC

Context

/commitSave a cognitive checkpoint
/branchCreate an exploration branch
/restoreRewind to any previous state
/mergeCombine branch insights into main
/logView full commit history
/diffCompare two cognitive states

Search

/searchSemantic search across all sessions
/recallFind what the AI decided before

Session

/compactIntelligently compress context
/costShow token usage and $ spent
/exportExport session as markdown

Tools

/toolsList available agent tools
/agentsList specialized sub-agents
/providerSwitch LLM provider
/modelSwitch model

System

/helpQuick reference for all commands
/doctorDiagnose system health
/auditView compliance audit trail
/statsSession and workspace stats

Core Workflows

Common patterns for CVC power users

The Safe Experimenter

Never lose a stable state. Every risky idea gets its own isolated branch.

1./commit "stable state"
2./branch risky-experiment
3....try risky approach...
4./restore <stable-commit> (if failed)
5./merge risky-experiment (if succeeded)

The Knowledge Builder

Build a searchable knowledge base across all your AI sessions.

1.Work on feature → AI learns context
2./commit "feature complete"
3.Next day: cvc → auto-restores session
4./search "auth pattern" → finds past solution

The Cost-Conscious Dev

Cut API costs by 90% with prompt caching and intelligent model switching.

1./cost → check spending
2./compact → reduce context, save tokens
3./provider ollama → switch to free local model
4./model haiku → use cheaper model for simple tasks

The Multi-Tool Developer

Same AI brain across CLI, VS Code, Cursor, Aider — zero context loss.

1.9 AM: cvc (CLI agent) → design architecture
2.10 AM: cvc launch cursor → implement in IDE
3.2 PM: cvc launch aider → refactor code
4.One continuous conversation across all tools

Next Steps