Quick Start

This walkthrough creates a first Tauren session and shows the main controls you will use most often.

1. Open a project

Open the repository or workspace you want Tauren to work in. Tauren uses the first VS Code workspace folder as the Pi runtime working directory.

2. Open the Tauren sidebar

Select the Tauren icon in the Activity Bar. The sidebar opens to the chat surface.

The main pieces are:

• Transcript: the conversation and runtime output.
• Composer: the prompt box at the bottom.
• Session List Lane: the left-side session switcher, opened with /resume or the session-list command.
• Session Tree Lane: the right-side tree view, opened with /tree.
• Settings Face: Tauren and Pi settings, opened with the gear icon or /settings.

3. Confirm model and authentication

If Tauren asks for authentication or a model, use the settings flow to complete it. You can also run:

/login

To change model later, use the model picker in the composer controls or run:

/model

4. Send a prompt

Type a small request in the composer and press Enter.

Example:

Summarize this repository and point out the main extension entry points.

Tauren streams the response in the transcript and shows tool activity as it happens.

5. Add context when needed

Use @ in the composer to attach or reference files. You can also select code in the editor and use Tauren: Add Context or Tauren: Send Selection to Composer.

Prefer adding the smallest useful context. Tauren can inspect files, but direct context helps the agent start in the right place.

6. Review changes

When a session changes files, use Open Session Diff or the changes control in the busy bar to review the session diff.

Session diffs are scoped to the active Tauren session. They are meant to answer: "What did this agent session change?"

7. Continue later

Tauren sessions are resumable. Use:

/resume

or Tauren: Toggle Session List to switch sessions.

Useful first commands

Command	Use
/settings or Tauren: Toggle Settings	Open Tauren settings.
/model or Tauren: Open Model Picker	Select a model.
/resume or Tauren: Toggle Session List	Open the session list.
/tree or Tauren: Toggle Session Tree	Open the Pi session tree.
/reload or Tauren: Reload Pi Engine	Reload Pi runtime resources after extension, skill, prompt, or theme changes.
Tauren: Send Selection to Composer	Put the active editor selection into the composer.
Tauren: Trace Origin	Find the likely Tauren session origin for selected code.
Tauren: Show Diagnostics	Open diagnostics for startup, SDK, extension, or performance issues.
/hotkeys	Show keyboard shortcuts.
/session	Print session information and stats.

Next: read the Sessions guide to understand Tauren's workflow model.