Setup with AI

Paste one block into your AI coding assistant and let it handle the rest.

Why Use an AI Assistant?

If terms like git, Python virtual environments, or PostgreSQL feel unfamiliar, let an AI assistant walk you through the setup. Tools like Claude Code, Cursor, or similar can read the instructions, run the commands, and troubleshoot errors — all from a single paste.

What You Need

  • A Mac — Edward requires macOS
  • An AI coding assistant — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or any tool that can run terminal commands
  • An Anthropic API key — get one at console.anthropic.com (the AI will help if you don't have one yet)

Paste This to Your AI

Copy the entire block below and paste it into your AI assistant:

I want to set up Edward, an open-source AI assistant, on my Mac.

Here is the project documentation:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ben4mn/meet-edward/main/CLAUDE.md

Steps:
1. Clone: git clone https://github.com/ben4mn/meet-edward.git
2. Run ./setup.sh (installs PostgreSQL, pgvector, Python venv, Node deps)
3. I need to add my ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to .env — ask me for it or help me get one from console.anthropic.com
4. Run ./restart.sh to start frontend + backend
5. Verify http://localhost:3000 loads and responds to a test message

If anything fails, check:
- brew services list (PostgreSQL should be running)
- python3 --version (needs 3.11+)
- node --version (needs 18+)
- cat /tmp/edward-backend.log
- cat /tmp/edward-frontend.log

What Happens Next

Your AI assistant will:

  1. Clone the Edward repository to your computer
  2. Run the setup script, which installs PostgreSQL, Python dependencies, and the frontend
  3. Ask you for your Anthropic API key (or help you create one)
  4. Start both the backend and frontend services
  5. Verify everything is working

If anything goes wrong, the AI has the debugging commands built into the prompt and can troubleshoot on the spot.

After Setup

  1. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
  2. Set a password on first visit
  3. Send a test message to make sure Edward responds

Your Mac needs to stay on for Edward to run. If you restart your Mac, run ./restart.sh from the project folder to start Edward again.

Want to access Edward from your phone or set it up as a home screen app? See the phone access section of the Beginner Guide.

Once Edward is running, head to the Configuration guide to customize your setup.