Quick Start

This guide walks you through creating your first project, navigating the interface, and sending your first AI message.

Create or Open a Project

When you first launch Omnilib, the welcome screen gives you three ways to get started:

Choose a Template

Select one of eight project templates to set up a preconfigured workspace:

Choose a Source Mode

After selecting a template, pick where your project files live:

• New local folder — Create a fresh folder on your machine
• Existing local folder — Open a folder you already have
• SSH remote — Connect to a remote server (ssh://user@host/path)

Once you open a project, Omnilib displays your files in the sidebar and saves the project to your cloud-synced project list.

Basic Navigation

The Sidebar

The left sidebar shows your file tree and workspace tools:

• Click a file to open it in the main panel
• Click a folder to expand or collapse it
• Right-click for options like "Open in New Panel"

Collapse the sidebar with Cmd+B (Windows: Ctrl+B) to gain more working space.

Panels and Tabs

The main area is a multi-panel workspace:

• Tabs — Each open file has a tab at the top of its panel
• Split panels — Press Cmd+\ (Windows: Ctrl+\) to split the current panel
• Drag tabs — Move tabs between panels or reorder them by dragging
• Jump to tab — Press Cmd+1 (Windows: Ctrl+1) through Cmd+9 (Windows: Ctrl+9) to switch tabs by position
• Cycle tabs — Press Cmd+Shift+[ (Windows: Ctrl+Shift+[) and Cmd+Shift+] (Windows: Ctrl+Shift+]) to move to the previous or next tab

Global Search

Press Cmd+F (Windows: Ctrl+F) to open global search. Type a file name or phrase — fuzzy matching finds files even when you type partial names.

Your First AI Chat

1. Press Cmd+Shift+A (Windows: Ctrl+Shift+A) to open AI chat, or click the chat icon in the sidebar
2. Type a message and press Enter to send
3. Press Shift+Enter to add a line break without sending

Choosing a Model

Omnilib connects to AI through three providers:

• OpenRouter — Free-tier models are available with no setup. Paid models require an OpenRouter API key.
• GitHub Copilot — Connect via OAuth device flow in Settings > AI. Models are fetched automatically from the Copilot API.
• Ollama (local) — Run models on your own hardware. Available on desktop only.

Select your model from the dropdown in the chat input area, or configure a default in Settings > AI.

Asking About Your Files

Mention a file by typing @ followed by the filename. The AI reads that file and factors it into the response. You can also drop the name of a folder to give the AI broader context.

What does @auth.ts do?

Summarize the research in the @papers/ folder

Trying Agent Mode

Switch to Agent mode in the chat input dropdown when you want the AI to take action:

1. Select Agent from the mode dropdown
2. Ask a task: "Create a Python script that reads a CSV and prints a summary"
3. The AI shows tool execution badges as it reads, writes, and runs files
4. Expand any badge to see an inline diff, then click Accept or Reject

Opening Files

Omnilib opens files with the right viewer automatically:

Keyboard Shortcuts

Customizing Your Workspace

Theme and Appearance

Click the theme switcher in the top toolbar to cycle between Light, Dark, and Omni themes. Adjust font size using the font size control in the same toolbar.

Language

Click the language switcher in the top toolbar to change the interface language (English, Italian, or Spanish).

Related

• Interface Overview — Learn all parts of the workspace
• Project Templates — Template and source mode details
• AI Chat — Master AI-powered conversations
• AI Modes — Chat, Agent, and Plan mode explained