Install AI Tools

MoltShell VMs come with Node.js 22 and Python 3 pre-installed, so you can set up AI coding tools quickly. Below are step-by-step instructions for popular tools.

Claude Code

Claude Code is Anthropic's CLI tool for AI-assisted coding.

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Set your API key:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

To make the key persist across sessions, add it to your shell profile:

echo 'export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Start using it:

cd ~/my-project
claude

Aider

Aider is a terminal-based AI pair programming tool that works with multiple LLM providers.

pip install aider-chat

Set your API key (example with OpenAI):

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
echo 'export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."' >> ~/.bashrc

Or with Anthropic:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."' >> ~/.bashrc

Start aider in your project:

cd ~/my-project
aider

Gemini CLI

Google's Gemini CLI for AI-assisted development.

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/gemini-cli

Or install via the official method:

curl -fsSL https://gemini.google.com/cli/install.sh | sh

Follow the authentication prompts to connect your Google account or set an API key.

Codex

OpenAI's Codex CLI tool.

npm install -g @openai/codex

Set your API key:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
echo 'export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."' >> ~/.bashrc

Quick Commands shortcut

MoltShell includes a Quick Commands menu (the lightning bolt icon in the pane header) with one-click install commands for popular tools. This saves you from typing the install commands manually.

Available quick commands include:

Command	Action
Install Claude Code	npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Install Cursor	curl -fsSL https://www.cursor.com/install.sh | sh
Install OpenClaw	pip install open-claw
System Info	uname -a && cat /etc/os-release

Tips

• API keys: Store API keys in ~/.bashrc so they persist across terminal sessions and VM suspends.
• Multiple tools: You can install and use multiple AI tools on the same VM. They do not conflict with each other.
• Memory: AI tools can use significant memory. If you see a memory warning, close unused tools before starting another. The VM has 4GB RAM + 2GB swap.
• Split panes: Use split panes to run an AI tool in one pane while keeping a regular terminal in another.