> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.monolex.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Get started with Monolex in 5 minutes

Get up and running with Monolex in minutes.

## Installation

1. Download the [Apple Silicon DMG](https://download.monolex.ai/monolex/latest/mac)
2. Open the DMG file
3. Drag Monolex to Applications
4. Launch from Applications

<Tip>
  On first launch, right-click and select "Open" to bypass Gatekeeper.
</Tip>

## Your First Terminal

Once Monolex is running:

1. **New Tab**: Press `Cmd+T` to open a new terminal tab
2. **Run a command**: Type `ls -la` and press Enter
3. **Multiple tabs**: Press `Cmd+T` again for more terminals

## Keyboard Shortcuts

| Action         | Shortcut                 |
| -------------- | ------------------------ |
| New tab        | `Cmd+T`                  |
| Close tab      | `Cmd+W`                  |
| Next tab       | `Cmd+]` or `Cmd+Shift+]` |
| Previous tab   | `Cmd+[` or `Cmd+Shift+[` |
| Clear terminal | `Cmd+K`                  |
| Copy           | `Cmd+C`                  |
| Paste          | `Cmd+V`                  |

## Test the Performance

Try these commands to see Monolex's performance advantage:

### High-Output Test

```bash theme={null}
# Generate 10,000 lines of output
seq 10000

# Watch CPU usage in Activity Monitor
# Standard xterm.js: High CPU
# Monolex: Lower CPU due to ACK-based flow control
```

### AI Streaming Simulation

```bash theme={null}
# Simulate LLM streaming output
for i in $(seq 1 100); do
    echo "This is line $i of AI output..."
    sleep 0.01
done
```

### Color Test

```bash theme={null}
# Test 256 colors
for i in $(seq 0 255); do
    printf "\e[48;5;${i}m  \e[0m"
    [ $((($i + 1) % 16)) -eq 0 ] && echo
done
```

## Understanding the UI

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  [Tab 1] [Tab 2] [Tab 3] [+]                          [─][□][×] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                 │
│  user@machine ~ %                                               │
│                                                                 │
│                                                                 │
│                                                                 │
│                                                                 │
│                                                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  [Status Bar]                                                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

* **Tab Bar**: Switch between terminal sessions
* **Terminal Area**: Your active terminal
* **Status Bar**: Session info and indicators

## Crash Recovery

One of Monolex's unique features is **crash resilience**:

1. Your terminal sessions run in a separate daemon process
2. If the app crashes, sessions stay alive
3. On restart, sessions are automatically recovered

Test it:

```bash theme={null}
# Start a long-running process
ping google.com

# Force-quit Monolex (Cmd+Option+Escape)
# Reopen Monolex
# Your ping should still be running!
```

## Configuration

### Change Theme

1. Open Settings (Cmd+,)
2. Navigate to Appearance
3. Select your preferred theme

### Change Font

1. Open Settings (Cmd+,)
2. Navigate to Fonts
3. Select font family and size

### Configure Shell

Monolex uses your default shell. To change it:

```bash theme={null}
# Use zsh
chsh -s /bin/zsh

# Use bash
chsh -s /bin/bash
```

## Tips for Power Users

### 1. Use Multiple Tabs

Each tab is an independent terminal session. Open as many as you need without performance degradation.

### 2. Watch the CPU

Open Activity Monitor while running high-output commands. Notice how Monolex maintains low CPU compared to other terminals.

### 3. Explore the Sidebars

Monolex has powerful sidebars for:

* File browsing (Markdown viewer)
* Project management
* AI agent integration

### 4. Check the Logs

If something goes wrong:

```bash theme={null}
# PTY daemon logs
tail -f /tmp/pty-daemon.log

# Watcher daemon logs
tail -f /tmp/niia-watcher.log
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Architecture" icon="sitemap" href="/architecture/introduction/overview">
    Understand how Monolex works.
  </Card>

  <Card title="5-Tier Grid Mode" icon="layer-group" href="/architecture/rendering-system/5-tier-grid-mode">
    Deep dive into the rendering pipeline.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SessionActor" icon="diagram-project" href="/architecture/actors-and-flow/session-actor">
    Learn about lock-free concurrency.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI-Native UX" icon="robot" href="/research/ai-ux/ai-native-terminal">
    Why Monolex is built for AI workloads.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Need Help?

* **Documentation**: You're reading it!
* **GitHub Issues**: [github.com/monolex/monolex](https://github.com/monolex/monolex)
* **Community**: [monolex.co](https://monolex.co)