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Getting Started

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Heiko edited this page Apr 19, 2026 · 2 revisions

Getting Started

Install, configure a provider, run your first prompt. This page covers the desktop host path. If you want the browser variant, jump to Web App; for the Claude-driven MCP workflow, see MCP Server.

Prerequisites

  • .NET 9 SDK or later
  • One AI provider configured, or a local model server (Ollama / LM Studio)

Platform requirements

  • WPF host (Neo.App) — Windows 10/11
  • Avalonia host (Neo.App.Avalonia) — Windows, Linux, or macOS

To use a different .NET version (e.g. .NET 10), change NeoNetMajor in Directory.Build.props at the repo root.

1. Clone and build

Two solutions ship. Pick the one that matches your platform.

git clone https://github.com/hf75/N.E.O.git
cd N.E.O

Windows — full solution, includes the WPF host:

dotnet build neo.sln

Cross-platform — Avalonia only:

dotnet build neo-avalonia.sln

Every agent implementation lives in the repo — no private packages.

2. Configure an AI provider

Neo reads API keys from environment variables.

Windows (PowerShell)

[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "sk-ant-…", "User")
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("OPENAI_API_KEY",    "sk-…",     "User")
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("GEMINI_API_KEY",    "AI…",      "User")

Linux / macOS — add to ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or equivalent:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-…"
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-…"
export GEMINI_API_KEY="AI…"

Then reload your shell or open a new terminal.

If Neo can't see any keys on first launch, it opens a setup window where you can enter them directly — no manual env editing needed.

Local models (no API key)

  1. Install Ollama or LM Studio
  2. Start the server (default ports: Ollama 11434, LM Studio 1234)
  3. Launch Neo — it auto-detects the running server

3. Run

# WPF host (Windows only)
dotnet run --project Neo.App

# Avalonia host (Windows, Linux, macOS)
dotnet run --project Neo.App.Avalonia

Or open the solution in Visual Studio / Rider and press F5.

4. Your first prompt

Type a prompt in the input at the bottom and press Enter:

Create a calculator with large colorful buttons and a display at the top

Neo will:

  1. Send the prompt to the AI
  2. Receive generated C# code
  3. Download any requested NuGet packages
  4. Compile with Roslyn
  5. Show the result in the Live Preview (embedded panel in WPF, separate docked window in Avalonia)

The whole round-trip takes a few seconds. First-run NuGet downloads take longer — cached from then on.

5. Iterate

Follow up in the chat:

Make the buttons round and add a history panel on the right side

The AI sends a unified-diff patch, not a full rewrite — your existing code is preserved.

Where next

Clone this wiki locally