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Get Started in 5 Minutes

Follow these simple steps to start using AI Code Buddy with your web terminal

1

Install the Extension 1 minute

Get AI Code Buddy running in your Chrome browser:

  1. Clone or download this repository to your local machine
  2. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
  3. Enable "Developer mode" using the toggle in the top right corner
  4. Click the "Load unpacked" button
  5. Select the extension directory from your downloaded files

Success indicator: You should see "AI Code Buddy" appear in your extensions list with the green logo!

2

Choose Your AI Provider 1 minute

Pick an AI provider based on your needs and budget:

If you want... Choose... Cost
Best code quality Claude $20/month API (pay-as-you-go)
General purpose OpenAI (GPT-4) $20/month API (pay-as-you-go)
FREE option Gemini FREE tier (no credit card)
100% privacy Ollama FREE (runs locally)

Recommendation: Start with Gemini (it's free!) or Ollama (completely private and local).

3

Get Your API Key 2 minutes

Follow the quick guide for your chosen provider:

For Gemini (FREE - Recommended for testing)

  1. Go to Google AI Studio
  2. Click "Create API Key"
  3. Copy the key (starts with AIza...)

For Claude

  1. Go to Anthropic Console
  2. Click "API Keys" then "Create Key"
  3. Copy the key (starts with sk-ant-...)

For OpenAI

  1. Go to OpenAI Platform
  2. Click "Create new secret key"
  3. Copy the key (starts with sk-...)

For Ollama (no key needed!)

  1. Install from ollama.ai
  2. Run in terminal: ollama pull codellama
  3. Your endpoint: http://localhost:11434

Need more providers? Check out the complete API Keys Guide for 9+ providers including Azure, Cohere, HuggingFace, and more.

4

Configure the Extension 1 minute

Set up your AI provider in the extension:

  1. Click the AI Code Buddy extension icon in your Chrome toolbar
  2. Select your AI provider from the provider grid
  3. Enter your API key (or endpoint URL for Ollama)
  4. Click "Save Configuration"
  5. Click "Test Connection" to verify everything works

Success indicator: The status should show "Connected" in green! If you see any errors, check the Troubleshooting Guide.

5

Start Using It! 30 seconds

Now you're ready to enhance your terminal workflows:

  1. Open any web terminal (RPort, Cloud Shell, GitPod, VS Code Web, etc.)
  2. Run any command in the terminal
  3. Select the terminal output text you want to analyze
  4. Click the hover button that appears above your selection
  5. Wait for the AI to analyze and provide an improved script
  6. Click "Insert Improved Script" to automatically insert it into your terminal
  7. Run the improved script and see the results!
$ ./deploy.sh Error: Permission denied [Select the error text → Hover button appears] AI suggests: $ chmod +x deploy.sh && ./deploy.sh [Click "Insert Improved Script" button] $ chmod +x deploy.sh && ./deploy.sh Deployment successful!

Pro Tip: If a script fails again, click "Send to AI" once more. The AI remembers your last 5 attempts and learns from previous errors to avoid repeating the same mistakes!

You're All Set!

AI Code Buddy is now ready to assist you with all your terminal tasks. Need help with something specific?

View API Keys Guide Learn About Security Troubleshooting

Compatible Platforms

AI Code Buddy works seamlessly with these web-based terminals and development environments:

RPort
Remote system management
Google Cloud Shell
Cloud-based terminal
AWS CloudShell
AWS command line
GitPod
Cloud development
VS Code Web
Browser-based VS Code
CodeSandbox
Online code editor
Replit
Collaborative coding
Any Web Terminal
Universal compatibility
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