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Quick Start on Windows

The first time you open Osaurus, a short setup creates your first assistant (Osaurus calls them Dinos, or agents) and gives it an AI model. It takes a minute, and you can change every choice later.

First launch​

Setup has three steps.

  1. Welcome. Click Get started. The Share anonymous usage data to help improve Osaurus box is checked; uncheck it if you'd rather not. It never includes your chats, prompts, files, or keys, and you can change it later in Settings → Data & privacy.

  2. Your first Dino. Pick what it should be great at: Everyday helper, Research & writing, or Coding & development. Give it a name and a look if you like, then click Create your Dino.

  3. A brain for your Dino. Choose the model it runs on:

    • Osaurus Cloud: hosted models billed to your Osaurus account, with nothing to download and no key. Click Use Osaurus Cloud. Osaurus creates an account for you if you don't have one yet.
    • Run on this PC: a free, private model that works offline. Offered when your graphics card has about 12 GB of memory. Click Use this PC; you can start chatting while the rest of the model downloads.
    • Your own provider: sign in with ChatGPT or Grok, paste an API key for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini, or use Claude Code if it's installed. Choose More for the full list.

    Then click Continue to Osaurus. Or click Set up later and add a model from Settings whenever you're ready.

Back up your recovery phrase

If setup created an account for you, back up its recovery phrase in Settings → Account. It's the only way to move your account, and its credits, to another PC.

Chat​

The window has your agents down the left side and their conversations as tabs along the top.

  • Send with Enter; Shift+Enter starts a new line.
  • Switch the model with the model chip in the message box. Manage in the picker opens your models.
  • Start a new conversation with Ctrl+T, or the + at the end of the tabs.
  • Find an old conversation with Ctrl+H.

Let an agent work on your files​

  1. Click + in the message box and choose Attach workspace folder….
  2. Pick a folder. The agent can now read the files in it and, with your OK, change them or run commands there.

When an agent wants to change a file or run a command, it asks first:

  • Allow once (Enter) lets this one action through.
  • Always allow remembers your answer for this file, folder, command, or tool. You can take it back in Settings → Behavior.
  • Deny (Esc) refuses. Type a note first to tell the agent what to do instead.

Osaurus records the changes agents make to your files, so you can undo them. If it can't record a change, it tells you before the action runs.

Settings​

Click Settings at the bottom of the agent sidebar. Settings open as a tab named Control center that you can close like any other, and Ctrl+F searches them. This is the Windows counterpart of the Mac's Settings… window, and its sections are grouped like this:

GroupSections
AppAppearance, Behavior, Notifications, Data & privacy, Privacy filter
IntelligenceProviders, Models, Orchestrator, Agents, Memory
CapabilitiesSkills, MCP servers, Commands, Sandbox, Browser
AutomationTasks, Watchers, Schedules
ConnectivityConnections, Mobile, Account, Workspaces, Channels, Web search
DiagnosticsInsights

A few places to start:

  • Models: download local models. The Catalog tab shows what fits your PC, with a badge on each: Runs well, Tight fit, GPU + RAM (part of the model runs from system memory, more slowly), or Too large.
  • Providers: add cloud models: sign in with ChatGPT, Grok, or OpenRouter; paste an API key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Azure OpenAI, DeepSeek, or Venice AI; use Claude Code; or connect Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
  • Agents: create more agents for different jobs. The Orchestrator, Osaurus's built-in agent, can also set Osaurus up for you: ask it to add a provider, download a model, or create an agent.

Keyboard shortcuts​

ShortcutAction
Ctrl+T or Ctrl+NNew conversation
Ctrl+Shift+NNew window
Ctrl+WClose tab
Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+TabNext / previous tab
Ctrl+1 … Ctrl+9Go to a tab
Ctrl+Alt+Up / Ctrl+Alt+DownPrevious / next agent
Ctrl+BShow or hide the agent sidebar
Ctrl+HConversation history
Ctrl+Shift+BThis agent's browser

Next​

  • Connect other apps to Osaurus's local server: see the HTTP API. The server runs on http://127.0.0.1:1337.
  • Use Osaurus from a terminal: see CLI on Windows.
  • See what's different from the Mac app: Windows and Mac.