Download & install Liminal AI.
Run the official installer from Vireon Dynamics — one command clones Liminal, configures your AI provider, and opens the web UI. No account, no credit card — just Node.js 22+ and an API key from OpenRouter or OpenAI.
Install
curl -fsSL https://vireondynamics.com/install/install.sh | bashOpen source on GitHub. The installer clones the latest release branch and runs setup on your machine.
Prefer to audit first? View the install script source on GitHub — the hosted copy matches main.
Override install paths
Set these before running the installer:
LIMINAL_INSTALL_DIR— full path to the repo cloneLIMINAL_HOME— parent dir ($LIMINAL_HOME/liminal-ai)LIMINAL_SKIP_LAUNCH=1— skip auto-launch of the web UIAGENT_API_KEY— non-interactive CI install
Choose a provider
The wizard asks for an OpenAI-compatible API key and base URL. Liminal works with any provider that speaks the protocol. We default to OpenRouter because it lets you swap models without rewriting code.
OpenRouter
Recommended. Hundreds of models behind one API. Pin DeepInfra for prompt-cache discounts.
- base
- https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
- model
- deepseek/deepseek-v4-pro
OpenAI
Direct. Set AGENT_MODEL to gpt-5 or whatever you have access to.
- base
- https://api.openai.com/v1
- model
- gpt-5
Anthropic
Via OpenAI-compat shim. Best paired with the fast model on a cheaper provider.
- base
- https://api.anthropic.com/v1
- model
- claude-opus-4-7
Local (LM Studio / Ollama)
Run entirely offline. Point AGENT_API_BASE_URL at your local server.
- base
- http://localhost:1234/v1
- model
- your-local-model
Verify
liminal doctor checks Node 22+, npm 10+, .env API key, built artifacts, and port availability. Run it whenever something feels off.
liminal doctorRun
liminal web --bootstrap --open
# or: npm run web -- --bootstrapFirst run shows the persona bootstrap modal — describe how the assistant should sound, or tap a preset. The generated persona drives voice, behavior, and UI theme.
liminal commands
| liminal setup | Interactive first-run wizard (writes .env, install, build) |
| liminal doctor | Verify Node, build artifacts, API key, port |
| liminal web --bootstrap --open | Web UI + open browser |
| liminal tui --bootstrap | Terminal UI |
| liminal update | git pull + npm install + build |
| liminal path | Print install directory |
Stuck?
Run liminal doctor first. Most install issues fall into a handful of buckets — stale Node, missing build artifacts, port conflict, or a typo in the provider URL. The doctor explains each one.