Getting started with Hive

Install Hive, open it, start your first AI coding agents, detach and come back. The concepts you need: daemon, sessions, spaces, worktrees.

1. Install

On Linux or macOS:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/jrh89/hive/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh

The script downloads static binaries, checks their SHA-256 checksum and puts hive and hived in ~/.local/bin. Windows and building from source are on the install page. Then check the setup:

hive doctor

It lists your config file, the daemon, what your terminal supports, and which agent CLIs (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and others) are on your PATH. Hive runs the agents you already have; it doesn't install them or need API keys of its own.

2. Five words to know

Term	Meaning
Daemon (`hived`)	A background process that owns every agent and its terminal. `hive` starts it for you. Agents live as long as it does, which is why closing the window doesn't stop them.
Session	One terminal running in the daemon: a shell, or an agent such as Claude Code. Each has an id that is never reused, a label and a directory.
Space (workspace)	A group of sessions, normally one git repository. Hive assigns it from the session's directory, and moves a terminal when you `cd` elsewhere.
Worktree	An optional separate git checkout on its own branch, so two agents in one repository never edit the same files.
Leader	`Ctrl+Space`. Everything you type goes to the agent except the leader and the key after it.

3. Open Hive and start an agent

cd ~/src/my-project
hive

You get a sidebar on the left and a terminal on the right. Type claude (or codex, gemini, …) in that terminal as you normally would. Hive notices the agent and lists it under AGENTS with its status: working, needs input or done.

Start a second one beside it:

Ctrl+Space v splits the screen with a new terminal on the right. Type codex there.
Ctrl+Space t opens a new tab instead.
Ctrl+Space A picks an agent from a list; press w in the list to give it its own worktree.

Or from any shell: hive new claude starts Claude Code in the current directory, and hive new codex -w starts Codex in its own worktree.

4. Move around

`Alt+1`–`Alt+9`	Jump to an agent by its number in the sidebar, from anywhere
`Ctrl+Space` `n` / `p`	Next / previous session
`Alt+←` `Alt+→`	Previous / next tab
`Alt+↑` `Alt+↓`	Previous / next space
`Ctrl+Space` `:`	The command palette: every command, session and space, searchable
`Ctrl+Space` `?`	Help with your current keys

Everything in the sidebar and tab bar is clickable too. The full list is on the keys page.

5. Leave and come back

Ctrl+Space d detaches: the window closes and every agent keeps working. Closing the terminal window or losing an SSH connection does the same. Run hive again, from any terminal, to get back exactly where you were. The sidebar shows which agents finished (done) or are waiting for you (needs input) while you were away.

To stop an agent, close its pane (Ctrl+Space X) or terminate it (Ctrl+Space x); Hive asks first if an agent is still running.

Next steps

Turn on extras such as lazygit review, desktop notifications or an Obsidian journal with Ctrl+Space I. See integrations.
Change the leader, theme or agents in configuration.
Learn what the sidebar shows in the interface.