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How to set up Crush, the multi-model coding agent for your terminal

#terminal #productivity #ai #devtools

Crush is Charm's open source coding agent for the terminal. It works with many model providers, lets you switch models mid-session, and runs on macOS, Linux and Windows. Here is a practical setup based on the Crush README.

Install it

Pick the package manager you already use:

# Homebrew
brew install charmbracelet/tap/crush

# npm (macOS, Linux, Windows)
npm install -g @charmland/crush
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On Windows, winget install charmbracelet.crush works, and the README also lists Scoop, Arch, Nix, FreeBSD, and apt and yum repos for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and RHEL.

Connect a model

Run crush inside your project folder. The quickest start is the built-in model picker, which offers Charm's own Hyper provider. If you would rather use a provider you already pay for, press ctrl+l to open the picker, choose the provider and paste your API key.

You can also set an environment variable before launching. The README maps these to providers:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-key
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your-key
export GEMINI_API_KEY=your-key
crush
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Use your own keys, and keep them out of shell history files you sync or share.

Why it is different from other terminal agents

  • Multi-model: switch LLMs mid-session and keep the context.
  • Session-based: keep separate sessions and contexts per project.
  • LSP-enhanced: it uses language servers for extra context, like an editor does.
  • Extensible: add MCP servers over http, stdio or sse.

Configure it with a crushrc

Crush runs fine with no configuration. When you want to customize it, the README describes a crushrc, which is Bash with Crush specific builtins, so it behaves the same on every platform. For example, to add a local Ollama provider:

provider add ollama --type ollama --base-url "http://localhost:11434/v1"
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The README also says Crush ships with a built-in skill for configuring itself, so you can simply tell it what you want changed.

A sensible first session

  1. Open a small repo and ask Crush to explain the layout. Reading is the safest first task.
  2. Ask for one scoped change, such as a failing test or a missing type.
  3. Review the proposed edit and any command before approving it.
  4. Switch to a cheaper model for routine edits, keeping the same session.

Things to check

  • Model cost comes from your own provider account, so set spending limits there.
  • Treat MCP servers like any other code you run: only add ones you trust.
  • Release details change quickly, so check the README for current flags and providers.

More on Deduped

There is a step by step page for this: start coding with Crush in your terminal. To compare it with other agents, see best AI repos for coding agents.

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