Install

The install prompt has Claude Code run these steps and check each one. This is the same install by hand.

#Requirements

Two more, each for one feature:

#1. The repository

git lfs install
git clone https://github.com/fakeplant/rapid.git
cd rapid
pnpm install

Run git lfs install before the clone. A checkout cloned without it holds LFS pointers in place of the proofs' videos and frames, and their checks fail; git lfs pull fetches the files. file styles/swiss/proof/poster.png says PNG image data when they are there.

#2. rapid setup

node daemon/bin/rapid.ts setup

Writes a shim, ~/.local/bin/rapid (--bin-dir <dir> for another folder), that runs this checkout's CLI, builds the screening page (screen/dist) if it is missing, and reports what the machine has. It never edits a shell profile or installs a tool. A file at the shim's path that isn't rapid's is left alone.

If it reports ~/.local/bin is not on PATH, add the line it prints to your shell profile and open a new shell:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

#3. rapid setup --check

rapid setup --check

Reports and writes nothing. One line per check, ok or missing with its fix; exits 1 until all pass:

ok       rapid command: /Users/you/.local/bin/rapid is in place
ok       Node 24 or newer: node v24.8.0
ok       ffmpeg: ffmpeg version 7.1.1
ok       ffprobe: ffprobe version 7.1.1
ok       Google Chrome: /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
ok       Claude Code: claude 2.1.280 (Claude Code)
ok       Claude sign-in: signed in (claude.ai)
ok       The page: built
ok       uv (for music): uv 0.9.0
rapid is ready.

Without uv, its line reads optional and rapid is still ready. Setup doesn't check for Blender; a video that plans a shot fails at that node if it can't start it.

The sign-in check reads claude auth status --json, or passes when ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set. Fix: run claude, then /login. A missing page: pnpm --filter @rapid/screen build in the checkout; rebuild it after pulling changes to screen/.

#4. The plugin

In Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add fakeplant/rapid
/plugin install rapid@rapid

From a shell: claude plugin marketplace add fakeplant/rapid, then claude plugin install rapid@rapid; claude plugin list lists rapid. The plugin loads in the next session. It brings the pane, /rapid, the agents and skills, and the MCP server, in the terminal and the desktop app alike.

To load a checkout's plugin without installing it:

claude --plugin-dir ./plugin

The plugin runs the rapid command. If it isn't on the PATH Claude Code sees, set the plugin's cli option to the command as words: node /Users/you/code/rapid/daemon/bin/rapid.ts. With cli left at rapid and no rapid on PATH, the MCP server falls back to the checkout the plugin sits in. /rapid setup prints the setup report inside Claude Code.

#The daemon

The daemon owns the work: the job graph, the lanes, the event log, and the screening page, on http://127.0.0.1:4317. Starting it by hand is rarely needed: rapid video, rapid open, and the MCP tools that need it start it in the background, and the pane has a Start daemon button.

rapid daemon ensure   # started: rapid daemon 0.1.0 at http://127.0.0.1:4317 (pid 4242)
rapid daemon status   # whether it answers, and where its state and log are; exits 1 when none does
rapid daemon stop     # stops the daemon ensure started

A background daemon logs to $RAPID_HOME/daemon.log and keeps its PID in $RAPID_HOME/daemon.pid (RAPID_HOME defaults to ~/.rapid). In the foreground:

rapid serve           # rapid daemon on http://127.0.0.1:4317 (state in ~/.rapid); Ctrl-C stops it

Agent nodes run as Claude Agent SDK sessions on this machine, on Claude Code's sign-in or ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. One that can't sign in fails saying so.

Bare style names resolve against rapid's GitHub repository unless styles_repo in $RAPID_HOME/config.json names another; see sharing styles.

Next: your first video.