Overdeck Quick Start

Overview

This skill provides a streamlined onboarding experience for new Overdeck users, combining installation, configuration, and creating your first workspace in a single guided workflow.

When to Use

• First-time Overdeck users
• User wants fastest path to productive use
• User asks "how do I get started?"
• User wants to go from zero to running agent quickly

Quick Start Workflow

Step 1: Prerequisites Check

Before starting, verify you have:

• Linux, macOS, or WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
• Terminal access with bash/zsh
• Internet connection for downloading dependencies

Step 2: Installation (5 minutes)

Check Current Status

pan doctor

If pan command not found, Overdeck isn't installed yet.

Install Overdeck

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/eltmon/overdeck.git
cd overdeck

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build CLI
npm run build

# Install globally (recommended)
npm install -g .

# Verify installation
pan --help

Install Prerequisites

# Use automated installer
pan install

# Or verify manually
pan doctor

What pan install does:

• Checks for Node.js v18+ (installs if missing)
• Checks for Docker (guides installation if missing)
• Checks for tmux (installs if missing)
• Checks for Git (installs if missing)

Expected output: All green checkmarks from pan doctor

Step 3: Configuration (2 minutes)

Initialize Configuration

pan init

This creates ~/.overdeck.env.

Configure Issue Tracker

Using Linear (recommended):

# Edit ~/.overdeck.env and add:
LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LINEAR_TEAM_ID=your-team-id

Get your Linear API key:

1. Visit https://linear.app/settings/api
2. Create personal API key
3. Copy key (starts with lin_api_)

Using GitHub:

# Edit ~/.overdeck.env and add:
GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
GITHUB_OWNER=your-username-or-org
GITHUB_REPO=your-repo-name

Get your GitHub token:

1. Visit https://github.com/settings/tokens
2. Generate token with repo scope
3. Copy token (starts with ghp_)

Using GitLab:

# Edit ~/.overdeck.env and add:
GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
GITLAB_PROJECT_ID=12345678

Add Your First Project

# Add the project you want to work on
pan project add ~/projects/myapp

# Verify
pan project list

Verify Configuration

# Check system health
pan doctor

# Test tracker connection
pan issues

Step 4: Start Services (1 minute)

# Start dashboard and services
pan up

# Verify services are running
pan status

What starts:

• Dashboard frontend (http://localhost:3001)
• API server (http://localhost:3002)
• Traefik (if enabled, for local domains)

Verify: Visit http://localhost:3001 in your browser

Step 5: Create Your First Workspace (2 minutes)

List Available Issues

# See issues from your tracker
pan issues

Create Workspace and Spawn Agent

# Replace PAN-3 with your issue ID
pan start PAN-3

What happens:

1. Creates isolated workspace directory
2. Clones code from main project
3. Sets up Docker containers (if configured)
4. Starts tmux session
5. Spawns AI agent in tmux session
6. Agent begins working on the issue

Monitor Agent Progress

# Check agent status
pan status

# View agent output in dashboard
# Visit http://localhost:3001 and click on the agent

Interact with Agent

# Send message to agent
pan tell PAN-3 "Check if tests pass"

# View agent's work
# Attach to tmux session (Ctrl+b d to detach)
tmux attach -t agent-PAN-3

Step 6: Review and Approve Work (when ready)

Check Pending Work

# See completed work awaiting review (open PRs)
gh pr list

Review in Dashboard

1. Visit http://localhost:3001
2. Click on completed work
3. Review code changes
4. Check test results

Approve and Merge

# Approval is a PR review
gh pr review <pr-number> --approve

Then merge from the dashboard's MERGE button. Merge readiness is derived
live from the PR: approvals, green checks, and forge mergeability.

Complete Quick Start Script

Here's the entire workflow in one script:

#!/bin/bash
# Overdeck Quick Start

echo "=== Overdeck Quick Start ==="

# 1. Install Overdeck (skip if already done)
if ! command -v pan &> /dev/null; then
    git clone https://github.com/eltmon/overdeck.git
    cd overdeck
    npm install
    npm run build
    npm install -g .
fi

# 2. Install prerequisites
pan install

# 3. Initialize configuration
pan init

# 4. Verify health
pan doctor

# 5. Configure tracker (manual step - prompt user)
echo "Please configure your issue tracker in ~/.overdeck.env"
echo "Add LINEAR_API_KEY or GITHUB_TOKEN"
read -p "Press enter when done..."

# 6. Add project (manual step - prompt user)
echo "Add your project directory:"
read -p "Project path: " PROJECT_PATH
pan project add "$PROJECT_PATH"

# 7. Start services
pan up

# 8. List issues
pan issues

# 9. Create first workspace (manual step - prompt user)
echo "Create your first workspace:"
read -p "Issue ID (e.g., PAN-3): " ISSUE_ID
pan start "$ISSUE_ID"

echo "=== Quick Start Complete! ==="
echo "Dashboard: http://localhost:3001"
echo "Monitor agent: pan status"
echo "Send message: pan tell $ISSUE_ID \"your message\""

Time Estimate

Step	Time
Installation	~5 minutes
Configuration	~2 minutes
Start services	~1 minute
Create workspace	~2 minutes
Total	~10 minutes

Plus time for agent to complete work (varies by issue complexity)

Common First-Time Issues

Docker not running

Problem: pan workspace create fails with Docker error

Solution:

# Start Docker daemon
sudo systemctl start docker  # Linux
# Or start Docker Desktop (macOS/Windows)

# Verify
docker ps

Ports already in use

Problem: pan up fails because ports 3001/3002 are busy

Solution:

# Find what's using the port
lsof -i :3001

# Kill the process or use different ports
DASHBOARD_PORT=4001 API_PORT=4002 pan up

Issue tracker not configured

Problem: pan issues returns empty or errors

Solution:

# Verify API key is set
cat ~/.overdeck.env | grep API_KEY

# Test connection manually
# For Linear:
curl -X POST https://api.linear.app/graphql \
  -H "Authorization: $LINEAR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query":"{ viewer { name } }"}'

Agent session not starting

Problem: pan start completes but no tmux session

Solution:

# Check tmux is installed
which tmux

# List tmux sessions
tmux list-sessions

# Check for error logs
cat ~/.overdeck/logs/agent-*.log

What You've Accomplished

After completing this quick start, you have:

• ✅ Overdeck installed and configured
• ✅ Issue tracker connected
• ✅ Dashboard running at http://localhost:3001
• ✅ First workspace created
• ✅ AI agent working on an issue
• ✅ Understanding of basic workflow

Next Steps

Learn More

• /pan-help - Explore all available commands
• /pan-docker - Configure Docker templates for your stack
• /pan-network - Set up local domains (feature-123.localhost)
• /pan-config - Advanced configuration options

Productivity Tips

• Use dashboard to monitor multiple agents
• Use xBRIEF plan items through pan task for task tracking
• Configure git hooks for automated workflows
• Create custom skills for your team's processes

Advanced Features

• Planning sessions: pan plan <id> before spawning agent
• Multiple agents: Run agents in parallel for different issues
• Custom templates: Create Docker templates for your stack
• State mapping: Map Linear states to git branches

Troubleshooting

If you get stuck at any step:

# Check system health
pan doctor

# View detailed logs
cat ~/.overdeck/logs/overdeck.log

# Check dashboard logs
cd overdeck/src/dashboard
npm run dev  # Run in foreground to see errors

# Get help
pan --help
pan <command> --help

Use these skills for specific issues:

• /pan-install - Installation problems
• /pan-setup - Configuration problems
• /session-health - Stuck or crashed agents
• /pan-help - General command reference

Feedback and Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Run pan doctor for diagnostic info
3. Visit https://github.com/eltmon/overdeck/issues
4. Join the community (link in README)

Related Skills

• /pan-install - Detailed installation guide
• /pan-setup - Configuration wizard
• /pan-help - Command reference
• /pan-issue - Workspace creation details
• /pan-status - Monitoring agents

Success Checklist

• pan --help works
• pan doctor shows all green checkmarks
• pan issues shows issues from your tracker
• Dashboard accessible at http://localhost:3001
• Created first workspace with pan start
• Agent running in tmux session
• Can send messages to agent with pan tell
• Understand how to approve work with gh pr review --approve

Congratulations! You're now ready to use Overdeck for multi-agent development workflows.