> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bor-os.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

# Quickstart

This page walks through your first useful turns with the presence. It assumes you've [installed](installation.md) BOR and finished [onboarding](onboarding.md).

## Talk to the presence

Click the orb. The composer expands. Type a message and press Enter. While BOR works, the **thought bubble** opens and streams what it's doing.

You can also:

* **Attach context** — drag a file or screenshot onto the composer, or click the attach button.
* **Minimize** the bubble (the work keeps running; a task chip appears).
* **Stop** a running task.

## Five things to try

### 1. Ask a question

> "What's the weather like for a hike near me this weekend?"

BOR searches the web, reads sources, and answers in the bubble with a concise, sourced reply. No app gets built — *answering one question is a valid response.*

### 2. Build a BOR app

> "Make me a calorie tracker."

This is ambiguous on platform, so BOR may ask whether you want a BOR app, a web app, a desktop app, or a mobile app. Say "a BOR app." BOR researches what a good calorie tracker needs, then builds a full app — camera/photo meal capture, AI nutrition estimates, history, goals, settings — and opens it as its own **Mac window**. It persists; reopen it any time from the **App Library** (the grid icon in the bubble header).

### 3. Drop a shortcut in the bubble

> "Give me a quick currency converter card."

BOR builds a **shortcut** — a small live card that renders *inside the bubble*. It has its own state, can call the AI, and stays across turns.

### 4. Build and preview a real project

> "Build a landing page for my coffee shop."

A landing page is a *website*, not a BOR app. BOR scaffolds a real project into `.bor/workspaces/`, starts the dev server in the background, and opens it with the **browser tool** so you can see it render. See [Running commands](../features/running-commands.md) and [The browser](../features/the-browser.md).

### 5. Change how everything looks

> "Make it feel like a cozy 2000s aqua desktop."

BOR sets the **Y2K / Frutiger Aero** theme, may generate a matching wallpaper, and restyles the presence and every generated surface. See [Themes](../features/themes.md).

## Reading the thought bubble

While BOR works, the bubble shows **live cards**:

* **Editor card** — a file being written, streaming line by line. One card per file.
* **Terminal card** — a command running, with live stdout/stderr.
* **Browser card** — a browser session: address bar, screenshot, console logs, step pagination.
* **Wait card** — a countdown while BOR pauses (e.g. for a build to finish).
* **Image card** — a generated image.
* **Web card** — search results being read.

Each tool call is "bracketed" in the bubble so you always see what BOR is doing and why.

## The header options

The thought-bubble header has quick actions on the right:

* **App Library** — the grid of apps BOR built for you (also mirrored into `~/Applications`).
* **Notifications** — the notification inbox.
* **History** — past conversations.
* **MCP Marketplace** — browse and install [MCP servers](../mcp/overview.md).
* **Minimize / Stop / Close**.

## Next

* [Onboarding](onboarding.md) — re-run or change your setup.
* [Apps](../features/apps.md) and [Shortcuts](../features/shortcuts.md) — the two kinds of surfaces.
* [Configuration](configuration.md) — env vars and tuning.