Install
Prerequisites, pick a surface, confirm it works — about five minutes.
One engine, every surface. Install the lane that matches how you work and add others later — they share the same index. You do not need to clone the Prism repo; published packages are enough. Prefer a short path? Use the install wizard.
1. Prerequisites
Node.js 26+ — check with node -v (should start with v26).
A project folder — TypeScript / JavaScript. Open or cd into it. Git is
recommended but not required.
2. Install a surface
Terminal and CI. Run inside your project — no --workspace needed, Prism uses
the git root:
cd /path/to/your/project
npx -y @repo-prism/cli doctordoctor prints which folder it chose and the cache state. A warn on the index
cache is expected on a first run. Then analyse:
npx -y @repo-prism/cli dna
npx -y @repo-prism/cli health
npx -y @repo-prism/cli blast src/index.ts --fail-on highOptional global install:
npm install -g @repo-prism/cli
prism doctorMore: CLI usage
3. Confirm it works
| Surface | You should see |
|---|---|
| CLI | doctor prints a workspace path; dna prints a report |
| IDE | The Prism panel opens after indexing |
| MCP | Tools listed in the client; the agent answers with repository structure |
Something off? Troubleshooting.
What Prism writes
Nothing goes into your checkout. Per-repo state lives in the machine-wide library, keyed by repo:
~/.prism/
workspaces/<key>/
cache/ index + health history
consent.json optional network feature decisions
bookmarks.json map bookmarks
ingest/ artifacts you asked Prism to read
tools/ tools you consented to install
dispatch/ Dispatch jobs, memories, and notes
dispatch/ machine-wide skills and agent catalog
envelope-ledger.jsonl Intelligence call receipts (never source)An older <repo>/.prism folder is copied here on first open, then removed.
Next
Quickstart — five minutes of analysis · Prepare a change · Envelope and Iris · Usage
From source (contributors)
git clone https://github.com/Shailesh200/prism
cd prism
bun install
bun run verify:milestoneSee CONTRIBUTING.