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Getting started

Install

riffer-rig needs Ruby 4.0 or later.

gem install riffer-rig

This installs the riffer command.

First run

Run riffer from the project you want to work on:

cd my-project
riffer

With no model configured, it asks for one:

Which model should riffer use? Enter provider/name, with a provider from: amazon_bedrock, anthropic, azure_openai, gemini, openai, openrouter
› anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6

The answer is saved to ~/.riffer/settings.json, so later runs skip the question. Configuration lists the other places a model can come from.

If the provider’s SDK gem is missing, it offers to install it (SDK gems). Then it looks for the provider’s API key in the environment and in ~/.riffer/auth.json, and asks for it if it finds none and the provider’s SDK has no credential chain configured:

anthropic api_key
› (hidden)

The key is saved to ~/.riffer/auth.json with permissions 600. Leave the answer empty to stop and set the environment variable instead; Providers lists each provider’s variables and where to create a key.

Tools run without asking. The model can read and write files and run shell commands in this directory with no confirmation step. What runs without asking explains what you can restrict.

The session

The banner shows the model, the reasoning level, the working directory and how many skills were found. Type a prompt and press Enter.

  • While the turn runs, the status line under the input shows its progress, time, tokens and cost, and Ctrl-T peeks at what the model is writing.
  • When it ends, the reply is printed, followed by a stat line for the turn and the session.
  • You can keep typing while a turn runs: Enter queues the message for when the turn ends.
  • Ctrl-C cancels a running turn. With no turn running, press it twice to exit, or type /exit.

/help lists the commands. Terminal has every key and command, and Command line has every flag.

What first run leaves behind

In ~/.riffer/:

  • settings.json — the model you picked (Configuration);
  • auth.json — the key you pasted (Providers);
  • sessions/ — one file per saved session (Sessions).

Nothing is written to the project. A project .riffer/ exists only if you add a settings.json or rig.rb to it.

Where to next