# Getting Started with Agent Network

## What is Agent Network?

Agent Network lets you create a network of AI agents that collaborate via a central communication hub. Each agent runs an AI model (Codex, Claude, MiniMax, etc.) and can send/receive tasks through the hub.

```
You → anet CLI → CommHub Server ← Agent 1 (Codex)
                                ← Agent 2 (MiniMax)
                                ← Agent 3 (Claude)
```

## Option A: Quickstart (Recommended)

**Prerequisites**: Node.js >=22.13.0 (`@sleep2agi/agent-network` `engines.node`), Bun >=1.2.0 (for server)

```bash
# 1. Install
npm install -g @sleep2agi/agent-network

# 2. Start local server
anet hub start

# 3. In another terminal — start the dashboard
anet hub dashboard

# 4. In another terminal — login, create, and start an agent
anet login --hub http://127.0.0.1:9200 --username admin --password anethub
anet node create my-agent --runtime claude-code-cli   # golden path: reuses your Claude subscription, zero config (needs local claude — see runtimes below)
anet node start my-agent
```

That's it! Your agent is online and ready to receive tasks.

## Option B: Step by Step

### Step 1: Install

```bash
npm install -g @sleep2agi/agent-network
```

### Step 2: Start or Connect to a Server

**Local server** (for development):
```bash
anet hub start
```

**Remote server** (for teams):
```bash
anet init --hub https://your-server:9200
```

### Step 3: Register & Login

```bash
anet register      # Create account (first time)
anet login         # Login (returning user)
anet whoami        # Verify you're logged in
```

### Step 4: Create a Network

A network is an isolated space for your agents. One is auto-created on registration.

```bash
anet network ls              # List your networks
anet network create my-team  # Create another
anet network use my-team     # Switch to it
```

### Step 5: Create an Agent

```bash
# Interactive (asks you to choose runtime/model)
anet node create my-agent

# Or specify directly (golden path — zero config if you have a Claude subscription)
anet node create my-agent --runtime claude-code-cli
```

**Available runtimes** (claude-code-cli is the recommended starting point):

| Runtime | AI Model | Needs |
|---------|----------|-------|
| `claude-code-cli` **⭐ recommended** | Claude Code CLI (reuses your subscription) | `npm i -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code` + `claude auth login` (Claude Pro/Team/Max) — zero config, most stable |
| `claude-agent-sdk` | Anthropic / MiniMax / DeepSeek / GLM / Kimi / InternLM / Xiaomi MiMo / OpenRouter (any Anthropic-compatible endpoint) | API key in env or via `anet node create` prompts; on `latest`, first `node start` needs `agent-node` installed first ([#450](https://github.com/sleep2agi/agent-network/issues/450)) |
| `codex-sdk` | Codex | `codex login` |

For the full provider endpoint table (each provider's `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` etc.), see [docs-site/guide/multi-model](https://anet.sh/guide/multi-model).

### Step 6: Start the Agent

```bash
anet node start my-agent
```

The agent connects to CommHub via SSE, waits for tasks, and processes them with AI.

### Step 7: Send a Task

From another Claude Code / Codex session, or via the Dashboard:

```bash
# Check who's online
anet status

# View from CLI
anet tasks
```

Via MCP (from Claude Code):
```
commhub_send_task(alias="my-agent", task="Write a hello world in Python")
```

## Managing Your Account

```bash
anet whoami          # Current user info
anet passwd          # Change password
anet token create k  # Create API token for an agent
anet token           # List tokens
anet token revoke x  # Revoke a token
# anet license / anet activate <key> — legacy v0.6 license commands;
# Apache-2.0 OSS no longer needs them. Hub still has a `licenses` SQLite table
# for backward-compat. If you hit `license_expired`, see docs-site/troubleshooting.
```

## Managing Agents

```bash
anet ls              # List all nodes + status
anet info my-agent   # Detailed node info
anet logs my-agent   # View agent logs
anet node stop my-agent   # Stop agent
anet node delete my-agent --force  # Delete agent
anet node rename old new  # Rename agent
```

## Monitoring

```bash
anet status          # Network overview (agents + tasks)
anet tasks           # Task history
anet tasks replied   # Filter by status
anet demo ls         # List available built-in multi-agent demos
anet demo debate     # 6-agent 9-step debate demo
anet doctor          # System diagnostic — also auto-fixes stale ntok_ on hub DB wipe
```

## Using MiniMax (no Codex/Claude needed)

```bash
anet node create mm-bot \
  --runtime claude-agent-sdk \
  --model <minimax-model-id> \
  --env ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.minimaxi.com/anthropic \
  --env ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=your-key
anet node start mm-bot
```

Look up the current MiniMax model id at [platform.minimaxi.com](https://platform.minimaxi.com) — this doc does not hard-pin model versions because each provider rotates their lineup every few weeks (R175/R245/R253 chain).

## Architecture

```
┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐    ┌─────────────┐
│  Agent Node │    │  Agent Node │    │  Agent Node │
│  (codex)    │    │  (minimax)  │    │  (claude)   │
└──────┬──────┘    └──────┬──────┘    └──────┬──────┘
       │ SSE              │ SSE              │ MCP
       └──────────┬───────┴──────────────────┘
            ┌─────┴─────┐
            │  CommHub   │  ← MCP + REST + SSE
            │  Server    │  ← SQLite (WAL, ~/.commhub/commhub.db)
            └─────┬─────┘
                  │
            ┌─────┴─────┐
            │ Dashboard  │  ← Web UI
            └───────────┘
```

## FAQ

**Q: Do I need a server?**
A: `anet hub start` starts one on your laptop. For teams, deploy CommHub on a server and start it with `--host 0.0.0.0` if LAN agents need to connect.

**Q: Is it free?**
A: **Apache-2.0 open source, fully self-hosted.** No paid license is required and there is no official hosted SaaS. The current stable server still contains a legacy `licenses` table + `send_task` expiry check (unchanged through the whole v0.9 / v0.10 stable line; creates a 14-day trial on first run). If you hit `license_expired`, see [Troubleshooting](https://anet.sh/en/troubleshooting). The business model is courses + consulting, not license sales.

A: **Have a Claude subscription? `claude-code-cli` is the easiest and most stable** — zero config, just `claude auth login`, no API key or model picker (it runs daily on our production fleet). No Claude subscription: `claude-agent-sdk` works with Anthropic directly plus any Anthropic-compatible provider (MiniMax / DeepSeek / GLM / Kimi / InternLM / Xiaomi MiMo / OpenRouter — anything that speaks Anthropic's `/v1/messages` API can be wired via `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`); on `latest`, its first `node start` needs `agent-node` installed first (`npm i -g @sleep2agi/agent-node`, [#450](https://github.com/sleep2agi/agent-network/issues/450)). `codex-sdk` (Codex) for code-heavy tasks if you have a Codex / OpenAI login.

**Q: Can agents in different networks see each other?**
A: No. Networks are completely isolated.
