Quick Start Guide
Get productive with Astronox in 5 minutes.
The Interface at a Glance
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [≡] Astronox [Plan] [Attach] [⚙️] │
├──────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ Chats │ Main Chat Area │
│ List │ (Messages display here) │
│ │ │
│ [+ New] │ │
│ │ │
│ Chat 1 ├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Chat 2 │ Type your message... [Send] [📎] │
│ Chat 3 └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
└──────────┘
Key Areas
- Left Sidebar: Your conversation history
- Main Area: Active chat and messages
- Top Bar: Plan hub, attachments, settings
- Bottom Input: Where you type messages
Your First 5 Tasks
1. Ask a Simple Question (30 seconds)
Try this:
"What can you help me with?"
What happens:
- Astronox introduces its capabilities
- You'll see categories: file operations, system control, research, automation
2. List Files in a Folder (1 minute)
Try this:
"List all files in my Documents folder"
What you'll learn:
- Astronox can access your file system
- Results show in an organized format
- You can follow up with more specific requests
Follow-up prompts:
"Show only PDF files"
"Which files are larger than 10MB?"
"Sort by modification date"
3. Attach an Image (1 minute)
Steps:
- Click the paperclip icon (📎) next to the send button
- Select an image from your computer
- Type:
"What's in this image?" - Press Enter
What you'll learn:
- Astronox can analyze images
- Useful for screenshots, diagrams, photos
- Can extract text, describe content, answer questions
4. Create a Multi-Step Plan (2 minutes)
Try this:
"Help me organize my Downloads folder:
1. Find all files older than 30 days
2. Group them by file type
3. Move old files to an Archive folder"
What happens:
- Plan Hub opens at the top
- Shows steps: Queued → In Progress → Complete
- Each step executes with your confirmation (Safe Mode)
Watch for:
- Status updates in real-time
- Confirmation prompts for file operations
- Final summary when complete
5. Save a Useful Script (1 minute)
Try this:
"Write a script to back up my Documents folder to an external drive"
After Astronox responds:
- Look for the response containing the script
- Click "Save as Automation" (if available)
- Give it a name: "Backup Script"
- Reuse later by asking:
"Run my backup script"
Understanding Responses
Message Types You'll See
🤖 Text Responses
Plain explanations, answers, confirmations
"I found 47 files in your Documents folder.
Would you like me to list them?"
🔧 Tool Usage Notifications
When Astronox uses capabilities
🛠️ Reading directory: /Users/you/Documents
✅ Found 47 items
⚠️ Confirmation Requests (Safe Mode)
Before risky actions
⚠️ About to delete 15 files. Confirm?
[✓ Proceed] [✗ Cancel]
📊 Structured Data
Tables, lists, formatted output
File Name Size Modified
document.pdf 2.4 MB Dec 20
image.png 800 KB Dec 19
Safe Mode vs Full Mode
Safe Mode (Recommended for Beginners)
What it does:
- Asks before risky operations
- Shows what will happen before doing it
- Gives you cancel buttons
When confirmations appear:
- Deleting files
- Modifying system settings
- Running shell commands
- Killing processes
Full Mode (For Experienced Users)
What changes:
- Most operations execute immediately
- Only very dangerous actions ask for confirmation
- Faster workflow, more trust required
Switch modes:
Settings → Access Mode → Toggle Safe/Full
Common Beginner Mistakes
❌ Being Too Vague
Instead of:
"Find that file"
Try:
"Find PDF files containing 'invoice' in my Documents folder"
❌ Not Using Follow-ups
Instead of: Starting a new chat for related questions
Try: Continuing the conversation
You: "List files in Downloads"
AI: [Lists 50 files]
You: "Show only videos"
AI: [Filters to just videos]
You: "Delete files older than 60 days"
❌ Forgetting Context
Astronox remembers the current conversation
You: "List my running processes"
AI: [Shows process list]
You: "Kill the one using the most memory" ← Works! AI remembers the list
❌ Ignoring Errors
If something fails, ask for clarification:
"That didn't work. What went wrong?"
"Can you try a different approach?"
Keyboard Shortcuts
Speed up your workflow:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd/Ctrl + N | New conversation |
Cmd/Ctrl + K | Focus search/input |
Enter | Send message |
Shift + Enter | New line in message |
Cmd/Ctrl + , | Open settings |
Esc | Close settings/panels |
Tips for Better Results
✅ Be Specific
❌ "Clean up my files"
✅ "Move files older than 90 days from Downloads to Archive folder"
✅ Use Natural Language
✅ "Find large video files taking up space"
✅ "What's using all my CPU?"
✅ "Show me files I edited yesterday"
✅ Ask for Explanations
"Explain what this command does before running it"
"What are the risks of this operation?"
"Can you break this down into steps?"
✅ Iterate and Refine
You: "Write a Python script to rename files"
AI: [Provides script]
You: "Add error handling"
AI: [Updates script]
You: "Also create a log file"
AI: [Adds logging]
What to Try Next
File Management
"Find duplicate files in my Pictures folder"
"Compress all files in this folder"
"Create a folder structure for my new project"
System Information
"How much free disk space do I have?"
"What's using the most memory?"
"Show my network speed"
Text & Data Processing
"Extract email addresses from this file"
"Convert this CSV to JSON"
"Find and replace text in all .txt files"
Automation
"Create a daily backup script"
"Write a script to organize screenshots by date"
"Automate my morning setup routine"
Getting Help
In-App
- Ask:
"What are your capabilities?" - Ask:
"How do I [specific task]?" - Settings → Help → Documentation
When Things Go Wrong
- Check the error message (usually explains the issue)
- Try rephrasing your request
- Switch to Safe Mode if in Full Mode
- Restart the conversation (New Chat)
- Check Troubleshooting Guide
Next Steps
You're ready to explore! Continue learning:
📖 Features Overview - See everything Astronox can do
💡 Sample Prompts - More examples to try
🎯 Best Practices - Get optimal results
⚙️ Settings Reference - Customize your experience