---
title: Quickstart
description: Install Wendy, set up a device, and deploy your first app in four steps.
---

import { withBasePath } from '@/lib/shared';

## What is Wendy?

Wendy makes building apps for robots, drones, and edge AI devices feel like building a phone app. Connect your device to your laptop with a USB-C cable, run `wendy run`, and Wendy builds your app, installs it on the device, and streams its logs back to you. You don't need a monitor, a keyboard, or SSH, and the device doesn't need internet access.

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  playsInline
  controls
  poster={withBasePath('/images/quickstart/wendy-run-poster.webp')}
  aria-label="Plugging a Jetson into a MacBook with a USB-C cable, running wendy run, and watching the app run"
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  <source src="/latest/videos/quickstart/wendy-run.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
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Wendy has three parts:

- **On your device: WendyOS**, an open source Linux operating system for NVIDIA Jetson and Raspberry Pi. Already running Linux? Install Wendy Agent instead.
- **On your computer: the `wendy` CLI**, which sets up devices and deploys your apps.
- **Optional: Wendy Cloud**, for deploying to and managing devices from anywhere.

Write your app in Python, Swift, Rust, C++, TypeScript, or anything else that runs in a container.

Let's get your first app running. It takes four steps. No hardware yet? The simulator runs the real WendyOS on your computer.

## 1. Install the Wendy CLI

<Tabs items={['macOS / Linux', 'Windows']} groupId="quickstart-host-os" persist>
<Tab value="macOS / Linux">

```bash
curl -fsSL https://install.wendy.dev/cli.sh | bash
wendy --version
```

</Tab>
<Tab value="Windows">

```powershell
winget install WendyLabs.Wendy --source winget
```

The simulator needs macOS or Linux. On Windows, set up a physical device in step 2.

</Tab>
</Tabs>

You also need [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-started/get-docker/) running, because Wendy builds your app into a container image.

## 2. Set up a device

Choose where your app will run:

<Tabs items={['Simulator', 'Jetson Orin', 'Jetson Thor', 'Raspberry Pi', 'Linux computer']} groupId="quickstart-device" persist>
<Tab value="Simulator">

No hardware needed. Wendy creates the simulator for you in step 4.

On macOS, Wendy installs QEMU for you when needed. On Debian or Ubuntu, install it now:

```bash
sudo apt install qemu-system-arm qemu-efi-aarch64
```

The simulator has no camera, GPU, or GPIO. [More about the simulator](./installation/wendyos-virtual-machine/)

</Tab>
<Tab value="Jetson Orin">

<YouTubeVideo id="TtDJAtBUEZI" title="Getting Started with WendyOS on NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano" />

For Jetson Orin Nano and AGX Orin:

1. Connect the Jetson's NVMe SSD to your computer with a USB adapter.
2. Run `wendy install`, choose your Jetson, then choose the SSD. The remaining prompts are optional.
3. Put the SSD in the Jetson, connect it to your computer with USB-C, and power it on.
4. After 1–2 minutes, confirm that `wendy discover` lists it.

[Full guide](./installation/wendyos-nvidia-jetson-orin-nano/)

</Tab>
<Tab value="Jetson Thor">

<YouTubeVideo id="ox6y7X_nckI" title="Getting Started with NVIDIA Jetson Thor" />

1. With the Thor off, connect your computer to the USB-C port next to HDMI. Connect power to the other USB-C port.
2. Enter recovery mode: press Power, hold the middle Force Recovery button, tap Reset, then release Force Recovery.
3. Run `wendy install` and choose the Thor. It flashes over USB, so you need no external drive.
4. When flashing finishes, power-cycle the Thor. After 1–2 minutes, confirm that `wendy discover` lists it.

[Full guide](./installation/wendyos-nvidia-jetson-agx-thor/)

</Tab>
<Tab value="Raspberry Pi">

<YouTubeVideo id="87GlYkx86jY" title="No Extra Hardware Needed: Run Apps on Raspberry Pi 5 with WendyOS" />

For Raspberry Pi 5, 4, or 3:

1. Insert the microSD card into your computer.
2. Run `wendy install`, choose your Pi, then choose the card. The remaining prompts are optional.
3. Put the card in the Pi and connect the Pi to your computer with USB-C. A Pi 3 has no USB connection, so connect it to your network instead.
4. After 1–2 minutes, confirm that `wendy discover` lists it.

[Full guide](./installation/wendyos-raspberry-pi-5/)

</Tab>
<Tab value="Linux computer">

<YouTubeVideo id="MjJ-LgXN0Pg" title="Getting started with DGX Spark" />

Use any Linux machine, such as Ubuntu 22.04 or later on ARM64 or x86-64. The video uses an NVIDIA DGX Spark. Run this on that machine:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://install.wendy.dev/agent.sh | bash
```

Keep it on the same network as your development machine, and confirm that `wendy discover` lists it. [Full guide](./installation/linux/)

</Tab>
</Tabs>

Using a [Mac](./installation/wendy-agent-macos/), an [ESP32](./installation/wendy-lite-esp32/), or a [Unitree G1](./installation/wendy-agent-unitree-g1/)? Each has its own guide.

## 3. Create an app

```bash
wendy init hello-wendy --target wendyos --language node --template simple-api --assistant skip --git-init no
cd hello-wendy
```

This creates a small TypeScript web server. You do not need Node.js installed, because Wendy builds it in a container.

## 4. Run it

```bash
wendy run
```

Select your device and press Enter.

For the simulator, press Tab to open the **Simulator** tab, press **c** to create it, and choose **Generic WendyOS**. The first run downloads the WendyOS image, so it takes a few minutes.

Wendy builds the app, deploys it, and streams its logs. When the app is ready, Wendy prints `App reachable at` with its URL and opens it in your browser:

```json
{"message":"hello-world"}
```

<Callout type="success" title="Your first Wendy app is running">
That response came from your device. Edit `src/index.ts`, then run `wendy run --watch` to redeploy every time you save.
</Callout>

Stuck? See [troubleshoot your first deployment](./errors/).

## Next steps

<Cards>
  <Card title="Use Wendy in ChatGPT" href="./guides/chatgpt/">Add Wendy to your personal marketplace and connect devices or simulators.</Card>
  <Card title="Build in your language" href="./guides/tutorials/">Tutorials for Python, Swift, Rust, C++, TypeScript, and Mojo.</Card>
  <Card title="Use cameras and GPUs" href="./hardware/">Give your app access to device hardware.</Card>
  <Card title="Debug your app" href="./remote-debugging/vscode-extension/">Set breakpoints in VS Code while your app runs on the device.</Card>
  <Card title="Learn how Wendy works" href="./concepts/">Devices, `wendy.json`, and the build and deploy loop.</Card>
</Cards>