MiniMax Code tutorial

This page goes from install to the first local-repo task. Flags live in the cheatsheet, recipes in the cookbook, and names in the glossary.

MiniMax Code has a desktop face and a CLI face. Official text: it "complements the desktop client" (CLI Features). Install one face first.

1. Pick a face

Where you work	Install	Official entry
Window, browser preview, schedules, phone remote	Desktop	International download / CN download
Terminal, scripts, CI, editor ACP	CLI (mcode)	CLI Quick Start

You can install both. They are one product.

2. Install the desktop app

From Download and Install:

MiniMax Code supports macOS and Windows. After installation, sign in with your MiniMax account to start creating tasks.

Platform	Requirement
macOS	macOS 11 Big Sur or later
Windows	Windows 10 or later

Official steps (same page):

1. Open the download page and pick the package for your device. Use arm64 for Apple silicon Macs and x64 for Intel Macs.
2. On macOS, open the .dmg and drag the app into Applications. On Windows, run the installer.
3. Launch MiniMax Code and sign in with your MiniMax account.
4. The app notifies you about updates. You can also check from settings.

International build: agent.minimax.io/download. Mainland China build: agent.minimaxi.com/download.

The desktop app has no official one-line curl installer. Do not use the CLI script in the next section to install the GUI.

3. Install the CLI

From CLI Quick Start:

The installer reuses a compatible Node.js installation when available. If your system does not have a compatible version, it installs a self-contained runtime in your user directory. The entire process requires neither sudo nor administrator privileges.

macOS / Linux / WSL

curl -fsSL https://filecdn.minimax.chat/public/install.sh | bash

Windows PowerShell

irm https://filecdn.minimax.chat/public/install.ps1 | iex

Then reopen the terminal:

mcode --version
mcode --help

Official support: macOS, Windows, common Linux distributions, and WSL. Alpine and other musl-based Linux distributions are not currently supported.

If the command is missing: close and reopen the terminal, then run mcode --version. On Windows, a VS Code that was already open can keep a stale PATH; quit VS Code entirely (CLI FAQ).

Update with mcode update or /update in the TUI.

4. Sign in

Desktop

Sign in with your MiniMax account after launch (Download). For your own API key, see the cookbook.

CLI

Sign in before using MiniMax-hosted models or a Token Plan (quick-start):

mcode login

For a Global account:

mcode login --region global

Sign-in finishes in the browser. Back in the TUI, run /status. Configure a custom provider or API key with mcode provider.

Mainland China accounts use mcode login. Global accounts use mcode login --region global (CLI FAQ). Sign out with mcode logout.

WSL / SSH callback steps belong on the CLI FAQ. The callback URL contains a temporary credential. Do not paste it into chat or a repo.

5. First desktop task

Source: Create Your First Task.

1. Start from the home composer or create a new task.
2. Describe the outcome in natural language. Official examples include fixing a bug, building a page, writing a report, or analyzing files.
3. Attach files, pick a workspace, @ project files, or / a skill.
4. Keep adding instructions while it runs. Answer permission prompts when they appear.

Official writing tips: state the outcome, not only the process. For code, state the stack, constraints, and how you will accept the work. If the approach is unclear, ask it to plan first.

To edit an existing repo, attach a workspace first. Official text: after you choose a project directory, the agent can read files, run commands, produce artifacts, and report changes in that directory. Pick only the directory that belongs to the task (Workspace).

6. First CLI task

cd /path/to/your/project
mcode

Or submit on launch:

mcode "Inspect the failing tests in this project, fix them, and run the relevant tests to verify the changes"

On a new repo, generate project instructions (officially creates or updates AGENTS.md):

mcode init .

Include the expected outcome, change boundaries, and validation method (quick-start).

Resume:

mcode --continue
mcode --session

In the TUI, use /sessions [query]. The CLI FAQ says to pass a known session id to mcode --session.

Starter keys (same page):

Key	Purpose
Enter	Send; extra messages queue while a task runs
Shift+Enter	New line
@	Reference a file or directory
Shift+Tab	Default ↔ Plan Mode
Alt+M	Ask, Auto, Full access
Esc	Close a panel or interrupt

Starter slash commands: /help, /status, /model, /sessions, /context, /compact, /new, /init, /quit. Treat /help as the live list.

7. Coding mode or Work mode

Desktop only. Official text: they "use the same Agent capabilities" with different UI and tool exposure (Modes).

Situation	Mode
Read or edit a code repo	Coding
Need the terminal, browser, or file panels	Coding
You care about the deliverable, not the implementation	Work
Multi-step work with no local code	Work

Coding: new features, bug fixes, tests, diffs, web / HTML debugging. Work: docs, research, spreadsheets, writing, office automation.

8. Permissions

The desktop app confirms before it (Permissions):

• Reads files outside the workspace
• Modifies or deletes files
• Runs commands
• Uses tools with external effects
• Handles actions that arrived through Remote Control or IM

Official advice: stay conservative on a new project; lower the prompt frequency for familiar low-risk repeats; keep a human in the loop for delete, overwrite, upload, and sending messages.

On the CLI, Plan Mode and permission mode are separate (CLI FAQ):

• Plan Mode: execute the next message or plan first. Shift+Tab or /plan.
• Permission mode: how tools are confirmed. Alt+M or /permission → Ask, Auto, Full access.

mcode exec accepts --permission with ask, smart, full, or off (features). Do not merge the TUI names and the exec names into one enum.

9. Next

• Split hard work: Cookbook · Agent Team
• Scripts / CI: mcode exec
• Editors: mcode acp (official Zed snippet)
• Lookup: cheatsheet