Zide Setup: From First Install to a Real Issue-to-PR Loop

One-line job: Get Zide installed on your OS, connected to your git host and models, and through your first agent-assisted issue-to-PR loop. Audience: Developers setting up Zide for the first time. Not for: People deciding whether to use Zide, read “What Is Zide?” first. Last verified: 2026-08-24 Evidence weight: documentation-verified

Zide is a public beta, v0.7.0, released August 24, 2026. Steps follow the official quick start at docs.zide.dev and may shift as the beta evolves.

What you’ll need

• Windows 10/11 (x64 or ARM64), macOS (Apple Silicon), or Linux (amd64)
• A git host account (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket) if you want DevOps features
• No account needed for core local Git and editing
• Optional: an Ollama / llama.cpp / LM Studio install for local models (Standard plan, $20/mo, required for local models and BYO API keys)
• For CLI agents: the agent CLI already installed on your machine before Zide can detect it

Step 1, Install

Download from zide.dev/download. Current builds (v0.7.0; file sizes verified against the official GitHub releases API 2026-08-24):

Platform	File	Size
Debian/Ubuntu	Zide_0.7.0_amd64.deb	29.9 MB
Other Linux	Zide_0.7.0_amd64.AppImage	101.5 MB
macOS Apple Silicon	Zide_0.7.0_aarch64.dmg	24.3 MB
Windows x64	Zide_0.7.0_x64-setup.exe	17.9 MB
Windows ARM64	Zide_0.7.0_arm64-setup.exe	16.0 MB

Windows is also in the Microsoft Store.

Windows: run the .exe, Next through Setup, pick a location, Finish.

SmartScreen check: the standalone installer is signed by Knife Edge Software, LLC. If Windows shows “Windows protected your PC,” verify two things before clicking anything: (1) you downloaded from zide.dev or the official GitHub releases page, and (2) the publisher shown is exactly Knife Edge Software, LLC. Only if both pass: More info → Run anyway. If the publisher is missing or different, cancel.

macOS: open the .dmg, drag Zide into Applications.

Linux (.deb):

sudo apt install ./Zide_*_amd64.deb

Linux (AppImage):

chmod +x Zide_0.7.0_amd64.AppImage
./Zide_0.7.0_amd64.AppImage

(Or right-click → Properties → Permissions → “Allow executing file as program.”)

Step 2, Connect your Git host

Settings → Git Accounts → Connect account → choose GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.

• GitHub (recommended): OAuth device flow. Copy the one-time code, open the browser link, enter the code, authorize Zide-Software, return to Zide.
• PAT alternative: choose “Use Personal Access Token instead,” set the instance URL (defaults to github.com; GitHub Enterprise and self-hosted GitLab supported), paste the token. Zide validates it against the API for repo scope.
• Other providers work via Git Credential Manager for basic git operations only.

Tokens are stored in your OS keychain (DPAPI on Windows, Keychain on macOS, Secret Service on Linux); non-secret metadata sits in a local SQLite database. Bitbucket note: PRs and CI work, but issues are GitHub/GitLab only.

Already subscribed? Account → Sign In → subscription email → Send code → enter the 6-digit code. Manage at account.zide.dev.

Step 3, Open a repository and learn the layout

File → Open Folder… → pick your repo. That creates a project tab. The interface model has three layers:

• Project tabs, each open folder/repo/worktree, keeping its own state (files, terminals, issues, branches, layout)
• Content tabs, individual issue/file/commit/terminal views inside a project
• Activity panel, browse Files, Commits, Issues, Staging; selecting anything opens a content tab

Drag content tabs to pane edges to split; four preset layouts plus custom ones; workspace state persists per project.

Step 4, First commit without AI

Do this before touching Assist so you know the manual path:

1. Tools > File Browser → click a file → Edit
2. Git > Staging → stage per file (hunk-level staging is supported)
3. Write a commit message → Commit

Issues live under DevOps > Issues; new ones via DevOps > New Issue.

Step 5, Your first Zide Assist session

Assist > New Session Tab → type a prompt → Send. The agent reads files you point it at, edits them, runs commands, and returns reviewable diffs, nothing lands in your tree until you approve it.

Useful immediately:

• Pick models from the toolbar dropdown (shows ratings, specs, pricing)
• The safety control in the toolbar sets per-session behavior; Plan mode (More actions) makes the agent investigate-only, no edits or commands until turned off
• Drag files, diffs, issues, or whole tabs into the prompt as context; @file references work too; there’s voice dictation
• Queue messages while the agent runs instead of waiting
• Multiple concurrent sessions are fine, Session Watch shows which need input

Step 6, Model access (plan-dependent)

You’re on	You get
Free	Occasional promo credits on the Zide Economy model, not guaranteed, no rollover
Standard+	Add API keys (cloud providers incl. OpenRouter) via Select Model → Add API key, or Add local model (Ollama / LM Studio / any OpenAI-compatible endpoint)

Local-model requests stay on your machine. BYOK cloud traffic currently passes through Zide Cloud Service, see the FAQ if that matters to you.

Credits: Account menu shows balance; Credit Details lists the last 10 uses. Buy bulk packs via Account > Buy Credits (Polar checkout). Mechanics worth knowing: Zide pre-reserves the maximum cost of each request, charges actual usage, and refuses upfront if the reservation exceeds your balance, nothing charged. Recovery options: Compact and Retry, Choose Model, add credits, or wait for other reservations to release. Monthly credits expire; bulk credits need an active paid sub (retained up to 12 months if lapsed).

Step 7, The power loop: issue → agent → review → PR → CI

The workflow Zide is built around:

1. DevOps > Issues → open the issue, drag details/files/diffs into context
2. Let Assist investigate (Plan mode first for big changes)
3. Review the proposed diff
4. Stage hunks, commit, open the PR/MR
5. Watch CI run beside the code in the Actions surface

Keep issue, diff, terminal, and CI visible in separate panes, that’s the intended posture. Two upgrades to the loop:

• Crosscheck (More actions): a second model reviews every Assist commit automatically, findings grouped by severity; Submit sends them back to the agent as one request. Costs credits, shown in the review header.
• CLI agents: Tools > CLI Agent Profiles → Auto-detect picks up installed Claude Code–style CLIs; otherwise add a profile manually (name, command, args). The CLI must be configured and on PATH before auto-detect.

Parallel work and power config

• QuickTree, Ctrl+Enter anywhere, type a prompt, Zide creates a worktree and fresh Assist session automatically
• Fork to Worktree, branch mid-conversation to try another approach without losing the thread
• Rollback rewinds the conversation only, it does not revert files or git state. Use the Git surfaces for repo undo.
• ZIDE.md at repo root gives every session durable project instructions
• MCP Connections: Settings > Zide Assist > MCP Connections → stdio or Streamable HTTP. Tools bind at session start, restart sessions after changing connections.
• Relay (experimental): continue a session from your phone

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
SmartScreen blocks the installer	Verify source (zide.dev / official GitHub releases) AND publisher = Knife Edge Software, LLC; only then Run anyway
CLI agent not detected	Install/configure it and confirm it’s active on PATH before Auto-detect
MCP tools missing in session	Tools bind at session start; start a new session after changing connections
Request refused, low credits	Pre-flight refusal, nothing charged, use Compact and Retry rather than restarting
Monthly credits gone	They don’t roll over; bulk credits unusable while sub is lapsed
Can’t open more projects on Free	Hard cap: 3 open folder/worktree projects; private repos need a paid plan
Rollback didn’t restore files	Expected, rollback is conversation-only, not git
Fork buttons greyed out	Session must be at rest with a complete response on the selected message
Bitbucket issues missing	Not supported, issues are GitHub/GitLab only
Mic stuck during dictation	~20s timeout then diagnostics (privacy access, device, conflicting app); Esc cancels

Pricing recap

Free ($0, 3-project cap) · Solo $10/mo (private repos, full DevOps, monthly credits) · Standard $20/mo (BYO keys + local models) · Pro/Max, see zide.dev/pricing · Teams by discussion. Twelve continuous months on a paid plan earns a perpetual license for that version; updates and AI services still need an active sub.

Done means

Zide is installed on your machine, your git host is connected via OAuth or PAT, at least one Assist session has produced a reviewed diff, and you know where the plan gates (BYOK, local models) apply to your account.

What this article does NOT cover

• Whether Zide is worth using vs editor+chat tools, read “What Is Zide?” for the positioning analysis.
• Team/Business plan administration, contact zide.dev for those terms.
• Troubleshooting your git host’s own auth problems beyond what Zide surfaces.

Related guides

• Git commands an AI agent should know
• Terminal commands versus Python when an AI agent should write a script
• Agents and the deploy gate: when they push
• Cost-aware model routing for agents

Sources

Primary:

• https://docs.zide.dev/, per-OS install steps
• https://zide.dev/download, v0.7.0 artifacts, sizes, SmartScreen guidance
• https://docs.zide.dev/getting-started/quick-start/, setup sequence, interface tour, commit loop
• https://docs.zide.dev/guides/zide-assist/, Assist reference: Plan mode, Crosscheck, fork/rollback semantics, MCP
• https://docs.zide.dev/guides/connect-cli/, CLI agent profiles
• https://docs.zide.dev/guides/github-authentication/, OAuth/PAT/keychain detail
• https://docs.zide.dev/guides/credits/, credit mechanics and refusals
• https://zide.dev/pricing#plans, plan gates
• http://www.prunderground.com/zide-opens-public-beta-of-its-native-ai-development-workspace-code-git-issues-an/cmt6mi9vx000904jxu3zznxqa, $10/$20 price confirmation
• https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xp8lh6blvfn4kw, Free-plan limits, promo-credit fine print