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Getting started

Pinflow is a desktop companion to KiCad. You keep KiCad open and use Pinflow alongside it: a chat-driven agent on the left, a live schematic viewer on the right.

Prerequisites

  • KiCad 10 (macOS or Windows)
  • Python 3.10+
  • Node.js
  • Rust — for building the Tauri  desktop shell
  • uv — Python environment + package manager

Install

Set up the backend (FastAPI service)

cd services/api
uv venv && uv pip install -e .

Set up the frontend (Tauri + React)

cd apps/desktop
npm install

Bring your own key (BYOK)

Pinflow runs entirely on your own Anthropic API key — the BYOK build is the complete product. You can either enter your key in the app’s first-run onboarding screen, or set it in services/api/.env:

# services/api/.env
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Your key stays local. Pinflow’s backend runs on your machine and talks to the Anthropic API directly with the key you provide.

Run it

From the repo root, boot the FastAPI service and the Tauri desktop shell together:

./scripts/dev.sh

Optional: Pinflow Cloud

Pinflow Cloud is a hosted, managed-key add-on you can sign into from within the app — a convenience layer on top of the open-source app for people who’d rather not manage their own key or self-host. It’s entirely optional; the open-source app is the full product.

Next steps

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