Getting Started with Aichaku

Welcome to Aichaku! This tutorial teaches you how to install Aichaku and create your first project. By the end, you’ll understand how Aichaku helps Claude work with your team using development methodologies.

What you’ll learn

In this tutorial, you’ll:

• Install Aichaku on your system
• Set up your first project with a methodology
• Add coding standards to your project
• Create your first planning document with Claude
• Understand the basic workflow

Before you begin

You need:

• Deno runtime (version 2.4.0 or higher)
• Write access to your home directory
• 5 minutes to complete this tutorial

Don’t have Deno? Install it with:

# macOS/Linux
curl -fsSL https://deno.land/install.sh | sh

# Windows (PowerShell)
irm https://deno.land/install.ps1 | iex

Step 1: Install Aichaku

Install Aichaku globally so you can use it in any project:

deno install --allow-read --allow-write --allow-env --allow-run \
  -n aichaku https://jsr.io/@rick/aichaku/cli.ts

Verify your installation

Check that Aichaku installed correctly:

aichaku --version

You should see version information. If you get “command not found”, add Deno to your PATH:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.deno/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Step 2: Initialize Aichaku globally

Set up Aichaku’s global configuration in your home directory:

aichaku init --global

This creates a ~/.claude/ directory with:

• Methodology templates (Shape Up, Scrum, Kanban, etc.)
• Coding standards library
• Global Claude configuration

Verify the setup

Look at what was created:

ls -la ~/.claude/

You’ll see directories for methodologies, standards, and a CLAUDE.md file.

Step 3: Create your first project

Navigate to any project directory (or create a new one):

mkdir my-awesome-project
cd my-awesome-project

Initialize Aichaku in your project:

aichaku init

This creates a .claude/ directory in your project with everything Claude needs.

Integrate with Claude

Add Aichaku’s rules to your project so Claude knows how to work with you:

aichaku integrate

This updates your project’s CLAUDE.md file with Aichaku’s methodology support.

Step 4: Add coding standards

View available standards:

aichaku standards --list

Add some essential standards to your project:

aichaku standards --add nist-csf,tdd,conventional-commits

These standards help Claude write secure, tested, and well-documented code.

Verify your standards

Check which standards are active:

aichaku standards --list --selected

Step 5: Start working with Claude

Now you’re ready to use Aichaku with Claude! Open Claude and try:

"I need to plan a new user authentication feature"

Claude will:

1. Recognize you’re in planning mode
2. Ask clarifying questions
3. Help you shape the idea
4. Create project documents when you’re ready
5. Automatically save session summaries when you finish working

When you’re ready to create documents, say:

"Let's create a project for this"

Claude creates organized documents in docs/projects/active/YYYY-MM-DD-*/.

⭐ Automatic Session Summaries

Aichaku automatically creates structured summaries of your work:

• 📄 Saved automatically when conversations end or are compacted
• 📋 Organized in docs/checkpoints/ directory
• 📅 Timestamped for easy reference
• 📝 Structured with session overview, decisions, files modified, and next steps

No more losing context between sessions!

What happens behind the scenes

When you initialized Aichaku:

1. All methodologies were copied to your project

   • You can use Shape Up, Scrum, Kanban, or mix them
   • Switch methodologies anytime without setup

2. Selected standards were added to CLAUDE.md

   • Only the standards you chose are active
   • They guide Claude’s code generation

3. Project structure was created

   • .claude/methodologies/ - All available workflows
   • .claude/output/ - Your actual work
   • .claude/CLAUDE.md - Claude’s instructions

Try it yourself

Exercise 1: Explore methodologies

Look at the available methodologies:

ls ~/.claude/methodologies/

Read a methodology guide:

cat ~/.claude/methodologies/shape-up/SHAPE-UP-AICHAKU-GUIDE.md

Exercise 2: Mix methodologies

With Claude, try:

"I want to use Scrum sprints but with a Kanban board for tracking"

Aichaku supports mixing methodologies because real teams work this way.

Exercise 3: View a standard

Look at one of your selected standards:

aichaku standards --show tdd

This shows you the exact guidance Claude follows when writing tests.

Next steps

You’ve successfully:

• ✅ Installed Aichaku
• ✅ Set up a project
• ✅ Added coding standards
• ✅ Learned the basic workflow
• ✅ Enabled automatic session summaries ⭐

Quality Note: Aichaku follows enterprise-grade engineering standards with automated pre-flight checks (format/lint/type-check/test), configuration-as-code architecture, and consistent branding across all commands. This ensures reliability and maintainability for professional development workflows.

Continue learning:

• Read First Project Tutorial to build something real
• Check Configure Your Project for customization
• Explore Core Concepts to understand the philosophy

Getting help

• Run aichaku help for command reference
• Visit GitHub Issues for support
• Read the Configuration Options for detailed settings

Remember: Aichaku makes Claude a better development partner by providing structure without rigidity. Happy coding!