Getting Started

This guide will help you get started with AgentVault - an AI agent platform for the Internet Computer.

Prerequisites

Before installing AgentVault, ensure you have:

• Node.js 18+ - Required for running AgentVault CLI
• dfx - Internet Computer SDK for deploying canisters
  • Install with: sh -ci "$(curl -fsSL https://sdk.dfinity.org/install.sh)"
  • Verify with: dfx --version
• ICP cycles - Required for canister operations
  • Create a wallet and fund with cycles at ICP Dashboard
• Git - For cloning agent projects

Installation

Global Installation

Install AgentVault globally on your system:

npm install -g agentvault

Verify installation:

agentvault --version

Development Installation

For local development or contributing:

git clone https://github.com/your-org/agentvault.git
cd agentvault
npm install
npm run build
npm link

First Project

Create your first AI agent project:

agentvault init my-first-agent
cd my-first-agent

This creates the following structure:

my-first-agent/
├── agent.yaml          # Agent configuration
├── src/
│   └── index.ts      # Agent entry point
└── package.json       # Node.js dependencies

Configuration

Edit agent.yaml to configure your agent:

name: My First Agent
description: A sample AI agent
entry: src/index.ts
memory: 256
compute: medium
cycles: 1000000000000  # 1T cycles

Configuration Options

Option	Type	Description	Default
name	string	Agent name	package.json name
description	string	Agent description	-
entry	string	Entry point file	src/index.ts
memory	number	Memory allocation in MB	256
compute	string	Compute tier: low, medium, high	medium
cycles	bigint	Initial cycles allocation	1T
routing	array	Routing canisters	-

Local Testing

Test your agent locally before deployment:

agentvault test

This runs the agent in a local test environment with simulated ICP interactions.

Testing Options

agentvault test --verbose
agentvault test --coverage

Deployment

Deploy your agent to the Internet Computer:

# Local deployment
agentvault deploy --network local

# Production deployment
agentvault deploy --network ic

Deployment Flags

Flag	Description
--network	Network: local or ic
--canister-id	Upgrade existing canister
--cycles	Custom cycles allocation
--no-verify	Skip post-deployment verification

Verification

Verify your deployed agent:

agentvault status <canister-id>

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

dfx not found

export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
dfx --version

Insufficient cycles

# Check wallet balance
agentvault wallet balance

# Request faucet
agentvault wallet request

Build failures

# Clean and rebuild
rm -rf dist
npm run build

Network timeouts

# Check network status
agentvault network status

# Switch to alternate network
dfx identity use ic

Next Steps

• Explore Deployment Guide
• Set up Wallets
• Configure Backups
• Access the Web Dashboard

Getting Help

agentvault --help
agentvault <command> --help

For issues or feature requests, visit:

• GitHub Issues: https://github.com/your-org/agentvault/issues
• Discord: https://discord.gg/agentvault
• Documentation: https://docs.agentvault.dev