PacketBenchDocs

Your first workspace#

This walkthrough opens a project, starts a shell and creates a read-only agent conversation.

Before you start#

  • PacketBench is installed and opens successfully.
  • Git is available.
  • You have a local project directory you can safely inspect.
  • For an API conversation, configure one provider first. Ollama can be used without an API key when it is running locally.

Open the project#

  1. Choose Open workspace.
  2. Select the project directory, not its parent directory.
  3. Confirm the workspace header shows the expected path.
  4. Add a Terminal pane.
  5. Run git status --short and confirm the output belongs to the selected project.

Start a conversation#

  1. Open Agents and create a conversation.
  2. Select a configured provider and model.
  3. Choose a read-only or approval-based permission posture for the first turn.
  4. Ask the agent to summarise the project without changing files.
  5. Inspect the tool cards and source list before continuing.

Verify#

  • The conversation completes without an authentication error.
  • Read operations name the correct project root.
  • git status --short is unchanged after the read-only turn.
  • Closing and reopening the workspace restores its layout without launching extra processes automatically.

Next, see Workspaces and terminals for pane management or Flights for isolated parallel work.

If it does not work#

Symptom Check Recovery
The project opens but no terminal starts The configured shell for that workspace See A terminal pane closes immediately
The conversation never reaches the model Whether the provider is configured and reachable See A provider is unavailable
The agent answers but cannot act Whether the action needed an approval you did not grant Approvals are per action; a refusal here is the boundary working
Background features produce nothing Whether they are enabled at all See Background AI features produce nothing