Setting Up Nia CLI

This guide provides detailed instructions for getting started with Nia CLI, from installation to advanced usage.

Prerequisites

Before installing Nia CLI, ensure you have:

To verify your Python installation:

python --version
# or
python3 --version

Installation

Install Nia CLI

Using pip (recommended):

pip install nia-cli

Alternatively, use pipx for an isolated installation:

# Install pipx if you don't have it
pip install pipx
pipx ensurepath

# Install Nia CLI in isolated environment
pipx install nia-cli

If you’re using a virtual environment, make sure it’s activated before installation.

Verify installation

Confirm that Nia CLI was installed correctly:

nia --version

You should see the version number of the installed CLI.

Get your API key

If you don’t already have a Nia API key:

Go to app.trynia.ai
Sign up or log in to your account
Navigate to API settings
Generate a new API key

Keep your API key secure. Do not share it or expose it in public repositories.

Authenticate your CLI with your API key:

nia login

When prompted, enter your API key. Alternatively, provide it directly:

nia login YOUR_API_KEY

Your API key will be securely stored in ~/.nia/config.json.

Basic Configuration

After installation and authentication, let’s set up your working environment:

View available repositories

If you’ve already indexed repositories through the Nia web interface, you can list them:

nia list

This will show all repositories you have access to, including their IDs, names, branches, and indexing status.

Index a new repository

To add a GitHub repository for Nia to analyze:

nia create owner/repo

For example:

nia create nozomio-labs/sample-project

By default, Nia will index the “main” branch. To specify a different branch:

nia create owner/repo -b develop

Initial indexing may take several minutes depending on the size of the repository.

Check indexing status

Monitor the progress of repository indexing:

nia status REPOSITORY_ID

Replace REPOSITORY_ID with the ID returned when you created the repository.

Set a default repository

To avoid specifying a repository ID in every command:

nia select REPOSITORY_ID

Alternatively, run nia select without arguments to see a list of repositories to choose from.

Starting Your First Chat

Now that you’ve set up Nia CLI and indexed a repository, let’s start interacting with your code:

Begin a chat session

Start chatting with your default repository:

nia chat

Or specify a repository:

nia chat REPOSITORY_ID

The chat interface will open in your terminal.

Ask questions about your code

Now you can ask Nia about your codebase. Try starting with these questions:

> What is the structure of this repository?
> How does the authentication system work?
> Where is the main entry point for the application?
> Explain the database schema and relationships

Be specific in your questions to get the most precise answers.

Explore multi-repository functionality

For projects that span multiple repositories, you can include additional repositories in your chat:

nia chat REPOSITORY_ID --additional REPO_ID2,REPO_ID3

This is particularly useful for microservice architectures or projects with shared dependencies.

End your session

When you’re finished, exit the chat:

> exit

Advanced Workflow

If you’re working on multiple projects that use different repositories:

Create separate terminal sessions for each project
In each session, select the appropriate default repository:
```
nia select REPOSITORY_ID
```
Start chat sessions in each terminal:
```
nia chat
```

This allows you to maintain separate contexts for different projects.

When your codebase undergoes significant changes:

Re-index the repository to ensure Nia has the latest code:
```
nia create owner/repo -b branch
```
Wait for indexing to complete:
```
nia status REPOSITORY_ID
```
Resume your chat with the updated codebase:
```
nia chat REPOSITORY_ID
```

Re-index after major feature additions, refactoring, or architecture changes.

For custom configurations or debugging:

# Override API endpoint (useful for self-hosted instances)
export NIA_API_URL="http://your-custom-instance:8000"

# Enable detailed logging
export DEBUG=1

# Apply for a single command
DEBUG=1 nia chat

These variables can be added to your shell profile for persistence.

Add these to your .bashrc or .zshrc for enhanced functionality:

# Nia CLI shortcuts
alias nc="nia chat"
alias nl="nia list"
alias ns="nia status"

# Quick repository selection
nselect() {
  nia select "$@"
}

This allows for faster workflow with shortened commands.

Effective Chat Strategies

Start Broad, Then Narrow

Begin with general questions about architecture before diving into specific components

Reference Specific Files

When asking about implementation details, mention file paths for more precise answers

Chain Your Questions

Build on previous questions to maintain context through your exploration

Use Multiple Sessions

Create different chat sessions for different aspects of your codebase

Example Chat Sequence

Configuration File Reference

The Nia CLI configuration file is located at ~/.nia/config.json. Here’s a sample configuration with explanations:

{
  "api_key": "nia_api_key_example123456789",  // Your Nia API key
  "default_repo": "repo_abcdefg123456",       // Currently selected default repository
  "api_url": "https://api.trynia.ai",         // API endpoint (can be customized)
  "user": {
    "name": "Your Name",                      // User information
    "email": "your.email@example.com"
  },
  "model_preferences": {
    "default": "claude-3-sonnet"              // Default model for chat
  },
  "terminal": {
    "colored_output": true,                   // Enable colored output in terminal
    "max_width": 100                          // Maximum width for text display
  }
}

You can manually edit this file if needed, but it’s recommended to use the CLI commands for configuration.

Resolving Common Issues

Check Python version

Ensure you have Python 3.7+ installed:

python --version

Update pip

Ensure you have the latest pip version:

pip install --upgrade pip

Installation with specific pip

If you have multiple Python versions:

python3 -m pip install nia-cli

Virtual environment

Try installing in a clean virtual environment:

python -m venv nia-env
source nia-env/bin/activate  # On Windows: nia-env\Scripts\activate
pip install nia-cli

Verify API key

Double-check your API key in the Nia web interface

Check configuration file

Inspect your configuration file:

cat ~/.nia/config.json

Reset authentication

Remove the configuration and start fresh:

rm ~/.nia/config.json
nia login

Repository access

Ensure Nia has access to the repository (check GitHub permissions)

Branch name

Verify the branch name exists:

nia create owner/repo -b correct-branch-name

Repository size

Very large repositories may time out during indexing. Contact Nia support for assistance with repositories over 500MB.

Indexing completion

Ensure indexing is complete before chatting:

nia status REPOSITORY_ID

Network connectivity

Check your internet connection

Debug mode

Enable debug mode for more information:

DEBUG=1 nia chat

Best Practices

Regular Updates

Keep Nia CLI up-to-date:

pip install --upgrade nia-cli

Repository Freshness

Re-index after major code changes to ensure accurate answers

Specific Questions

Ask focused questions rather than overly broad ones

Terminal Session

Use a terminal with good Unicode support for optimal display

Secure Storage

Never share your API key or include it in scripts

Multiple Repositories

Set up different projects for different codebases

Going Further

Explore integrations

Beyond the CLI, Nia AI offers integrations with:

Slack for team-wide code assistance
GitHub for automated code reviews
VS Code and other editors through extensions

Check the Integrations Overview for details.

Automate workflows

Incorporate Nia CLI into your development workflows:

Add repository indexing to CI/CD pipelines
Create scripts to automate common queries
Integrate with project documentation tools

Alternative Access Methods

If you prefer not to use the CLI, Nia provides multiple ways to access its functionality:

Web Application: User-friendly interface for code chat
REST API: Programmatic access for custom integrations
Slack Integration: Chat with your code directly in Slack
IDE Extensions: Use Nia directly in your code editor

Join the community

Connect with other Nia users:

Join our Discord community
Share your use cases and feedback
Learn from how others are using Nia

For any issues not covered in this guide, contact Nia support at arlan@nozomio.com or visit our Discord community.

Get Started

Command Line Interface

Integrations

Prerequisites

Installation

Basic Configuration

Starting Your First Chat

Advanced Workflow

Effective Chat Strategies

Start Broad, Then Narrow

Reference Specific Files

Chain Your Questions

Use Multiple Sessions

Example Chat Sequence

Configuration File Reference

Resolving Common Issues

Best Practices

Regular Updates

Repository Freshness

Specific Questions

Terminal Session

Secure Storage

Multiple Repositories

Going Further

Get Started

Command Line Interface

Integrations

​Prerequisites

​Installation

​Basic Configuration

​Starting Your First Chat

​Advanced Workflow

​Effective Chat Strategies

Start Broad, Then Narrow

Reference Specific Files

Chain Your Questions

Use Multiple Sessions

​Example Chat Sequence

​Configuration File Reference

​Resolving Common Issues

​Best Practices

Regular Updates

Repository Freshness

Specific Questions

Terminal Session

Secure Storage

Multiple Repositories

​Going Further

Prerequisites

Installation

Basic Configuration

Starting Your First Chat

Advanced Workflow

Effective Chat Strategies

Example Chat Sequence

Configuration File Reference

Resolving Common Issues

Best Practices

Going Further