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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure the following are installed:
Verify your Bun version with bun --version. The monorepo is pinned to [email protected] via packageManager in package.json.

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Steps

1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/rawr-ai/slides.git
cd slides
2

Install dependencies

Run a single install from the monorepo root. Bun workspaces will install dependencies for all apps and packages at once.
bun install
3

Copy the environment files

Each app ships with an .env.example file. Copy both into place:
cp apps/server/.env.example apps/server/.env
cp apps/web/.env.example apps/web/.env
The defaults work for local development. The web app is pre-configured to reach the server at http://localhost:3000, and the server allows cross-origin requests from http://localhost:3001.
4

Set your Anthropic API key

Open apps/server/.env and fill in your key:
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is required for all AI assistant features. If it is left blank, the server starts but AI interactions will fail. You can get a key from console.anthropic.com.
5

Start the development server

From the monorepo root, start both the frontend and backend together:
bun run dev
TurboRepo launches both apps in parallel:
AppURL
Frontend (web)http://localhost:3001
Backend (server)http://localhost:3000
Wait for both processes to report that they are ready before continuing.
6

Create your first slideshow

  1. Open http://localhost:3001 in your browser.
  2. Click New slideshow to open the creation dialog.
  3. Give your slideshow a name and confirm.
The editor opens with an empty slideshow ready to fill.
7

Try the AI assistant

With the slideshow open in the editor:
  1. Open the AI assistant panel (look for the chat icon in the toolbar).
  2. Describe what you want — for example:
    “Create a five-slide overview of a new product launch with an intro, problem statement, solution, roadmap, and call to action.”
  3. The assistant generates structured slides as a patch and applies them to your slideshow in real time.
You can make follow-up requests to refine individual slides, change tone, or add specific blocks like charts or code snippets.

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Next steps

Installation

Full installation details including standalone binary setup and environment variable reference

AI assistant

Learn how to get the most out of natural language slide editing

Block types

Explore all 13 content block types available in the editor

Deployment

Ship Slides as a standalone binary with no runtime dependencies

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