Quick Start — use ChatGPT to work with your computer via Forge MCP

Forge gives an external controller (ChatGPT recommended) a local-first, permission-scoped execution runtime for files, Git repositories, browser/desktop actions, and connected services. Forge itself is not a second AI agent and does not require a separate OpenAI API key when your controller is ChatGPT.

1. Install the current stable CLI

Requires Node.js 20.10+, npm, and a writable home directory.

npm install -g @moretea-labs/forge@latest
forge --version

Bun alternative: bun add -g @moretea-labs/forge. Source compilation is not necessary for a normal install; see Installation.

2. Configure ChatGPT as the external controller

forge setup
forge setup configure --controller chatgpt --tunnel auto
forge setup next

Follow each reported next step to configure the Package Runtime and authenticated connector. OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel is preferred when available; it is a transport, not another Forge controller. Read the ChatGPT MCP setup tutorial.

3. Adopt a code repository only when needed

forge adopt --repo /path/to/project --dry-run
forge adopt --repo /path/to/project
forge repo list --json

You can use authorized file, browser or service capabilities without first adopting a Git repository.

4. Complete a small task and check the result

Ask ChatGPT to inspect a repository, make a scoped change, run the focused check, review the diff, and commit if verified. The first repository task walks through the process. Destructive, secret-bearing and external effects have separate authorization requirements.

Source checkout for contributors

A normal package install does not require source, Git, or Bun. If you are modifying Forge itself, use the same frozen Bun dependency lock as CI:

git clone https://github.com/moretea-labs/forge.git
cd forge
bun install --frozen-lockfile
npm install -g . --omit=optional --no-audit --no-fund

Upgrade and help

npm install -g @moretea-labs/forge@latest
forge setup next
forge doctor

Read Releases and Upgrades, Troubleshooting, and the full documentation. Current stable: v1.8.1.