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System Requirements

Before installing Chapi Assistant, ensure your system meets these requirements:

Operating System

Windows 10/11 (64-bit)Chapi is a WPF application requiring Windows desktop environment

.NET Runtime

.NET 8.0 SDK or higherRequired for running and developing .NET applications

Git

Git 2.30+ (optional but recommended)For WSL Git integration and command-line operations

Hardware

4GB RAM minimum, 8GB+ recommendedAdequate disk space for project templates
Windows-Only Application: Chapi uses WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) and Windows-specific APIs for credential storage. It cannot run on macOS or Linux.

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Prerequisites Installation

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Step 1: Install .NET 8.0 SDK

Chapi requires the .NET 8.0 SDK to run. This is a Long-Term Support (LTS) release.
1

Download .NET 8.0 SDK

Visit the official .NET download page:https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0Select Windows x64 installer for your system.
2

Run the Installer

Execute the downloaded installer and follow the wizard. The default installation path is typically:
C:\Program Files\dotnet\
3

Verify Installation

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and verify:
dotnet --version
Expected output:
8.0.xxx
If the dotnet command is not recognized, you may need to restart your terminal or add C:\Program Files\dotnet\ to your system PATH environment variable.

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Step 2: Install Git (Optional)

While Chapi uses LibGit2Sharp for most Git operations (which doesn’t require Git installed), having Git available enables advanced features like WSL integration.
1

Download Git for Windows

Download from the official website:https://git-scm.com/download/winChoose the 64-bit Git for Windows Setup installer.
2

Install with Recommended Settings

During installation, use these settings:
  • Default editor: Visual Studio Code (or your preference)
  • PATH environment: Git from the command line and 3rd-party software
  • Line ending conversions: Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style
  • Terminal emulator: Use Windows’ default console window
3

Configure Git User

Set your identity for commits:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
This is required for Chapi’s commit functionality to work properly.
4

Verify Installation

git --version
Expected output:
git version 2.40.x.windows.x
LibGit2Sharp Integration: Chapi primarily uses LibGit2Sharp (a native .NET Git implementation) which works without Git installed. However, certain advanced operations may delegate to the WSL Git repository implementation when configured.

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Install Chapi Assistant

1

Download Latest Release

Visit the Chapi Assistant releases page:
https://gitlab.com/net-core2/chapi-assistant/-/releases
Download the latest .zip or installer package.
2

Extract and Run

Extract the archive to your preferred location:
C:\Program Files\ChapiAssistant\
Run Chapi.exe to launch the application.
3

Create Desktop Shortcut (Optional)

Right-click Chapi.exe → Send to → Desktop (create shortcut)

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Method 2: Build from Source

For developers who want to customize or contribute: 
# Clone the repository
git clone https://gitlab.com/net-core2/chapi-assistant.git
cd chapi-assistant/Chapi

Chapi/
├── Application/          # Use cases and business logic
│   ├── UseCases/
│   │   ├── Git/         # Git operations
│   │   ├── Projects/    # Project management
│   │   ├── CodeGeneration/
│   │   └── AI/          # AI integrations
├── Domain/              # Core entities and interfaces
├── Infrastructure/      # External services
│   ├── Git/            # LibGit2Sharp + WSL implementations
│   ├── AI/             # OpenAI, Claude, Gemini clients
│   ├── Roslyn/         # Code generation
│   └── Services/
└── Presentation/        # WPF UI
    ├── Views/
    └── ViewModels/      # MVVM pattern

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Post-Installation Configuration

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Configure Git Authentication

Chapi supports GitHub and GitLab authentication for private repositories.
1

Open Settings

Launch Chapi → Click Settings (gear icon) → Git Configuration
2

Select Provider

Choose your Git provider:
  • GitHub: Uses OAuth with personal access tokens
  • GitLab: Uses OAuth with GitLab tokens
3

Authenticate

Click Login and complete the OAuth flow in your browser.Credentials are securely stored using Windows Credential Manager.
// Chapi's DI configuration for Git authentication
services.Configure<GitAuthConfig>(Configuration.GetSection("GitAuth"));

// Auth providers
services.AddSingleton<ICredentialStorageService, WindowsCredentialStorageService>();
services.AddSingleton<GitHubOAuthProvider>();
services.AddSingleton<GitLabOAuthProvider>();
services.AddSingleton<IGitAuthProviderFactory, GitAuthProviderFactory>();

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Configure AI Providers (Optional)

To enable the AI assistant features, configure at least one AI provider:
  1. Get your API key from platform.openai.com
  2. Open Chapi → Settings → AI Configuration
  3. Enter your OpenAI API Key
  4. Select OpenAI as preferred provider
Automatic Fallback: If your preferred provider is unavailable, Chapi automatically falls back to other configured providers in this order: Gemini → OpenAI → Claude.

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Verify Installation

Confirm everything is working correctly:
1

Launch Chapi

Open Chapi Assistant. You should see:
  • Main window with tabs: Changes, History, Releases, Workspace, Assistant
  • Version number in the bottom-right corner
  • System tray icon for quick access
2

Check Git Integration

Navigate to Settings → ServiceVerify the status indicator shows Active (green)
3

Test AI Assistant (if configured)

Open the Assistant tabType a simple message like “Hello” and press EnterYou should receive a response from your configured AI provider
First Launch: On first run, Chapi will create configuration files in:
%APPDATA%\Chapi\
This includes user settings, project registry, and AI configurations.

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Troubleshooting

Solution:
  • Ensure .NET 8.0 Runtime is installed: dotnet --list-runtimes
  • Check Windows Event Viewer for .NET errors
  • Run as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator)
Solution:
  • Configure Git user identity: 
    git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
  • Verify repository access permissions
  • Check credential storage in Windows Credential Manager
Solution:
  • Verify API key is correctly entered in Settings
  • Check internet connectivity
  • Try switching to a different AI provider
  • Review error messages in the Assistant tab
Expected Behavior: Only one instance of Chapi can run at a time.If you try to launch a second instance, it will activate the existing window instead of opening a new one. This is by design to prevent conflicts.

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Auto-Updates

Chapi includes built-in update functionality using Velopack:
1

Automatic Check

Chapi checks for updates on startup (configurable in Settings)
2

Download Update

When an update is available, you’ll see a notificationClick Download to fetch the new version in the background
3

Install & Restart

Once downloaded, click Install & RestartChapi will close, apply the update, and relaunch automatically
// Velopack configuration
VelopackApp.Build()
    .SetAutoApplyOnStartup(false)  // Manual control
    .Run();

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Next Steps

Now that Chapi is installed, you’re ready to create your first project!

Quickstart Guide

Follow our quickstart guide to create your first project with Chapi in under 5 minutes

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