> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jolter.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Install Jolter, select Node.js and pnpm, pin a project, and verify the result.

This guide takes a new machine from no Jolter installation to a project that automatically uses its declared JavaScript toolchain.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install Jolter">
    Run the installer for your operating system.

    <CodeGroup>
      ```powershell Windows theme={null}
      irm https://get.jolter.dev/install.ps1 | iex
      ```

      ```bash Linux and macOS theme={null}
      curl -fsSL https://get.jolter.dev/install.sh | sh
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable command shims">
    Generate shims and apply the PATH command Jolter prints.

    ```bash theme={null}
    jolter setup
    ```

    Restart the terminal or IDE after applying the persistent PATH command.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install a runtime">
    Select the current Node.js LTS release as your global fallback.

    ```bash theme={null}
    jolter use node@lts
    node --version
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install a tool">
    Install a managed pnpm version. Managed npm, pnpm, and Yarn releases run through the active Node.js runtime.

    ```bash theme={null}
    jolter use pnpm@10
    pnpm --version
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pin the project">
    From the project root, write project requirements.

    ```bash theme={null}
    jolter pin node@24
    jolter pin pnpm@10
    ```

    Jolter creates or updates `jolter.json` without removing unrelated tools.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Synchronize and verify">
    Install or reuse the exact versions required by the current project.

    ```bash theme={null}
    jolter sync
    jolter doctor
    node --version
    pnpm --version
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What you created

Your project now has a portable declaration:

```json jolter.json theme={null}
{
  "$schema": "https://schemas.jolter.dev/project/v2/schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": 2,
  "runtime": {
    "node": "24"
  },
  "tools": {
    "pnpm": "10"
  }
}
```

Commit `jolter.json`. Do not commit `JOLTER_HOME`, `.jolter`, downloaded runtimes, or tool directories.

## Move between projects

Jolter does not need a directory-change hook. The generated `node`, `pnpm`, `yarn`, `npm`, `bun`, and `deno` shims resolve the current directory every time they run.

```bash theme={null}
cd project-a
node --version

cd ../project-b
node --version
```

If a project has requirements, those win. Outside a configured project, the global fallback from `jolter use` is used.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Installation details" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Inspect scripts before running, install release archives, build from source,
    or upgrade Jolter.
  </Card>

  <Card title="First project" icon="folder-check" href="/first-project">
    Prepare a real repository for local development and CI.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automatic switching" icon="shuffle" href="/guides/automatic-switching">
    Understand shims, PATH precedence, and command dispatch.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/operations/troubleshooting">
    Fix PATH, proxy, offline cache, permission, and incomplete-install problems.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


## Related topics

- [Jolter](/index.md)