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

# Install Dex

> Set up Dex for a coding agent or use its CLI directly. Choose one installation path, verify uv is available, and run from your project directory.

Choose the way you want to use Dex. The skills guide an agent through the same
engine that the CLI exposes directly.

## Prerequisite

Install [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) version
0.13.4 or later and check that your terminal can find it:

```bash theme={null}
uv --version
```

Dex's skill wrappers use uv to install and run the engine. Your agent needs a
local shell and access to your project directory.

## Choose one installation path

> [tab] Agent skills
>
> Run this in your terminal and choose your agent when prompted:
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> npx skills add exmergo/dex
> ```
>
> For Codex, you can select the agent explicitly:
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> npx skills add exmergo/dex --agent codex
> ```
>
> Open your project in the agent and ask it to use Dex. The three skills are
> `explore`, `transform`, and `maintain`.

> [tab] Claude Code plugin
>
> Run these inside Claude Code, one at a time:
>
> ```text theme={null}
> /plugin marketplace add exmergo/exmergo-agent-plugins
> ```
>
> ```text theme={null}
> /plugin install dex@exmergo
> ```
>
> The skills appear as `/dex:explore`, `/dex:transform`, and `/dex:maintain`.
> Update the marketplace later with `/plugin marketplace update exmergo`.

> [tab] Standalone CLI
>
> Start locally with DuckDB:
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> uv tool install "exmergo-dex-core[duckdb]"
> dex --help
> ```
>
> For another warehouse, install its connector extra instead. For example:
>
> ```bash theme={null}
> uv tool install "exmergo-dex-core[snowflake]"
> ```
>
> If Dex is already installed with a different set of extras, use
> `uv tool install --force` with the complete set you need, such as
> `"exmergo-dex-core[duckdb,snowflake]"`.

## Start from the project directory

Open the directory containing your project. Dex discovers `.dex/config.yml`
up the directory tree, and uses the dbt project and semantic definitions in
that repository.

Try this prompt after [connecting your data](https://docs.exmergo.com/dex/connect.md):

```text theme={null}
Use Dex to map this warehouse. Show me the tables worth investigating,
their likely grain, and the joins that need verification.
```

> [accordion] The first command takes longer than later commands
>
> The skill wrapper downloads the engine and connector dependencies on its first
> run. Ask your agent to warm the installed wrapper with `--warm` if you want to
> pay that setup cost ahead of an interactive session. Warm-up installs packages;
> it does not query the warehouse.

> [accordion] My agent does not load skills
>
> Point it at the repository's
> [AGENTS.md](https://github.com/exmergo/dex/blob/main/AGENTS.md).
> It contains the engine procedure and command contract.
>
> With the CLI installed, `dex procedure --block` also prints the current procedure
> for inclusion in an agent's instructions. See
> [`dex procedure`](https://docs.exmergo.com/dex/cli/procedure) for checking that a copied procedure is current.

Continue with the [local quickstart](https://docs.exmergo.com/dex/quickstart.md), or
[connect an existing warehouse](https://docs.exmergo.com/dex/connect.md).


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