Tutorials

These tutorials take you from an empty machine to a workstation running an AI coding agent, one small step at a time. Each one builds on the last, so if you are new to Ringleader, read them in order.

If you arrived here from Onboarding, you have already booted a workstation, which is most of the first tutorial. Skim it for the parts onboarding skipped (what each manifest field means, namespaces, and lifecycle phases), or jump straight to Adding tools.

1. Your first workstation: write a one-file manifest, apply it, and open a shell on a local VM.
2. Adding tools: introduce the reusable WorkstationConfig layer and install your first development tools with label-based matching.
3. Managing workstations: stop, start, restart, and delete a workstation declaratively, and drive everything from the terminal UI.
4. Coding with Claude Code: run Claude Code inside the VM and watch the login browser open on your own Mac.

The only thing you need before you start is Ringleader installed on your machine. If you have not done that yet, follow Install on macOS first, then come back here.

Every tutorial follows the same rhythm: you do the thing first and see it work, then a short “What just happened?” section explains the machinery underneath. You can stop after any tutorial and pick up later, because the environments you build here are persistent and stay exactly as you left them.

• Your first workstationGo from an empty machine to a shell on a local Ringleader workstation, and learn the core apply-and-connect loop.
• Adding toolsInstall development tools on your workstation with a reusable WorkstationConfig and label-based matching.
• Managing workstationsStop, start, restart, and delete a workstation declaratively, and manage everything from the k9s-style terminal UI.
• Coding with Claude CodeRun Claude Code inside your workstation and watch the login browser open on your own Mac, even though the agent runs in the VM.