Getting started

You will need a Mac with Node 22 or later and Homebrew. init fetches the rest for you (ffmpeg, whisper.cpp and the models) through brew.

npm install -g parlour
parlour init
parlour text          # have a conversation in the terminal, no microphone needed
parlour start         # the real thing, unless init already set it to run at login

Rather not use a terminal? The menu bar app does the same setup in a window.

What init asks

init walks you through it with arrow keys and a handful of questions: what this machine is, which local model to run, your Home Assistant, an Anthropic key if you would like the cloud behind it, and preferences like the wake word and the voice. Escape goes back a question, and nothing is downloaded or written until a last screen has shown every answer and you have said yes. It writes ~/.config/parlour/config.json and secrets.env, offers to run Parlour at login, and finishes by running parlour doctor so you know everything is in place. Changed your mind later? Run init again: every answer defaults to what is already set.

The local model comes with it

init looks at how much memory the Mac has, suggests the largest model it can hold comfortably, downloads it, and keeps llama.cpp serving it at login alongside whisper. Nothing to install by hand and nothing to remember to start. parlour models suggest shows the catalogue and which one it would pick.

If you would rather run the model yourself, say so and point llm.local.baseUrl at whatever you have: LM Studio (init still offers to install it), Ollama, or a box in the cupboard. Anything that speaks the OpenAI chat completions API will do.

Home Assistant

Home Assistant gets its own part of init: it looks for your Home Assistant on the network, tells you exactly where to make a long lived token, checks the token as you paste it, and checks the MCP Server integration is switched on. Each of those fails in the same silent way, so each one is checked as it is answered rather than all three landing in parlour doctor half an hour later. Say no and the house is left out entirely. Home Assistant has the rest.

The cloud is optional

Leave the Anthropic key empty and Parlour runs local only: the local model keeps every tool, answers everything itself, and not a word leaves the house.

Next

• The commands, for everything the CLI can do.
• Skills, MCP and plugins, to teach it your house and give it more to do.
• Clients and the iOS app, to reach it from other rooms.
• Tuning, when it wakes for the television.