| name | minutes-setup |
| description | Guided first-time setup for Minutes — download whisper model, create directories, configure audio input. Use when the user says "set up minutes", "install minutes", "first time setup", "configure minutes", "get started with minutes", "how do I start using minutes", or when verify shows missing components. |
Skill Path
Before running helper scripts or opening bundled references, set:
export MINUTES_SKILLS_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.agents/skills/minutes"
export MINUTES_SKILL_ROOT="$MINUTES_SKILLS_ROOT/minutes-setup"
/minutes-setup
Walk the user through first-time Minutes setup, step by step.
Setup steps
1. Check current state first
Run the verify skill's script to see what's already done:
bash "$MINUTES_SKILLS_ROOT/minutes-verify/scripts/verify-setup.sh"
Skip any steps that already pass.
2. Build the binary (if needed)
cd ~/Sites/minutes
export CXXFLAGS="-I$(xcrun --show-sdk-path)/usr/include/c++/v1"
cargo build --release
The binary lands at target/release/minutes. The user should add it to their PATH or create a symlink.
3. Download a whisper model
Ask the user which quality level they want using AskUserQuestion:
| Model | Size | Speed | Quality | Best for |
|---|
tiny | 75 MB | ~10x real-time | Low | Quick tests, short memos |
small | 466 MB | ~4x real-time | Good | Daily meetings (recommended) |
medium | 1.5 GB | ~2x real-time | Great | Important meetings, accents |
large-v3 | 3.1 GB | ~1x real-time | Best | Legal, medical, foreign language |
Then run:
minutes setup --model <chosen-model>
4. Create directories
mkdir -p ~/meetings/memos
5. Audio input (if recording calls)
For in-person conversations, the built-in mic works fine. For Zoom/Meet/Teams:
- Install BlackHole:
brew install blackhole-2ch
- Open Audio MIDI Setup (Spotlight → "Audio MIDI Setup")
- Create a Multi-Output Device combining speakers + BlackHole
- Set the Multi-Output Device as system output
- Set BlackHole as Minutes' input (or system default input)
See minutes-record/references/audio-devices.md for the full guide.
6. Verify
Run verify again to confirm everything passes:
bash "$MINUTES_SKILLS_ROOT/minutes-verify/scripts/verify-setup.sh"
7. Test recording
minutes record --title "Test recording"
minutes stop
Check the output file exists in ~/meetings/ and has a transcript.
Gotchas
- macOS 26 (Tahoe) requires CXXFLAGS — The whisper.cpp build needs the C++ include path set explicitly. This is a known Apple SDK issue.
- First model download can be slow — The
small model is 466 MB. On slow connections, tiny is a good starting point (75 MB).
- BlackHole setup is the hardest part — Most users struggle with the Audio MIDI Setup step. Offer to walk through it if they get stuck.
