Build a Barry

In this guide, you’ll install Barry and setup your first identity. Each identity can have different capabilities, permissions, and preferences/configuration.

Before you begin

You need a Mac with Homebrew. To check, run brew --version.

1. Install Barry

Clone Barry, install what it needs, and set it up:

Terminal

git clone https://github.com/perintyler/Barry barry
cd barry
brew bundle && pnpm install && pnpm barry setup

barry setup installs the barry command and one login job that runs Barry’s services; barry setup --uninstall removes it and keeps your data.

2. Setup identity

Your identity is a directory that holds your Barry’s settings. Every session starts from it. Primitives describes it in full.

1. From your home directory, create an identity named bonanza:

   Terminal

   cd ~
   barry identity create bonanza

   Barry creates the directory and finishes with Identity bonanza is ready. You should see:

   Output

   ...
   Creating identity bonanza...
   
     Created ~/barry-bonanza/
     Created ~/barry-bonanza/identity.yaml
   ...
   Identity bonanza is ready.
   ...

2. Choose the agent it drives. Barry runs a session through an agent adapter: this example uses OpenCode, and claude, codex, or cursor work the same way:

   Terminal

   barry identity agent set opencode --name bonanza

   You should see:

   Output

   Set coding agent on identity 'bonanza': opencode

3. Pull the model the agent talks to, and point the identity at it:

   Terminal

   ollama pull smollm2:135m
   barry identity model set smollm2:135m --provider ollama --name bonanza

4. Read back what you built:

   Terminal

   cat ~/barry-bonanza/identity.yaml

   You should see the whole identity in one small file:

   Output

   name: bonanza
   displayName: Barry bonanza
   bags: []
   traits:
     - coding
     - sessions
   default_coding_agent: opencode
   default_model: smollm2:135m
   default_model_provider: ollama

Install the agent you picked

Barry drives the agent’s own command line tool, so install that separately and sign in with it:

Agent	Install	Sign in
OpenCode	brew install opencode	opencode auth login
Claude Code	brew install --cask claude-code	claude auth login
Codex	brew install --cask codex	codex login
Cursor	brew install --cask cursor-cli	cursor-agent login

An agent pointed at a local model through Ollama needs no sign-in at all, which is why this guide starts there.

3. Start a session

1. From a project you want to work in, start Barry:

   Terminal

   barry

   Barry names the identity the session runs as. You should see:

   Output

   Barry: bonanza (global default)
   ...
     Identity: bonanza
   ...

2. Barry asks which capabilities to add. Press Enter without selecting any. Traits covers what you can add here.

3. Talk to your agent as you normally would. When you’re done, type /exit, and name the session if Barry asks.

What a bag looks like

A bag is a directory with a bag.yaml at its root. Barry’s own memory bag is a short one worth reading (bags/memory/bag.yaml):

name: memory
description: Repo- and tag-scoped memories — agents save them, sessions start with them

tools:
  entry: tools.ts
  # Curation and import are occasional; keep them behind tool_search so the
  # everyday surface is save/search/get — the loop an agent actually runs.
  deferred:
    - update
    - forget
    - list_tags
    - import_claude

services:
  web:
    description: Memory browser — search, edit, and curate memories in a web UI
    command: pnpm
    args: ["exec", "tsx", "server/src/index.ts"]
    working-directory: .
    serves: http
    health: /health

Thirty lines give a session four tools, hide three more behind search, and run a web app beside them. tools.entry is the only required part; everything else is the bag saying what it also brings.

Next

Your Barry has an identity, an agent, and a model. Give it tools next, in Packing bags.