First Run

Demo mode#

The fastest way to explore micasa is demo mode:

micasa --demo

This launches with sample data in an in-memory database – projects, maintenance items, appliances, service log entries, quotes, and a pre-filled house profile. Nothing is saved to disk. When you quit, the data is gone.

To persist demo data for later, pass a path:

micasa --demo /tmp/demo.db

Starting fresh#

Just run:

micasa

On first launch, micasa creates its database in your platform’s data directory (e.g. ~/.local/share/micasa/micasa.db on Linux) and presents you with the house profile form. Fill in your home’s details – nickname is the only required field, everything else is optional. You can always edit the profile later with p in Edit mode.

Once the house profile is saved, you land on the dashboard, which shows an at-a-glance overview of your home (it’ll be empty to start). Press f to dismiss the dashboard and start adding data.

First steps#

A typical workflow to get started:

1. Add a project: press f to switch to the Projects tab, i to enter Edit mode, then a to add. Fill in a title, pick a type and status.
2. Add a maintenance item: f to the Maintenance tab, a to add. Name it, set a category, optionally link an appliance, and set an interval.
3. Add an appliance: f to Appliances, a to add. Name, brand, model number, warranty expiry.
4. Check the dashboard: press D to see what needs attention.

Don’t worry about entering everything at once. micasa is designed for incremental data entry – add things as you think of them, edit later.

LLM chat#

If you have a local LLM server running (like Ollama), press @ to open the chat overlay and ask questions about your data in plain English – “How much have I spent on plumbing?” or “When is the HVAC filter due?”

See LLM Chat for setup details and Configuration for backend options.