> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agtos.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is agtOS?

> An introduction to the agtOS voice-native AI agent platform

agtOS is an open-source platform that turns AI models into voice-enabled agents. It handles the hard parts — real-time audio processing, model routing, tool execution, and persistent memory — so you can focus on building experiences.

## What makes agtOS different

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Voice-native, not voice-added" icon="waveform-lines">
    Built from the ground up for voice. The cascade pipeline (STT → LLM → TTS) runs with sub-second latency, sentence-level streaming, and barge-in support.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Local-first architecture" icon="shield-check">
    In-process speech engine (sherpa-onnx), local model routing (Ollama), and optional cloud. Works offline — cloud is an enhancement, not a dependency.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Protocol-agnostic" icon="plug">
    Built on MCP (Model Context Protocol) with A2A readiness. Tools are defined once and work across voice, chat, CLI, and external AI clients.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Progressive infrastructure" icon="layer-group">
    Start with just Node.js. Add Redis for memory and scheduling. Add Ollama for local AI. Each piece unlocks more capabilities without breaking what works.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## System overview

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     agtOS Server                            │
│                                                             │
│  :3000 Voice          :4100 MCP           :4102 API         │
│  ┌──────────┐         ┌──────────┐        ┌──────────┐     │
│  │WebSocket │         │Streamable│        │REST API  │     │
│  │Audio     │         │HTTP      │        │Dashboard │     │
│  │WebRTC   │         │10 Tools  │        │Metrics   │     │
│  └──────────┘         └──────────┘        └──────────┘     │
│        │                    │                   │           │
│        └────────────┬───────┴───────────────────┘           │
│                     │                                       │
│              ┌──────┴──────┐                                │
│              │ Orchestrator │                                │
│              │              │                                │
│              │ Model Router │◄── Ollama (local)              │
│              │ Agent Loop   │◄── Claude / OpenAI (cloud)     │
│              │ Tool Registry│◄── OpenRouter (aggregator)     │
│              │ Memory       │◄── Redis (sessions, vectors)   │
│              └─────────────┘                                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Key components

| Component           | What it does                                        | Required?                                    |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Voice Pipeline**  | STT, TTS, VAD — in-process or external              | Included                                     |
| **Model Router**    | Routes requests to the best model (local or cloud)  | Included                                     |
| **Agent Loop**      | Multi-step tool execution with progress streaming   | Included                                     |
| **Memory System**   | Working, episodic, and semantic memory tiers        | Working always; episodic/semantic need Redis |
| **MCP Server**      | Exposes 10 tools to external AI clients             | Included                                     |
| **MCP Client**      | Connects to external MCP servers for tool discovery | Included                                     |
| **Device Registry** | Manages ESP32, browser, CLI, and custom devices     | Needs Redis                                  |
| **Task Scheduler**  | Cron, one-time, and interval task scheduling        | Needs Redis                                  |
| **Web Dashboard**   | 17-page management UI                               | Included                                     |
| **Desktop App**     | Tauri 2 with system tray and global PTT hotkey      | Separate download                            |
| **CLI**             | 9 commands for setup, management, and interaction   | Included                                     |

## Requirements

| Component   | Version              | Purpose                                   |
| ----------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Node.js** | 22+                  | Required runtime                          |
| **Redis**   | 7.2+ with RediSearch | Memory, scheduling, devices (optional)    |
| **Ollama**  | Latest               | Local AI models and embeddings (optional) |
| **Docker**  | Latest               | Convenient Redis management (optional)    |

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Download the App" icon="desktop" href="/quickstart">
    Install the desktop app and start chatting in minutes. No terminal required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Developer Setup" icon="terminal" href="/installation#cli-for-developers">
    Clone, install, and run from source with full CLI and API access.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use Cases" icon="lightbulb" href="/use-cases">
    Personal assistant, smart home hub, developer tool, IoT voice device.
  </Card>

  <Card title="FAQ" icon="circle-question" href="/guides/faq">
    Common questions about setup, voice, memory, privacy, and integration.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>