Documentation: Quick Start ordering creates confusion about when to install Axon
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- Go
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Description
Problem
As a new user following the Quick Start guide, the ordering of steps is confusing and can lead to errors.
The current flow is:
- Install the CLI
- Install Axon (
axon install) - Initialize Your Config (
axon init) - Run Your First Task
However, the Demo section (lines 22-35) appears BEFORE the Quick Start and shows:
# Initialize your config
$ axon init
# Edit ~/.axon/config.yaml with your token and workspace
This creates confusion because:
- New users may try to run
axon initbefore installing Axon to the cluster, which works (it's just a local file operation), but then they might not realize they still need to runaxon install - The
axon initcommand output provides helpful next steps (seeinternal/cli/init.go:44-62) including "Install Axon (if not already installed): axon install", but this conflicts with the Quick Start ordering - The logical flow for a new user is: install CLI → initialize config with credentials → install to cluster → run first task
Evidence from Code
Looking at internal/cli/init.go, the axon init command's next steps output shows:
Next steps:
1. Get your credentials:
• For Claude Code (OAuth): https://claude.ai/settings/developer
• For API access (API key): https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys
2. Edit the config file and add your token:
~/.axon/config.yaml
3. Install Axon (if not already installed):
axon install
4. Run your first task:
axon run -p "Create a hello world program in Python"
axon logs <task-name> -f
This suggests the intended flow is: CLI install → init → install Axon → run task
Impact
- Medium-High: Affects all new users going through Quick Start
- Creates confusion and potential for errors
- Wastes time troubleshooting when
axon runfails because Axon isn't installed to cluster
Proposed Fix
Option 1: Align Quick Start with axon init output flow
### Quick Start
#### Prerequisites
- Kubernetes cluster (1.28+)
- kubectl configured
#### 1. Install the CLI
\`\`\`bash
go install github.com/axon-core/axon/cmd/axon@latest
\`\`\`
#### 2. Initialize Your Config
\`\`\`bash
axon init
# Follow the next steps printed by the command:
# 1. Get your credentials from https://claude.ai/settings/developer or https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys
# 2. Edit ~/.axon/config.yaml and add your token
\`\`\`
#### 3. Install Axon to Your Cluster
\`\`\`bash
axon install
\`\`\`
#### 4. Run Your First Task
\`\`\`bash
axon run -p "Add a hello world program in Python"
axon logs <task-name> -f
\`\`\`
Option 2: Keep current ordering but add clarity
Add a note in step 2 explaining why we install before init:
### 2. Install Axon
\`\`\`bash
axon install
\`\`\`
> **Note**: You can also run \`axon init\` first to set up your config file, then come back to this step.
Recommendation
Option 1 is better because:
- It matches the natural flow: "set up locally, then deploy to cluster"
- It aligns with the helpful output from
axon init - It allows users to ensure they have valid credentials before installing to the cluster
- The CLI can verify credentials exist in the config before running
axon install(future improvement)
Area: Documentation & Onboarding
User Type: New users following Quick Start for the first time
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Locate the Quick Start and Demo documentation sections and compare their ordering with the next-steps output in internal/cli/init.go:44-62. Align the documented flow so initialization precedes cluster installation, then verify the commands, credentials guidance, and first-task steps are consistent throughout.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- go, kubernetes
- Domain
- cli, devops, documentation
- Issue type
- Documentation
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100