Installation
Install mecha from crates.io with cargo, build it from source, and add the optional dependencies for the sandbox and the eval fixtures.
Choosing hardware
What memory actually buys you, recommended configurations by unified-memory or VRAM tier, and what a dedicated box for this looks like.
Setting up
Point mecha at a model, let it read the settings back off the server rather than typing them, and wire in the personal context you want it to have.
First run
Start mecha four ways — one-shot, as a REPL, full-screen, and in a browser — and know where it writes things and what to do when a run goes wrong.
Configuration
The layered TOML config — where the files live, how layers merge, and the four settings worth getting right early.