Installing LIT Platform with pip#

The fastest way to get started with LIT Platform for chat and AI development. No Docker required.

Personal & Non-Commercial Use Only

This installation is licensed for personal and non-commercial use. If you're using LIT Platform within a business, as part of a product or service, or in any revenue-generating context, a commercial license is required. Contact us to discuss terms.

Requirements#

Python 3.10 - 3.13 (Windows: 3.10 or 3.11 recommended — see note below)
One of the following AI providers:
- Claude — Claude Pro/Max account + Node.js (to install the Claude CLI)
- Gemini — free API key from Google AI Studio (no other software needed)
- ChatGPT — OpenAI account + Node.js (to install the OpenAI Codex CLI)

Installation#

Install the platform-specific wheel for your Python version from our releases page.

Linux#

# Python 3.12 example - adjust cp312 to match your version (cp310, cp311, cp312, cp313)
pip install https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl

lit serve

macOS (Apple Silicon)#

# Python 3.12 example - adjust cp312 to match your version (cp310, cp311, cp312, cp313)
pip install https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl

lit serve

macOS (Intel)#

# Python 3.12 example - adjust cp312 to match your version (cp310, cp311, cp312, cp313)
pip install https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl

lit serve

Windows#

Windows: Use Python 3.10 or 3.11

On Windows, use Python 3.10 or 3.11. Python 3.12/3.13 on Windows lacks GPU support for the ML training features due to TensorFlow's deprecation of native Windows GPU builds since TF 2.11. For GPU-accelerated training on Windows, use WSL2 with Ubuntu instead.

# Python 3.11 example - adjust cp311 to match your version (cp310 or cp311)
pip install https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl

python -m lit serve

Windows Scripts PATH

On Windows, pip installs scripts to a user directory that may not be in your PATH. Use python -m lit serve instead of lit serve to avoid PATH issues.

Open your browser to http://localhost:8080 and follow the setup wizard to connect your AI provider.

Choosing Your Python Version#

Check your Python version:

python --version

Then use the matching wheel:

Python Version	Wheel Suffix	Windows
3.10	`cp310-cp310`	✅ Recommended
3.11	`cp311-cp311`	✅ Recommended
3.12	`cp312-cp312`	⚠️ CPU-only (no GPU training)
3.13	`cp313-cp313`	⚠️ CPU-only (no GPU training)

First-Time Setup#

When you first open LIT Platform, the setup wizard will guide you through connecting an AI provider:

Option A: Claude (Anthropic)#

Requires a Claude Pro or Max subscription and Node.js.

First, install Node.js from nodejs.org (LTS version), then install the Claude CLI:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Then in the LIT setup wizard:

Click the Claude card
Click the button — your browser will open to sign in at claude.ai
After signing in, copy the authentication code shown in the browser
Paste the code into the field and click Save

Option B: Gemini (Free)#

No additional software required — just a Google account.

Click the Gemini card
Click the button to open Google AI Studio
Create a free API key
Paste the key and click Save

Option C: ChatGPT (OpenAI)#

Requires an OpenAI account and Node.js.

First, install Node.js from nodejs.org (LTS version), then install the Codex CLI:

npm install -g @openai/codex

Then in the LIT setup wizard:

Click the ChatGPT card
Click Authenticate with ChatGPT — the wizard will display a URL and a short device code
Open the URL in your browser and enter the code
Authentication completes automatically — no need to paste anything back

Verify Installation#

Once setup is complete, you should see the chat interface.

Try sending a message:

Hello! Can you tell me what platform you're running on?

The AI should respond and you're ready to go!

Updating#

Use --force-reinstall with the new wheel URL — pip won't automatically upgrade wheel-installed packages with a plain pip install.

Find the latest version on the releases page, then run the command for your platform:

Linux#

# Adjust cp312 to match your Python version
pip install --force-reinstall https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl

macOS (Apple Silicon)#

pip install --force-reinstall https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl

macOS (Intel)#

pip install --force-reinstall https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl

Windows#

pip install --force-reinstall https://github.com/Positronic-AI/lit-releases/releases/download/v0.1.30/positronic_lit-0.1.30-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl

Your settings and agents are stored separately in ~/.config/lit/ and are preserved across updates.

Troubleshooting#

Port already in use#

If port 8080 is already in use:

lit serve --port 4200

Windows: "lit" is not recognized#

Use python -m lit serve instead. The pip Scripts directory isn't in your PATH.

Import errors on startup#

Make sure you're using the wheel that matches your Python version. Run python --version to check.

Windows: No GPU acceleration#

TensorFlow dropped native Windows GPU support after version 2.11. On Windows with Python 3.12 or 3.13, ML training will run on CPU only. Options:

Downgrade to Python 3.10 or 3.11 — best compatibility for GPU training on Windows
Use WSL2 + Ubuntu — full GPU support, recommended for serious ML work (WSL2 install guide)

License#

The pip install is a fully functional platform — not a limited trial or demo. You get the complete single-user experience: chat, autonomous agents, persistent channels, and the full deep learning studio. Personal and non-commercial use is free, permanently.

What the pip install doesn't include is business infrastructure:

Multi-user access and team administration
SSO / Keycloak authentication
Shared team channels across users
On-premises support and SLAs
Enterprise support

Think of it as try-before-you-buy: evaluate the complete platform at no cost, and when you're ready to deploy to a team or use it in a commercial context, contact us for commercial licensing.

Commercial use — deploying LIT Platform within a business, as part of a product or service, or in any revenue-generating context — requires a commercial license. View licensing options →

Next Steps#

Explore the chat interface and try different AI models
Check out Creating a Model from Scratch for a data science walkthrough
Read about Human-AI Collaboration best practices
Windows users: Run LIT Platform automatically at startup