Install PromptArena

Learn how to install and set up PromptArena for testing LLM applications.

Installation Methods

Option 1: npm/npx (Recommended for JavaScript/TypeScript Projects)

The easiest way to use PromptArena, especially if you’re working in a JavaScript/TypeScript environment:

# Use without installation (recommended for trying it out)
npx @altairalabs/promptarena run -c config.arena.yaml

# Install globally
npm install -g @altairalabs/promptarena

# Or add to your project as a dev dependency
npm install --save-dev @altairalabs/promptarena

Benefits:

• No Go toolchain required
• Works with npm, yarn, and pnpm
• Easy integration with package.json scripts
• Automatic platform detection

Add to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "test:prompts": "promptarena run -c ./tests/config.arena.yaml",
    "test:watch": "promptarena run -c ./tests/config.arena.yaml --watch"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@altairalabs/promptarena": "^0.0.1"
  }
}

Option 2: Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

# Install PromptKit (includes PromptArena)
brew install promptkit

# Verify installation
promptarena --version

Option 3: Go Install

# Install directly with Go
go install github.com/altairalabs/promptkit/tools/arena@latest

# The binary will be in your $GOPATH/bin
promptarena --version

Option 4: Download Pre-built Binary

Visit the PromptKit Releases page and download the appropriate binary for your platform.

# Example for macOS (adjust version and platform as needed)
curl -LO https://github.com/AltairaLabs/PromptKit/releases/latest/download/promptarena-darwin-amd64
chmod +x promptarena-darwin-amd64
sudo mv promptarena-darwin-amd64 /usr/local/bin/promptarena

For Developers: Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AltairaLabs/PromptKit.git
cd PromptKit

# Build and install
make install-arena

Verify Installation

# Check that Arena is installed
promptarena --help

# Should display command usage and available commands

Enable Shell Completions (Optional)

Enable tab completion for commands, flags, and dynamic values:

# Bash
promptarena completion bash > ~/.local/share/bash-completion/completions/promptarena

# Zsh
promptarena completion zsh > ~/.zsh/completions/_promptarena

# Fish
promptarena completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/promptarena.fish

See Configure Shell Completions for detailed setup instructions.

Create Your First Project

After installation, use the project generator to get started instantly:

# Create a new test project with guided setup
promptarena init my-llm-tests

# Or use quick mode with defaults
promptarena init my-llm-tests --quick --provider mock

# Navigate to your project
cd my-llm-tests

# Run your first test
promptarena run

The init command creates everything you need:

• Arena configuration (config.arena.yaml)
• Provider setup (providers/)
• Sample test scenario (scenarios/)
• Prompt configuration (prompts/)
• Environment variables (.env)
• README with next steps

Manual Configuration (Advanced)

If you prefer to create files manually:

# Create a test directory
mkdir my-llm-tests
cd my-llm-tests

# Create a minimal config file
cat > config.arena.yaml << 'EOF'
apiVersion: promptkit.altairalabs.ai/v1alpha1
kind: Arena
metadata:
  name: my-llm-tests

spec:
  prompts:
    - path: ./prompts
  
  providers:
    - path: ./providers
  
  scenarios:
    - path: ./scenarios
EOF

Next Steps

• Write Your First Test Scenario - Create test scenarios
• Configure Providers - Set up LLM providers
• Tutorial: First Test - Complete hands-on guide

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found (Go Install)

If promptarena is not found after go install:

# Ensure Go bin is in your PATH
export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin

# Add to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
echo 'export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Permission Denied (Binary Download)

# Make the binary executable
chmod +x promptarena-*

Homebrew Not Found

Install Homebrew first:

# macOS/Linux
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"