Setting up NeqSim Agents and Skills

This is the canonical start-here page for using NeqSim agentic AI: install the neqsim CLI, install the public community agents and skills into VS Code with GitHub Copilot, and — for organizations — set up your own private enterprise agent and skill pages.

Human review is always required for engineering conclusions. Agents help you screen, organize, calculate, and draft — they do not replace engineering judgement.

1. How agents and skills fit together

NeqSim core → core skills → community skills → (enterprise skills) → agents
Layer Repository Access
Library + CLI equinor/neqsim Public
Community agents equinor/neqsim-community-agents Public
Community skills equinor/neqsim-community-skills Public
Enterprise agents/skills your company’s private repos Private

2. Prerequisites

Tip: activate a Python virtual environment before installing so the neqsim command lands on PATH.

3. Install the neqsim CLI

Windows (PowerShell):

git clone https://github.com/equinor/neqsim.git
cd neqsim
py -3 -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1   # activate FIRST so 'neqsim' lands on PATH
.\install.cmd                  # pure-batch installer; works on locked-down machines

macOS / Linux:

git clone https://github.com/equinor/neqsim.git && cd neqsim
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
./install.sh

Keep the virtual environment active and verify in the same terminal:

neqsim --help
neqsim doctor

If neqsim is not found, use python -m neqsim_cli --help and see devtools/README.md. If you installed outside a virtual environment, fully quit and reopen VS Code so its captured PATH is refreshed.

4. Install the community agents into VS Code

The public community catalog requires no login. Select it explicitly so any previously registered private catalogs cannot affect the public installation.

neqsim agent install --all --source community --vscode --force
neqsim agent doctor --target vscode --source community

Browse or install individually:

neqsim agent list                    # list community agents
neqsim skill list                    # list community skills
neqsim agent search hydrate          # search by name/tag/skill
neqsim agent install <name> --vscode # install one agent
neqsim skill install <name> --vscode # install one skill (standalone)
neqsim agent doctor --target vscode --source community # verify community exports

5. Use the agents

Open Copilot Chat in VS Code, type @ to see installed agents, and describe your task in plain language. Globally exported community examples include @pvt-agent, @process-engineer-agent, @flow-assurance-engineer-agent, and @process-safety-agent.

For agentic task-solving (task folders, notebooks, reports) see AGENTS.md and docs/development/TASK_SOLVING_GUIDE.md. Workspace-local core agents such as @solve.task are available when this NeqSim workspace is open; they are distinct from globally exported community agents.

6. Set up your own private enterprise agents and skills

Companies keep proprietary methods, plant data, private tag names, internal URLs, and project-specific design bases out of the public repos by building their own private enterprise agent and skill pages on top of the public community content. Engineers then register those private catalogs with the neqsim CLI (browser SSO) and install community + enterprise together:

neqsim agent private-init --repo <company>/<company>-neqsim-enterprise-agents --catalog-path enterprise-agents.yaml --login
neqsim skill private-init --repo <company>/<company>-neqsim-enterprise-skills --catalog-path enterprise-skills.yaml
neqsim agent install --all --vscode --force   # community + enterprise

Full company setup, catalog format, discovery, and governance: Enterprise Agent and Skill Repositories.

7. Learn more