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max setup walks you through configuring Max. Run it once before max start, or re-run it any time to update your settings. 
max setup
The wizard creates ~/.max/ if it does not exist, loads any existing values, and writes the final configuration to ~/.max/.env.

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What it configures

SettingRequiredDescription
Telegram bot tokenNoConnects Max to a Telegram bot you own
Authorized user IDNo (but required if Telegram enabled)Locks the bot to your Telegram user ID
Google servicesNoGuides gog CLI setup for Gmail, Calendar, and Drive
Default modelYesThe Copilot model Max uses by default

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Wizard walkthrough

1

Introduction

The wizard prints an overview of Max’s capabilities — coding sessions, skills, and the two ways to talk to Max (TUI and Telegram). Press Enter to continue.
2

Telegram setup (optional)

You are asked whether to set up Telegram. If you answer yes, the wizard guides you through three sub-steps:
  1. Create a bot — open @BotFather on Telegram, send /newbot, and paste the bot token.
  2. Lock it down — find your numeric Telegram user ID via @userinfobot and enter it. Only this user ID will be able to send commands to Max.
  3. Disable group joins (recommended) — use @BotFather → Bot Settings → Allow Groups? → Disable.
Without an authorized user ID, anyone who discovers your bot token can control Max. The wizard enforces that a valid numeric user ID is entered before proceeding.
If you skip Telegram, you can always enable it later by re-running max setup.
3

Google services setup (optional)

Max includes a gogcli skill for Gmail, Calendar, and Drive. The wizard guides you through:
  1. Install the gog CLI — brew install steipete/tap/gogcli
  2. Create OAuth credentials in Google Cloud Console and run gog auth credentials <path-to-json>.
  3. Authenticate with gog auth add [email protected].
This step is optional and can be skipped and completed later.
4

Select a default model

The wizard queries the Copilot SDK for available models and presents a numbered list. Use the arrow keys or enter a number to pick one. Press Enter to accept the highlighted default.If the Copilot CLI is not yet authenticated, a curated fallback list is shown instead:
  • claude-sonnet-4.6 — Fast, great for most tasks
  • gpt-5.1 — OpenAI’s fast model
  • gpt-4.1 — Free included model
You can switch models at any time from the TUI with /model <name>, or just by telling Max in plain English.
5

Config written

The wizard writes ~/.max/.env and prints the next steps.

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Config file

All settings are stored in ~/.max/.env as plain KEY=VALUE pairs: 
# ~/.max/.env
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11
AUTHORIZED_USER_ID=123456789
API_PORT=7777
COPILOT_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4.6
VariableDescription
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKENBot token from @BotFather. Omitted if Telegram was skipped.
AUTHORIZED_USER_IDYour Telegram user ID. Omitted if Telegram was skipped.
API_PORTPort the HTTP API listens on. Defaults to 7777.
COPILOT_MODELModel ID used by the orchestrator. Defaults to claude-sonnet-4.6.
You can edit ~/.max/.env directly at any time. Changes take effect on the next max start.

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After setup

# 1. Authenticate the Copilot CLI if you haven't already
copilot login

# 2. Start Max
max start

# 3. Connect via terminal
max tui

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