Getting Started with Soul Kernel
Build your first AI companion in 10 minutes! 🚀What You’ll Build
A simple “Hello Soul” application that:- Creates a Soul with basic personality
- Responds to user input
- Remembers previous interactions
- Functions as a digital twin that could sync across devices
Prerequisites
- Rust installed (setup guide)
- Basic terminal knowledge
- 10 minutes of your time
Step 1: Install Soul Kernel
Step 2: Create Your First Soul
Create a new filemy-first-soul.toml:
Step 3: Write Hello Soul
Createexamples/hello-soul.rs:
Step 4: Run Your Soul
Step 5: Make It Interactive
Createexamples/chat-soul.rs:
Step 6: Use the gRPC API (Optional)
Want to integrate Soul Kernel into other languages or remote applications? Use the gRPC API!Start the gRPC Server
Connect from Any Language
Python Example:Run the Demo Client
We include a full demo client:What’s Next?
🎯 Try These Challenges
- Add Emotions: Make your Soul respond with different emotions
- Add Memory: Have your Soul remember user preferences
- Add Skills: Enable vision or voice capabilities
📚 Learn More
- Skill Development - Build custom capabilities
- Memory System - Persistent memories with vector search
- Embeddings System - Semantic understanding with multiple providers
- Storage Tutorial - Store and query Soul memories
- Embedding Search - Implement semantic memory search
- Shell Integration - Deploy to iOS, Unity, or robots
🏗️ Build Something Real
Ready for more? Check out these tutorials:- iOS Companion App - Mobile AI friend
- Unity NPC - Game character with personality
- Physical AI Assistant - Physical embodiment
Common Issues
”Soul not responding”
- Check if the kernel is running:
cargo run - Verify config file path is correct
- Enable debug logs:
RUST_LOG=debug cargo run
”Memory not persisting”
- Change memory type from “ephemeral” to “persistent”
- Specify a data directory in config
”Skill not found”
- Ensure skill is listed in
[skills]section - Check if skill binary is in PATH
Join the Community
- 💬 Discord: discord.gg/soul-kernel
- 🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
- 📖 Docs: Full Documentation
Share Your Creation!
Built something cool? We’d love to see it!- Tag us on Twitter: @SoulKernel
- Share in Discord: #showcase channel
- Submit a PR with your example
Change Log
| Date | Version | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-13 | 0.1.2 | Added Embeddings System and Embedding Search Tutorial links |
| 2025-06-13 | 0.1.1 | Added link to Storage Tutorial |
| 2025-06-12 | 0.1.0 | Added Step 6: Using the gRPC API with examples |