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Extension System Quickstart

Get started with Radium extensions in 10 minutes! This guide will walk you through creating, installing, and using your first extension.

Prerequisites​

  • Radium CLI installed and configured
  • Basic familiarity with command-line tools

Step 1: Create Your First Extension​

Let's create a simple extension with a custom prompt:

rad extension create my-first-extension --author "Your Name" --description "My first Radium extension"

This creates a directory structure like:

my-first-extension/
├── radium-extension.json
├── prompts/
├── mcp/
├── commands/
├── hooks/
└── README.md

Step 2: Add a Component​

Let's add a simple prompt to your extension:

# Create a prompt file
cat > my-first-extension/prompts/helper-agent.md << 'EOF'
# Helper Agent

A helpful assistant agent that provides guidance and answers questions.

## Capabilities

- Answer questions
- Provide guidance
- Help with tasks
EOF

Step 3: Update the Manifest​

Edit my-first-extension/radium-extension.json to include your prompt:

{
  "name": "my-first-extension",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "My first Radium extension",
  "author": "Your Name",
  "components": {
    "prompts": ["prompts/*.md"]
  },
  "dependencies": []
}

Step 4: Install Your Extension​

Install the extension locally:

rad extension install ./my-first-extension

You should see:

✓ Extension 'my-first-extension' installed successfully
  Version: 1.0.0
  Description: My first Radium extension

Step 5: Verify Installation​

List your installed extensions:

rad extension list

You should see your extension in the list!

Step 6: Use Your Extension​

Your prompt is now available for use in Radium. The extension system automatically discovers and loads components from installed extensions.

Next Steps​

  • Add more components (MCP servers, commands, hooks)
  • Share your extension with others
  • Browse the marketplace for community extensions
  • Learn about signing extensions
  • Read the full documentation

Troubleshooting​

Extension Not Found​

If your extension isn't appearing:

  1. Check it's installed: rad extension list
  2. Verify the manifest file exists: radium-extension.json
  3. Ensure the extension name matches exactly (case-sensitive)

Component Not Loading​

If components aren't being discovered:

  1. Check component directories exist
  2. Verify glob patterns in manifest match file paths
  3. Ensure file formats are correct (.md for prompts, .json for MCP, .toml for commands)

For more help, see the troubleshooting guide.