> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nomadicml.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Install and configure the Nomadic SDK

# Installing the Nomadic SDK

This guide covers the installation and basic configuration of the Nomadic Python SDK.

## Prerequisites

* Python 3.8 or higher
* pip (Python package installer)

## Installation Options

### Standard Installation

Install the SDK directly from [PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/nomadicml/):

```bash theme={null}
pip install nomadic
```

This is the recommended method for most users.

## Basic Configuration

Once you have the SDK installed and your API key, you can initialize the client:

```python theme={null}
from nomadic import NomadicAI

# Initialize with default settings
client = NomadicAI(api_key="your_api_key")

# Or with custom configuration
client = NomadicAI(
    api_key="your_api_key",
    base_url="https://custom-deployment.example.com",  # Optional: Custom API endpoint
    timeout=60,  # Optional: Custom timeout in seconds
    collection_name="custom_collection"  # Optional: Custom Firestore collection
)
```

## Verifying Installation

To verify that everything is set up correctly:

```python theme={null}
# Check authentication
try:
    auth_info = client.verify_auth()
    print("Authentication successful:", auth_info)
except Exception as e:
    print("Authentication failed:", e)
```

## Troubleshooting

For authentication issues, see the [Authentication Guide](/advanced/authentication).

For package conflicts, try installing in a virtual environment or upgrading to the latest version with `pip install --upgrade nomadic`.

## Next Steps

Now that you have the SDK installed and configured, you can:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Self-Hosted VPC Setup" icon="server" href="/getting-started/vpc-setup">
    Deploy and manage Nomadic within your own Virtual Private Cloud.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quickstart Guide" icon="bolt" href="/getting-started/quickstart">
    Get started quickly with a hands-on example.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>