Install mdeck

Three commands in a terminal, a few minutes in all. mdeck is published on npm, the package registry for JavaScript tools, as mdeck.

A terminal is an app where you type short commands: Terminal on macOS, or PowerShell on Windows. A text editor may also have a Terminal menu.

1. Install Node.js#

mdeck runs on Node.js 22 or newer, which brings npm along. Check whether you have it:

In your terminal

node --version

A number of 22 or higher is enough. If the command is not found or the number is lower, install the LTS version from nodejs.org.

2. Install mdeck#

In your terminal

npm install -g mdeck

Check that it is ready:

In your terminal

mdeck --help

3. Teach your AI assistant#

In your terminal

mdeck skill --install claude

This installs a skill: instructions that tell your assistant how mdeck slides are written, which layouts and looks exist, and how to check its work. Write codex, cursor, copilot or gemini instead of claude for those assistants; for Cursor, Copilot and Gemini, run it in your talk's folder. mdeck skill shows the list, and Work with an AI assistant says more.

Then make your first presentation.

Update, check or remove#

To	Run
Update to the newest version	`npm install -g mdeck`
See which version you have	`npm list -g mdeck`
Remove mdeck	`npm uninstall -g mdeck`

What each version brings is in the changelog and the releases. After an update, run mdeck skill --install claude again, so your assistant knows the new features.

If npm or mdeck is not found, see When something goes wrong.