Install

K-code runs coding agents on a computer and lets you control them from a desktop, web or mobile client. Install it on the machine where the agents will work.

Requirements

An agent CLI you want to use, installed and signed in (see Providers). You can launch K-code first and configure providers afterwards.
For the headless server on a platform without a standalone binary, Node.js 24.

Desktop app

Download from the downloads section or the GitHub releases page. Every file is also available at a stable URL: https://github.com/zt-hky/k-code/releases/latest/download/<file>.

Platform	File	Notes
Linux (x86_64)	`K-code-linux-x86_64.AppImage`	`chmod +x` it, then run it.
Debian, Ubuntu (amd64)	`K-code-linux-amd64.deb`	`sudo apt install ./K-code-linux-amd64.deb`
Windows (x64)	`K-code-windows-x64-setup.exe`	Run the installer. SmartScreen may warn on first run.
macOS, Apple Silicon	`K-code-macos-arm64.dmg`	Unsigned: run the `xattr` command below.
macOS, Intel	`K-code-macos-x64.dmg`	Unsigned: run the `xattr` command below.

macOS: “K-code is damaged” or “cannot be opened”

K-code is not signed with an Apple Developer ID, so Gatekeeper blocks the first launch. After you drag K-code to Applications, remove the quarantine flag once:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/K-code.app

Then open the app normally. If it still refuses, right-click it, choose Open, then Open again. You only need this after a fresh install; the in-app updater keeps working.

Verify a download against SHA256SUMS.txt from the same release:

sha256sum -c --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS.txt

One-line install (server / CLI)

Linux and macOS:

curl -fsSL https://kcode.agentbox.io.vn/install.sh | sh

Windows, in PowerShell:

irm https://kcode.agentbox.io.vn/install.ps1 | iex

The script downloads the right kcode-server-* archive from the latest GitHub release, checks it against SHA256SUMS.txt, unpacks it into ~/.local/share/kcode/server (no root needed) and links the kcode command into ~/.local/bin. If your shell reports command not found, add that folder to PATH; the installer prints the exact line. Re-running it is safe.

Options (pass after sh -s --):

Option	Effect
`--desktop`	Install the desktop app instead of the server.
`--version <x.y.z>`	Install a specific release (also `KCODE_VERSION`).
`--dir <path>`	Directory for the `kcode` command (also `KCODE_INSTALL_DIR`).
`--system`	Link `kcode` into `/usr/local/bin` with sudo.
`--dry-run`	Download and verify, change nothing.

KCODE_HOME changes where the server is unpacked, and KCODE_DOWNLOAD_BASE points the installer at a mirror.

Task	Command
Start the server and open the web app	`kcode`
Start the server without a browser	`kcode serve`
Print a pairing link for another device	`kcode pair`
Keep it running in the background (Linux, macOS)	`kcode service install`
Update	`kcode update`
Remove	`kcode uninstall`

Run kcode --help for the complete list.

Server / headless

Download the archive for your platform from the releases page:

Platform	File
Linux x64	`kcode-server-linux-x64.tar.gz`
Linux arm64	`kcode-server-linux-arm64.tar.gz`
macOS Apple Silicon	`kcode-server-macos-arm64.tar.gz`
macOS Intel	`kcode-server-macos-x64.tar.gz`
Windows x64	`kcode-server-windows-x64.zip`

mkdir -p ~/.local/share/kcode/server
tar -xzf kcode-server-linux-x64.tar.gz -C ~/.local/share/kcode/server --strip-components=1
~/.local/share/kcode/server/t3 serve --host <private-ip>

The executable inside the archive keeps the upstream name t3; the installer links it as kcode. Bind to a private address (LAN or tailnet) rather than a public one, and pair clients with kcode pair. For an always-on host see Background service and Remote access.

From source

K-code uses Vite+ (vp) as package manager and task runner, with Node 24.

git clone https://github.com/zt-hky/k-code
cd k-code
vp i
npm run dev          # contracts + web (port 5733) + server (port 13773)

To build the desktop app locally:

vp run build:desktop

Mobile app

The mobile app lives in apps/mobile in the repository and connects to a server on another machine. It is built from source with Expo; see the repository README. Prebuilt store listings are not part of the v0.1.0 release.

Uninstall

kcode uninstall removes the CLI. The desktop app uninstalls like any other app on your platform. Your data in ~/.t3 is kept; delete it yourself to remove threads and settings. See Configuration.

Found a mistake?Edit this page on GitHub.