Getting Started

Prerequisites

• JDK 17+
• Maven 3.8+
• Git
• An API key for at least one supported model provider

Installation

Kairo Code is not yet published to Maven Central. Install from source:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/CaptainGreenskin/kairo-code.git
cd kairo-code

# Build all modules
mvn clean install -DskipTests

This produces the CLI executable JAR at kairo-code-cli/target/kairo-code-cli.jar.

Configuration

API Keys

Set the API key for your preferred model provider as an environment variable:

# Anthropic Claude (recommended)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# GLM
export GLM_API_KEY=your-glm-key

# Qwen
export QWEN_API_KEY=your-qwen-key

# OpenAI
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

Only one API key is required. Kairo Code will use whichever provider is configured.

Running Kairo Code

Start the REPL

java -jar kairo-code-cli/target/kairo-code-cli.jar

Or run directly with Maven:

mvn exec:java -pl kairo-code-cli

You should see the Kairo Code prompt:

Kairo Code v0.1.0
Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
Working directory: /home/user/project

>

First Interaction

Type a natural language request at the prompt:

> Create a Java class called Calculator with add, subtract, multiply, and divide methods. Include JUnit 5 tests.

Kairo Code will:

1. Stream the agent's reasoning to your terminal
2. Prompt you for approval before executing file-write and bash tools
3. Create the source files and test files
4. Compile and run the tests

Tool Approval

By default, Kairo Code asks for confirmation before running tools that modify your system (file writes, bash commands, git operations). You will see prompts like:

[Tool: Write] Create file src/main/java/Calculator.java (45 lines)
Allow? [y/n/always]:

• y — approve this single invocation
• n — reject and let the agent try an alternative
• always — approve this tool for the rest of the session

Session Persistence

Kairo Code persists conversation history to disk using FileSessionStorageProvider. When you restart the CLI in the same working directory, your previous session is restored automatically.

Session files are stored in .kairo/sessions/ within your working directory.

Common Commands

Input	Description
Natural language	Sends a message to the agent
/skills	Lists available skills
/plan	Enters plan mode for multi-step reasoning
/session	Shows session info
/clear	Clears the conversation context
/exit	Exits the REPL

Desktop App

Prefer a graphical workspace? The Kairo Code desktop app guides you through the same setup with a visual onboarding flow.

Welcome Screen

Configure API Key

Open a Project

Start Chatting

Account & Settings

Next Steps

• Architecture — Understand how Kairo Code is structured
• Kairo Framework Guide — Learn about the underlying framework