Turns AI coding from suggestion generator into work executor.
KodaCode is an open-source, terminal-native coding agent built for trustworthy software delivery. It keeps orchestration, permissions, tool execution, prompt assembly, and replayable session state in runtime code and stored events instead of hidden prompt behavior.
# Homebrew
brew tap sageil/tap && brew install --cask kodacode
# Quick install
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sageil/kodacode/main/install.sh | sh
# Go
go install github.com/sageil/kodacode/cmd/kodacode@latestSee the installation guide for setup details.
Run KodaCode in the repository you want to work in:
kodacodeInside the TUI:
- Use
/connectto configure a provider. - Use
/modelto choose a model route, such asopenai/gpt-5. - Use
/initto create workspace instructions. - Ask for one concrete task.
For a full first-session walkthrough, see the Quick Start. For provider IDs and route behavior, see Model Routing.
KodaCode roots a session at your current workspace. Relative file access starts there, while external paths, network access, and sensitive commands go through explicit runtime-owned approval gates.
Use builder when the task is clear and contained. Use engineer when the task
is broad, risky, architectural, or needs an approved plan before edits.
Example prompt:
Build a calculator that estimates monthly payment, total interest, and affordability range.
Acceptance criteria:
- Inputs: home price, down payment, interest rate, amortization years, property tax, insurance, condo fees, gross monthly income, monthly debts.
- Outputs: loan amount, estimated monthly principal + interest, total monthly housing cost, debt-to-income ratio, and affordability status.
- Use standard fixed-rate mortgage amortization math.
- Validate invalid inputs clearly.
- Add focused tests for payment calculation, DTI calculation, and edge cases.
- Do not use fake values or hardcoded backend state.
- Run the relevant test suite before finishing.
For a plan-first flow, select the engineer agent in the TUI and ask:
Before editing, inspect the app structure, propose a short implementation plan,
and wait for approval before making code changes.
- Sandbox & Permissions
- Sessions
- Agents
- Project Memory & Instructions
- Tools
- Providers
- Model Routing
- Context Management
- Common Workflows
- Budgets
- Cost Tracking & Optimization
- MCP Servers
- Skills
builder: default project-sandboxed coding agentengineer: structured planning and workflow task trackingreviewer: read-only review of current changesplanner: read-only repository analysis and implementation planning
See Agents for custom agent definitions and tool policy behavior.
KodaCode has two TUI layouts for different working styles:
- Shell layout is the default single-plane workflow. It keeps the transcript, tool activity, diffs, and final responses in one continuous terminal surface.
- Classic layout keeps a persistent right-side inspector with
Details,Tools, andTaskstabs. It is useful when you want the main transcript and structured tool/task state visible at the same time.
Switch layouts from the TUI with Ctrl+L, or set a default in
~/.config/kodacode/config.yaml with tui.layout: shell or tui.layout: classic.
See TUI Layouts for details.
/connect: configure a provider/model: choose the active model/init: create workspace instructions/timeline: branch from an earlier completed turn or navigate related branches/trace: inspect what happened in a turn/cost: inspect spend and token savingsCtrl+W: list or select a runtime workflow such asdelivery,debug,review, orexplore
See Slash Commands for the full command surface.
kodacode "summarize this repository"
kodacode --resume "continue the previous refactor"
kodacode --add-dir ../shared "inspect both repos before editing"
kodacode --skill migration "add the schema change and focused tests"
kodacode --workflow delivery "implement this change and verify it"Full documentation, configuration reference, and guides are available at kodacode.dev.