kbot
Open-source terminal AI agent. 35 agents. 600+ tools. 20 providers. Science, finance, security, and more.

If kbot is useful to you, consider starring the repo — it helps others discover the project.

npm install -g @kernel.chat/kbot

Most terminal AI agents lock you into one provider, one model, one way of working. kbot doesn't.

• 20 providers, zero lock-in — Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Groq, Mistral, SambaNova, Cerebras, OpenRouter, and more. Switch with one command.
• Runs fully offline — Embedded llama.cpp, Ollama, LM Studio, or Jan. $0, fully private.
• Learns your patterns — Bayesian skill ratings + pattern extraction. Gets faster over time.
• 35 specialist agents — auto-routes your request to the right expert (coder, researcher, writer, guardian, quant, and 30 more).
• 600+ tools — files, bash, git, GitHub, web search, deploy, database, game dev, VFX, research, science, finance, security, and more.
• Programmatic SDK — use kbot as a library in your own apps.
• MCP server built in — plug kbot into Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Zed, or Neovim as a tool provider.

# Install globally
npm install -g @kernel.chat/kbot

# Or run directly (no install)
npx @kernel.chat/kbot

# Or use the install script (auto-installs Node.js if needed)
curl -fsSL https://kernel.chat/install.sh | bash

# Interactive mode
kbot

# One-shot
kbot "explain this codebase"
kbot "fix the auth bug in src/auth.ts"
kbot "create a Dockerfile for this project"

# Pipe mode (for scripting)
kbot -p "generate a migration for user roles" > migration.sql

# Use local models (free, no API key)
kbot local

# Set up your API key
kbot auth

kbot auto-routes to the right agent for each task. Or pick one with --agent <name>.

Set any provider's env var and kbot auto-detects it. Or run kbot auth for interactive setup.

import { agent, tools, providers } from '@kernel.chat/kbot'

const result = await agent.run("fix the auth bug", { agent: 'coder' })
console.log(result.content)

for await (const event of agent.stream("explain this code")) {
  if (event.type === 'content_delta') process.stdout.write(event.text)
}

graph TD
    A[User Message] --> B{Local-first check}
    B -->|file, git, grep| C[Instant response — $0]
    B -->|Needs AI| D{Complexity detection}
    D -->|Simple| E[Bayesian Router → Specialist]
    D -->|Multi-step| F[Autonomous Planner]
    E --> G[Provider API + Tool Loop]
    F --> G
    G --> H{600+ Tools}
    H --> I[File ops, bash, git, GitHub, search, deploy, DB, game dev...]
    G --> J[Learning Engine]
    J --> K[Patterns + Solutions + User Profile]
    G --> L[Checkpointing]
    L --> M[Resume from last tool call]

Use kbot as a tool provider inside any MCP-compatible IDE:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "kbot": { "command": "kbot", "args": ["ide", "mcp"] }
    }
  }
}

Or run via Docker:

docker run -i --rm kernelchat/kbot ide mcp

Works with Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Zed, Neovim.

kbot --architect "design the auth system"    # Architecture mode — plan before code
kbot --thinking "solve this hard problem"    # Extended reasoning with thinking budget
kbot --self-eval "write a parser"            # Self-evaluation loop — scores and retries
kbot --computer-use "fill out this form"     # Computer use — controls mouse and keyboard
kbot -p "query" > output.txt                 # Pipe mode — clean output for scripting

• API keys encrypted at rest (AES-256-CBC)
• Destructive operations require confirmation
• Shell commands sandboxed with blocklist
• Tool execution timeout (5 min) with middleware pipeline
• Config files restricted to owner (chmod 600)
• 0 P0/P1 security issues (audited March 2026)

cd packages/kbot
npm install
npm run dev          # Run in dev mode
npm run build        # Compile TypeScript
npm run test         # Run tests (vitest)

kbot has a web companion at kernel.chat — same agents, persistent memory, and a visual interface. Free to use (20 messages/day).

• Web: kernel.chat
• npm: @kernel.chat/kbot
• Discord: discord.gg/kdMauM9abG
• GitHub: isaacsight/kernel
• Issues: Report a bug

MIT — kernel.chat group