# Koda 🐻
A high-performance AI coding agent built in Rust.
Single compiled binary. Multi-provider LLM support. Zero runtime dependencies.
## Philosophy
**Koda is a personal coding agent.** It's built for a single developer at a keyboard,
not for enterprise teams or platform integrations. This focus drives every design decision:
- **Single binary, zero runtime deps.** `cargo install koda-cli` and you're done.
No Node.js, no Python, no Docker. Works offline with local models (LM Studio)
or online with cloud providers.
- **Built-in tools for the core coding loop.** File ops, search, shell, web fetch,
memory, and agents are compiled in — always available, zero latency, zero config.
- **MCP for everything else.** Need GitHub API, databases, Slack? Connect external
MCP servers via `.mcp.json`. Koda stays lean; the ecosystem handles the long tail.
- **Ask Koda what it can do.** Just ask — "what can you do?" or "what tools do you
have?" Koda's capabilities are embedded in its system prompt, so it can always
describe its own tools, commands, and features accurately.
## Install
```bash
# From crates.io
cargo install koda-cli
# From source
git clone https://github.com/lijunzh/koda.git
cd koda && cargo build --release -p koda-cli
# Binary is at target/release/koda
```
On first run, an onboarding wizard guides you through provider and API key setup.
## Quick Start
```bash
koda # Interactive REPL (auto-detects LM Studio)
koda --provider anthropic # Use a cloud provider
koda -p "fix the bug in auth.rs" # Headless one-shot
## Features
- **17 built-in tools** — file ops, search, shell, web fetch, memory, agents, task tracking, AST analysis
- **MCP support** — connect to any [MCP server](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) via `.mcp.json` (same format as Claude Code / Cursor)
- **6 LLM providers** — LM Studio, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, Grok
- **5 embedded agents** — default, code reviewer, security auditor, test writer, release engineer
- **Approval modes** — plan (read-only) / normal (smart confirm) / yolo (auto-approve) via `/trust`
- **Diff preview** — see exactly what changes before approving Edit, Write, Delete
- **Loop detection** — catches repeated tool calls with configurable iteration caps
- **Parallel execution** — concurrent tool calls and sub-agent orchestration
- **Smart context** — auto-compact (configurable threshold), sliding window, prompt caching (Anthropic)
- **Extended thinking** — structured thinking block display with configurable budgets
- **Image analysis** — `@image.png` or drag-and-drop for multi-modal input
- **Git integration** — `/diff` review, commit message generation
- **Headless mode** — `koda -p "prompt"` with JSON output for CI/CD
- **Persistent memory** — project (`MEMORY.md`) and global (`~/.config/koda/memory.md`)
### 🌳 AST Code Analysis
Koda natively understands the structure of your codebase using embedded `tree-sitter` parsers.
- **Built-in languages:** Rust, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript — instant function/class extraction and call graphs.
- **Extending with MCP:** Need Go, C++, or Java? Connect a community Tree-sitter MCP server via `.mcp.json`.
## REPL Commands
| `/help` | Command palette (select & execute) |
| `/agent` | List available sub-agents |
| `/compact` | Summarize conversation to reclaim context |
| `/cost` | Show token usage for this session |
| `/diff` | Show/review uncommitted changes |
| `/mcp` | MCP servers: status, add, remove, restart |
| `/memory` | View/save project & global memory |
| `/model` | Pick a model (↑↓ arrow keys) |
| `/provider` | Switch LLM provider |
| `/sessions` | List, resume, or delete sessions |
| `/trust` | Switch approval mode (plan/normal/yolo) |
| `/exit` | Quit Koda |
**Tips:** `@file` to attach context · Tab to autocomplete · `Shift+Tab` to cycle trust mode · `Alt+Enter` for multi-line
### Keyboard Shortcuts
| **Tab** | At prompt | Autocomplete (`/commands`, `@files`, `/model names`) |
| **Alt+Enter** | At prompt | Insert newline (multi-line input) |
| **Ctrl+C** | During inference | Cancel the current turn |
| **Ctrl+C ×2** | During inference | Force quit Koda |
| **Ctrl+C** | At prompt (with text) | Clear the line |
| **Esc** | At prompt | Clear the line |
| **Shift+Tab** | At prompt | Cycle trust mode (plan → normal → yolo) |
| **Ctrl+D** | At prompt (empty) | Exit Koda |
| **↑/↓** | At prompt | Browse command history |
## MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Koda connects to external [MCP servers](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) for additional tools.
Create a `.mcp.json` in your project root (same format as Claude Code / Cursor):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"context7": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp"]
},
"github": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
"env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "$GITHUB_TOKEN" }
}
}
}
```
Servers auto-connect on startup. MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools with
namespaced names (e.g. `github.create_issue`). Manage at runtime with `/mcp`.
User-level servers go in `~/.config/koda/mcp.json` (merged, project overrides).
## Architecture
Koda is a Cargo workspace with two crates:
```
koda/
├── koda-core/ # Engine library (providers, tools, inference, DB) — zero terminal deps
└── koda-cli/ # CLI binary (REPL, display, approval UI)
```
The engine communicates through `EngineEvent` (output) and `EngineCommand` (input) enums
over async channels. See [DESIGN.md](DESIGN.md) for architectural decisions.
## Documentation
- **[DESIGN.md](DESIGN.md)** — Design decisions and rationale
- **[CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md)** — Release history
- **[CLAUDE.md](CLAUDE.md)** — Developer guide for AI assistants
- **[GitHub Issues](https://github.com/lijunzh/koda/issues)** — Roadmap and release tracking
## Development
```bash
cargo test --workspace --features koda-core/test-support # Run all 284 tests
cargo clippy --workspace # Lint
cargo run -p koda-cli # Run locally
```
## License
MIT