Kilo Code: Installation and Setup Guide

In our first post, we introduced the core concepts of Kilo Code and why it’s a game-changer for agentic software development. Now, it’s time to get your hands dirty.

Getting started with Kilo Code takes just minutes

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the installation process for the three main ways to use Kilo Code: the Kilo Code IDE, the Kilo Code CLI, and IDE Extensions.

Option 1: Kilo Code IDE (Recommended for Most Users)

The Kilo Code IDE is a standalone, AI-native IDE based on VS Code. All your favorite extensions work out of the box, but with deep AI integration.

Step 1: Download Kilo Code

Visit https://kilo-code.dev and download the installer for your platform:

Step 2: Install

macOS:

# Download and mount
open ~/Downloads/kilo-code.dmg

# Drag to Applications folder
# Or use terminal:
cp -R /Volumes/Kilo Code/Kilo Code.app /Applications/

Windows:

# Run the installer
Start-Process ~\Downloads\kilo-code-setup.exe

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

# Download and install
sudo dpkg -i kilo-code_1.0.0_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Fix dependencies if needed

Step 3: First Launch

1. Open Kilo Code IDE
2. You’ll see a welcome screen with setup options
3. Choose your preferred AI provider (we’ll configure Qwen in the next post)
4. Sign in with GitHub (optional, for settings sync)

Step 4: Migrate VS Code Settings (Optional)

Kilo Code can import your existing VS Code configuration:

File → Preferences → Settings → Import from VS Code

This migrates:

• Keyboard shortcuts
• Themes and icons
• Snippets
• Workspace settings

Option 2: Kilo Code CLI (For Terminal Lovers)

The Kilo Code CLI brings agentic AI directly to your terminal. It’s lightweight, scriptable, and perfect for CI/CD pipelines.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ or bun runtime
• Git installed and configured
• Terminal with true color support (optional, for TUI)

Installation Methods

Method 1: npm (Recommended)

npm install -g kilo-code

Method 2: bun (Fastest)

bun install -g kilo-code

Method 3: Homebrew (macOS/Linux)

brew install kilo-code-dev/kilo-code/kilo-code

Method 4: Binary Download

# macOS (Apple Silicon)
curl -L https://github.com/kilo-code-dev/kilo-code/releases/latest/download/kilo-code-darwin-arm64 -o /usr/local/bin/kilo-code
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kilo-code

# Linux (x64)
curl -L https://github.com/kilo-code-dev/kilo-code/releases/latest/download/kilo-code-linux-x64 -o /usr/local/bin/kilo-code
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kilo-code

Verify Installation

kilo-code --version
# Output: kilo-code version 1.0.0

kilo-code doctor
# Checks your environment and reports any issues

Quick Start

# Navigate to your project
cd ~/projects/my-app

# Start Kilo Code interactive mode
kilo-code

# Or run a single command
kilo-code "Create a new Python Flask app with user authentication"

Option 3: IDE Extensions

If you prefer to stay in your existing IDE, Kilo Code offers extensions for popular editors.

VS Code / VSCodium

1. Open Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
2. Search for “Kilo Code”
3. Click Install
4. Reload window when prompted

Direct Install:

code --install-extension kilo-code.kilo-code

JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm)

1. Open Settings → Plugins
2. Search for “Kilo Code”
3. Click Install
4. Restart IDE

Manual Install:

1. Download from JetBrains Marketplace
2. Settings → Plugins → ⚙️ → Install Plugin from Disk
3. Select downloaded .zip file

Neovim / Vim

Add to your plugin manager configuration:

Lazy.nvim:

{
  "kilo-code-dev/kilo.nvim",
  dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
  config = function()
    require("kilo").setup({
      provider = "qwen",  -- or your preferred provider
    })
  end
}

Packer.nvim:

use {
  "kilo-code-dev/kilo.nvim",
  requires = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
  config = function()
    require("kilo").setup()
  end
}

Post-Installation Setup

1. Configure AI Provider

Kilo Code supports multiple AI providers. We’ll cover Qwen integration in detail in the next post, but here’s a quick start:

In Kilo Code IDE:

Settings → Kilo Code → AI Provider → Select "Qwen Code CLI"

In Kilo Code CLI:

kilo-code config set provider qwen
kilo-code config set model qwen-coder-32b

2. Set Up Project Configuration

Create a .kilocode/ folder in your project root:

mkdir -p .kilocode
touch .kilocode/config.json

Basic config.json:

{
  "provider": "qwen",
  "model": "qwen-coder-32b",
  "mode": "orchestrator",
  "indexing": {
    "enabled": true,
    "provider": "qdrant"
  }
}

3. Create Your First Agent Session

In Kilo Code IDE:

1. Open a project folder
2. Press Cmd+K (macOS) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux)
3. Type: “Explain this codebase to me”

In Kilo Code CLI:

cd ~/projects/my-app
kilo-code "Analyze this codebase and create a summary"

Troubleshooting

Common Installation Issues

Issue: “Command not found” after CLI install

# Check your PATH
echo $PATH

# npm global bin location
npm bin -g

# Add to your shell config (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
export PATH="$(npm bin -g):$PATH"

Issue: Kilo Code IDE won’t start on Linux

# Install required dependencies
sudo apt-get install -y libgtk-3-0 libnss3 libasound2

# Or use AppImage instead
chmod +x kilo-code.AppImage
./kilo-code.AppImage

Issue: Extension doesn’t load in VS Code

1. Check VS Code version (must be 1.85+)
2. Reload window: Cmd+Shift+P → “Developer: Reload Window”
3. Check output panel: View → Output → Kilo Code

Verify Everything Works

Run the diagnostic command:

kilo-code doctor

Expected output:

✓ Kilo Code CLI is installed (v1.0.0)
✓ Node.js is available (v20.11.0)
✓ Git is configured
✓ AI provider is connected
✓ Indexing service is running
✓ All systems operational!