Codewhale

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The open-source coding agent that works with any model.

Codewhale reads your project, edits files, runs commands, and checks its own work — in your terminal, with a hosted or local model you choose.

Website · Documentation · Changelog · Contributing

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<img src="web/public/codewhale-tui-8ba2bbf.png" alt="A Codewhale terminal session" width="760">

_{Real terminal capture of a fresh install — no staged output.}

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Install

macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://codewhale.net/install.sh | sh

The installer downloads checksum-verified binaries into ~/.local/bin. If codewhale then says "command not found", run the one PATH line the installer prints, or see Put it on your PATH. Upgrade any time with codewhale update.

<details> <summary><b>Windows, npm, Cargo, and other routes</b></summary>

winget install HunterBown.CodeWhale  # Windows x64 (or Scoop, or the installer from GitHub Releases)
npm install -g codewhale            # wraps the same release binaries
cargo install codewhale-cli --locked  # build from crates.io

Docker, Nix, Homebrew on Linux, Android/Termux, manual downloads with checksum verification, and the optional CNB mirror are covered in the installation guide. Pick one route: several installs on one machine end up fighting over PATH.

</details>

Quickstart

1. Open your project. Run codewhale in the folder you want to work on.
2. Connect a model. Run /provider (or press F3) to add a hosted key or pick a local runtime. If Ollama is already running with a chat model, Codewhale switches to it on its own. Use /model to change models.
3. Give it a concrete task.

Fix the failing tests and explain what changed.

The same task runs headless from a script or CI job:

codewhale exec "fix the failing tests and explain what changed"

Run /help for commands and keyboard shortcuts.

Ways to run it

Every client drives the same local Codewhale Engine, so sessions, tools, and permissions behave the same everywhere.

| Command | What it does | | --- | --- | | codewhale | The interactive terminal interface | | codewhale exec "…" | One headless turn from a script or CI, streaming JSON | | codewhale web | The bundled local browser client on 127.0.0.1 | | codewhale review --pr N | An advisory pull request review; posting is opt-in | | Runtime API | A local HTTP API for threads, events, and approvals |

A native desktop app (GPUI) is being built as the signed-in product client; see the product page for availability. The community-maintained VS Code extension connects to the same Engine from a sidebar (source).

What it does

• Any model, no lock-in. Over 40 built-in provider routes — Anthropic, DeepSeek, Google, Mistral, Moonshot, OpenAI, OpenRouter, xAI and more — plus any OpenAI-compatible endpoint and local models through Ollama, vLLM, or SGLang. Providers
• You stay in control. Plan mode explores without changing anything; Work and Operate make changes. Approval postures decide when a tool call needs your OK, /undo and /restore recover workspace changes, and /receipts lists every file, command, and approval in a session. Modes · Receipts
• Built for long jobs. Set a durable /goal, delegate bounded work to sub-agents, run supervised agent teams with a pre-spend check, or script them as checked-in workflows.
• Extend what you already use. Connect MCP servers, install skills and plugins, run hooks on session and tool events, and load existing Claude Code plugins.
• Computer Use. An included plugin adds tools for observing and operating other applications. Review its access and enable it before use. Guide

Modes and permissions

| | Choose with | Options | | --- | --- | --- | | Mode — what the agent is doing | Tab or /mode | Plan (explore, no changes) · Work (edit and run) · Operate (drive a goal through planned, verified steps) | | Posture — when it asks first | Shift+Tab | Ask · Auto-Review · Full Access |

Full Access still respects hard policy boundaries. The modes and permissions guide explains each option.

Safety

Codewhale runs on your machine with the access you grant it. Approval postures and repository rules limit what the agent may do, and commands run inside an OS sandbox where supported (Seatbelt on macOS; bubblewrap on Linux is opt-in). /preview-request shows the exact redacted request before anything is sent. Unknown model prices stay unknown instead of being reported as free.

See authorization order, sandboxing, and telemetry — usage counts are on by default and codewhale config set telemetry false turns them off.

Documentation

| Start here | Go deeper | | --- | --- | | Installation | Configuration | | Providers and local models | Architecture | | Modes and permissions | Runtime API | | Keybindings | Plugin authoring | | GitHub PR review | All documentation |

Community

Bug reports, feature ideas, and pull requests are welcome — whether you have used Codewhale for months or are trying it for the first time. If a provider is missing or a workflow is awkward, open an issue or send a pull request. First contributions are welcome, and contributors keep credit for the work that lands. The repository layout is a good place to start.

Join the Discord, or add Hunter on WeChat (hunterbown) and ask to join the Whale Brothers group.

History and license

Codewhale began as deepseek-tui and still reads that project's configuration and sessions. It is now provider-neutral and independently maintained, and is not affiliated with any model provider. Thanks to every contributor and to the open-source communities that helped it grow.

MIT. Portions adapted from other open-source projects are recorded in third-party notices.