Install, copy, reinstall, uninstall

[!IMPORTANT] Work in progress — not a final product: vibey and every krypton interface are currently in active development and not yet a final product. Features, CLI commands, and installation packages are actively being refined. Folks will be notified on the Discord server once the product is finally done.

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) — Every krypton interface, on every platform, in one table:

Krypton and the vibey engine are the free, censorship-free Claude Code and Codex killer meant to replace both. Open to everyone and 100% free of charge, vibey writes code the way a principal software engineer does — shipping high-quality, verified code rather than disposable slop. It operates as an autonomous AGI with superintelligence coming soon. vibey is the autonomous delivery engine; krypton is every app and interface you use to talk to it. You do not need any coding experience to install or use krypton.

  • How to open a Terminal if you have never used one:
  • On a Mac (macOS): Hold down the Command (⌘) key and press Spacebar, type Terminal, and press Return (Enter).
  • On Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch): Press the Super (Windows) key, type Terminal, and press Enter.
  • To run any command box below: copy the line, paste it into the Terminal window, and press Enter.
Interface Platform Fastest way to install & launch (copy & paste or click)
1. Engine + Browser Launcher (vibey-engine + krypton-app) macOS & Linux curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/install.sh \| sh -s -- --with-krypton
Then run krypton to start the local hub and open it in your browser.
2. AI Chat & IDE Driver (vibey connect MCP) Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI vibey connect --yes
Registers vibey mcp in every supported AI client on your computer so you can run projects from your normal chat window.
3. krypton Desktop App (native chat-first app) macOS 15+ (Apple silicon) Download krypton-desktop-<version>-macos-arm64.dmg from GitHub Releases, open it, drag krypton to Applications, then run:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/krypton.app
Open krypton from Applications or Spotlight (Cmd + L focuses Chat).
3. krypton Desktop App (native chat-first app) Linux (Flatpak — Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, any distro) Download krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-x86_64.flatpak (or aarch64) from GitHub Releases and run:
flatpak install --user krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-x86_64.flatpak
Launch with: flatpak run io.github.the_vibey_project.krypton
3. krypton Desktop App (native chat-first app) Linux (Ubuntu 24.04+ native tarball) Download krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz (or aarch64) from GitHub Releases and run:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y libgtk-4-1 libadwaita-1-0 libsoup-3.0-0 libjson-glib-1.0-0 libavahi-client3 libavahi-glib1 glib-networking
sudo tar -xzf krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz -C /
Launch with: krypton-desktop
4. krypton for VS Code / VSCodium / Cursor macOS & Linux Open VSX (VSCodium): codium --install-extension the-vibey-project.krypton
VS Code / Cursor: Download krypton-vscode-<version>.vsix from GitHub Releases and run code --install-extension krypton-vscode-<version>.vsix (or in VS Code click Extensions → … → Install from VSIX…).
5. krypton Web App (full chat-first browser UI) Any browser (macOS, Linux, mobile) Download krypton-web-<version>.tar.gz from GitHub Releases and run:
mkdir krypton-web && tar -xzf krypton-web-<version>.tar.gz -C krypton-web && python3 -m http.server -d krypton-web
Open http://localhost:8000 in your web browser.
6. krypton Mobile App Android Download krypton-android-<version>.apk from GitHub Releases on your Android phone and tap it to install (allow "Install unknown apps" when prompted), or from a computer run adb install krypton-android-<version>.apk.
6. krypton Mobile App iOS (iPhone / iPad) Signed .ipa attached to releases (krypton-ios-<version>.ipa) for TestFlight / App Store distribution; or run directly from source in Expo Go (cd clients/app && npm ci && npx expo start and scan the QR code with your iPhone camera).
Uninstall all krypton interfaces macOS & Linux curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/uninstall-krypton.sh \| sh -s -- --yes
Removes krypton apps cleanly while leaving vibey-engine intact.

Step 1: Install (or reinstall, or upgrade) vibey and the krypton launcher

Run this single command in your Terminal on macOS or Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- --with-krypton

What this one line does for you automatically:

  1. Installs uv (the fast Python package manager) into ~/.local/bin if you do not already have it.
  2. Installs vibey-engine (which puts vibey, all *loop runners, vibey-gh, vibey-skills, and vibey-bootstrap on your PATH).
  3. Installs krypton-app (because --with-krypton was passed), which gives you the krypton command.
  4. Finishes by running vibey doctor, which checks your machine and tells you in plain English what else needs your attention (PostgreSQL, Ollama, or an engine login).

Safe to run again at any time: running the exact same command again reinstalls and upgrades everything in place. If you only want the engine without the krypton command, omit --with-krypton:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Prefer installing with uv, pipx, or pip directly?

uv tool install vibey-engine
uv tool install krypton-app

Step 2: Install and open every krypton interface (platform by platform)

Every ready-built installer file is attached to the latest release on GitHub Releases (and rebuilt nightly on the krypton-nightly prerelease). See the Downloads page for SHA-256 verification and signing details.

Interface A: Connect your existing AI chat or IDE (vibey connect MCP driver)

If you already use Claude Code, Claude Desktop, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, VS Code, or Gemini CLI, you can drive all of vibey from inside your normal chat window without opening another app:

  1. In your Terminal, run: sh vibey connect --yes (Want to preview what files it will touch first? Run vibey connect --dry-run. Want to connect only one app, such as Claude Code? Run vibey connect --client claude_code --yes.)
  2. Restart or open your AI chat client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, or Gemini CLI).
  3. Ask your AI in plain English:
  4. "What vibey projects are running right now?"
  5. "Show me any open vibey gates and help me answer them."
  6. "Start a new vibey project called my-site that builds a static portfolio page."

When your AI calls a vibey_* tool, vibey mcp starts the local hub (vibey hub start) automatically if it is not already running, and connects with a restricted agent.token that can view, answer non-spending questions, and start or pause work — never approve spending (spend).

Interface B: The krypton Browser Launcher (krypton-app)

If you installed with --with-krypton (or ran uv tool install krypton-app), you already have the krypton command:

  1. In your Terminal, run: sh krypton
  2. krypton starts your local vibey hub (vibey serve on http://127.0.0.1:8765), waits until it is ready, and opens its status page in your default web browser.
  3. Want to start the hub without opening a browser window? Run krypton --no-browser or vibey hub start.

Interface C: krypton Desktop App (Native Chat-First App for macOS & Linux)

krypton desktop is a native, fast C17 / GTK 4 / libadwaita desktop app modeled after the Claude Code and Codex desktop apps. It opens directly into Chat (Ctrl+L / Cmd+L), starts your local hub automatically in the background, and lets you switch projects in the left sidebar, run / slash commands, inspect tool calls, and answer gates inline.

On macOS (macOS 15 Sequoia and newer, Apple silicon M1/M2/M3/M4/M5)

No Homebrew or developer tools are needed — the .dmg bundles its entire runtime inside krypton.app.

  1. Go to GitHub Releases and download krypton-desktop-<version>-macos-arm64.dmg.
  2. Double-click the downloaded .dmg file in your Downloads folder.
  3. Drag the krypton icon onto the Applications folder icon inside the window.
  4. Because the app is ad-hoc signed while Developer ID notarisation secrets are not set, macOS Gatekeeper asks you to confirm the first launch. Do either of these once:
  5. Option 1 (one command in Terminal): sh xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/krypton.app
  6. Option 2 (using clicks only): Double-click krypton in Applications (macOS will say it cannot verify the developer and show Done). Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section at the bottom, and click Open Anyway next to krypton.app.
  7. Launch krypton from Applications or Spotlight. When macOS asks if krypton may find devices on your local network, click Allow.

On Linux — Any Distribution via Flatpak (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Debian, Mint, openSUSE)

  1. Make sure Flatpak and Flathub are enabled (flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists --user flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo).
  2. Go to GitHub Releases and download:
  3. krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-x86_64.flatpak (for standard Intel/AMD PCs), or
  4. krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-aarch64.flatpak (for ARM64 machines).
  5. In your Terminal, install the bundle from your Downloads folder: sh flatpak install --user ~/Downloads/krypton-desktop-*-linux-*.flatpak
  6. Launch krypton from your desktop's application launcher, or from Terminal: sh flatpak run io.github.the_vibey_project.krypton

On Linux — Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Newer (Native .tar.gz Install)

  1. Install the system GTK 4 / libadwaita runtime libraries once: sh sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y \ libgtk-4-1 libadwaita-1-0 libsoup-3.0-0 libjson-glib-1.0-0 \ libavahi-client3 libavahi-glib1 glib-networking
  2. Download krypton-desktop-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz (or aarch64) from GitHub Releases.
  3. Unpack it into /: sh sudo tar -xzf ~/Downloads/krypton-desktop-*-linux-*.tar.gz -C /
  4. Launch krypton from your application menu or by running krypton-desktop in Terminal.

On Linux — Building from Source (Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu)

  • Arch Linux: clients/desktop/packaging/arch/PKGBUILD is in the repository, or install meson ninja gcc pkgconf gtk4 libadwaita libsoup3 json-glib avahi glib-networking and run meson setup build clients/desktop && meson compile -C build && ./build/src/app/krypton-desktop.
  • Fedora: clients/desktop/packaging/fedora/krypton-desktop.spec is in the repository, or install meson ninja-build gcc pkgconf-pkg-config gtk4-devel libadwaita-devel libsoup3-devel json-glib-devel avahi-devel avahi-glib-devel glib-networking and build with Meson.

Interface D: krypton for VS Code, VSCodium & Cursor

krypton's editor extension (the-vibey-project.krypton) puts a chat-first krypton sidebar, @krypton chat participant (/chat, /mcp, /new, /next, /reply, /status, /pause, /resume, /unwind), and inline gate approval cards inside your editor. See the VS Code extension guide for every detail.

Method 1: Install without a Terminal (Graphical UI in VS Code, Cursor, or VSCodium)

  1. Download krypton-vscode-<version>.vsix from GitHub Releases.
  2. Open VS Code (or Cursor / VSCodium).
  3. Click the Extensions icon on the left sidebar (or press Cmd+Shift+X on macOS / Ctrl+Shift+X on Linux).
  4. Click the … (three dots) menu in the top-right corner of the Extensions panel and choose Install from VSIX….
  5. Select the downloaded krypton-vscode-<version>.vsix file.
  6. Click the krypton atom icon on the left activity bar to open the chat-first panel!

Method 2: Install from the Terminal

  • In VSCodium or any Open VSX editor: sh codium --install-extension the-vibey-project.krypton
  • In VS Code (from the downloaded .vsix file): sh code --install-extension ~/Downloads/krypton-vscode-*.vsix (On macOS, if code is not on your PATH, run: "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app/Contents/Resources/app/bin/code" --install-extension ~/Downloads/krypton-vscode-*.vsix)
  • In Cursor (from the downloaded .vsix file): sh cursor --install-extension ~/Downloads/krypton-vscode-*.vsix

Interface E: krypton Web App (Full Chat-First Browser App)

The krypton web bundle is a complete static web app built from clients/app (expo export --platform web). It opens directly to the Chat tab in any modern desktop or mobile browser.

  1. Download krypton-web-<version>.tar.gz from GitHub Releases.
  2. Unpack it and start Python's built-in web server in one command: sh mkdir -p ~/krypton-web tar -xzf ~/Downloads/krypton-web-*.tar.gz -C ~/krypton-web python3 -m http.server 8000 -d ~/krypton-web
  3. Open http://localhost:8000 in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
  4. Make sure your local hub is running (vibey hub start or krypton --no-browser). In the web app's Settings tab, verify the Hub URL (http://127.0.0.1:8765) and paste your host token (from ~/Library/Application Support/vibey/hub/token on macOS or ~/.local/state/vibey/hub/token on Linux), then switch to the Chat tab.

Interface F: krypton Mobile App (Android & iOS)

The mobile app (clients/app) gives you the same chat-first interface, project picker, slash commands, and inline gate approvals from your phone or tablet over your local Wi-Fi network.

On Android (Phone or Tablet)

Option 1 — Direct install on your Android phone (no computer needed):

  1. On your Android phone, open GitHub Releases in your browser and tap krypton-android-<version>.apk to download it.
  2. Tap the downloaded .apk notification (or open it in your Files / Downloads app).
  3. If Android asks for permission to Install unknown apps from your browser or Files app, tap Settings, toggle Allow from this source on, and tap Install.
  4. Open krypton from your home screen or app drawer.

Option 2 — Install from your computer over USB (adb):

adb install ~/Downloads/krypton-android-*.apk

On iOS (iPhone or iPad)

Apple requires every iOS app installed on a physical iPhone or iPad to be signed. You have two ways to run krypton on iOS:

  • Via TestFlight / App Store (.ipa release build): While the repository's EXPO_TOKEN is set, every release builds and attaches the signed krypton-ios-<version>.ipa for TestFlight and App Store Connect (note: an .ipa file cannot be installed by double-clicking it on a phone; it is delivered through Apple's TestFlight app).
  • Run live on your iPhone right now with Expo Go (free, no Apple Developer account required):
  • Install Expo Go from the Apple App Store on your iPhone.
  • On your computer (connected to the same Wi-Fi network), copy the repository if you haven't already, and start the Expo server: sh cd clients/app npm ci npx expo start
  • Open the Camera app on your iPhone, point it at the QR code printed in your Terminal, and tap Open in Expo Go.

Connecting your Phone or Tablet to your Computer's Hub

To talk to your computer's hub from your phone over Wi-Fi:

  1. On your computer, edit vibey.toml to allow LAN connections and set a folder for new projects: toml [hub] lan = true projects_root = "~/vibey-projects"
  2. Start the hub on your computer: sh vibey hub start
  3. On your phone, open krypton → Settings, enter your computer's local network address (https://<your-computer-ip>:8765), and connect.

Copy the whole codebase

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- --from-source ~/vibey

That clones every commit into ~/vibey, builds it with uv sync --extra dev, and installs the commands from that copy, so what you run is what you can read and change. Add --with-krypton to also install krypton-app from that source checkout. Run it again and it updates the same copy instead of making a second one. If the repository's home is ever gone, the Rebuild prompt starts from any surviving copy.

Remove the krypton interfaces

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/uninstall-krypton.sh | sh

On its own it changes nothing: it lists what it found. Add --yes to remove it:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/the-vibey-project/vibey/main/scripts/uninstall-krypton.sh | sh -s -- --yes

It removes the krypton command (whether uv, pipx or pip installed it), the editor extension from every VS Code-family editor that has it, and krypton desktop — the Flatpak, the four files the Ubuntu install put under /usr, and the macOS app, after checking the app really is krypton's. Settings and the desktop's pairing with a hub are kept unless you add --purge; before you do, it prints the vibey hub revoke command that makes the hub forget the device too. It never asks for administrator rights: a file only root may remove is printed as a sudo command for you to run. The phone app is removed on the phone.

What is never uninstalled

vibey-engine's core — the engine, its runners, the vibey command and its TUI, its data, its database, and the models it runs on — has no uninstall script and never will (sub-doctrine 10.m, ADR-0082). It is your machine: you can still remove anything with your own tools. The project simply never offers to destroy its core.