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Installation

Prerequisites

  • Linux: Docker/Podman for container execution, or installed Firecracker with usable /dev/kvm for microVMs. Cloud guests need explicit nested-virtualization support; do not assume it is available.
  • macOS: Docker Desktop/Podman, or the separately installed Apple container CLI on Apple Silicon with macOS 26+.
  • Windows: WSL2 with Docker (untested)

Quick Install

brew tap thrashr888/tap && brew install agentkernel

Install Script

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/thrashr888/agentkernel/main/install.sh | sh

This installs the agentkernel binary to ~/.local/bin/.

Manual Install

From Source

Use Rust 1.89 or newer. Kubernetes, Nomad, and enterprise support are enabled by default; Hyperlight is optional.

git clone https://github.com/thrashr888/agentkernel
cd agentkernel
cargo build --release
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
cp target/release/agentkernel ~/.local/bin/

From Releases

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases.

Setup

After installation, run setup to configure your backend:

agentkernel setup

This will: 1. Detect available backends (Firecracker, Docker, Podman, Apple Containers) 2. Download required images 3. Configure default settings

Backend-Specific Setup

Linux (Firecracker)

Requires KVM access:

# Add user to kvm group
sudo usermod -aG kvm $USER

# Verify KVM access
ls -la /dev/kvm

macOS (Docker Desktop)

Install Docker Desktop and ensure it's running.

macOS 26+ (Apple Containers)

Install the signed container package using Apple's installation instructions, then start the service:

container system start
container --version

AgentKernel starts the service on demand when needed, but the Apple CLI must already be installed. See backend compatibility for the version tested by this repository.

Verify Installation

agentkernel --version
agentkernel doctor
agentkernel run echo "Hello from sandbox!"