Kimi Code CLI

1.33.0 · active · verified Tue Apr 14

Kimi Code CLI is an AI agent that runs in the terminal, assisting with software development tasks and terminal operations. It can read and edit code, execute shell commands, search web pages, and autonomously plan and adjust actions. The library is actively maintained with frequent updates, with the current version being 1.33.0.

Warnings

gotcha The `cd` command does not change the working directory of Kimi Code CLI in shell mode. Each shell command runs in an independent subprocess, so directory changes are local to that process. To change the working directory, restart `kimi` in the target directory or use the `--work-dir` flag.
Fix: Exit and restart `kimi` in the desired directory or launch with `kimi --work-dir /path/to/project`.
gotcha On macOS, the first run of the `kimi` command may experience a delay due to security checks. Adding your terminal application to 'System Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Tools' can speed up subsequent launches.
Fix: Add the terminal application to 'System Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Tools'.
gotcha Empty model list during `/login` or `Invalid API key` errors often indicate an incorrect or expired API key, or network connection issues to the API service.
Fix: Verify your API key is correct and valid, and ensure network connectivity to the API service addresses (e.g., api.kimi.com, api.moonshot.cn).
gotcha When providing input in print/wire mode, common issues include JSON format errors, encoding problems (ensure UTF-8), and line ending inconsistencies (Windows users should use `\n` not `\r\n`).
Fix: Ensure input is valid JSON, uses UTF-8 encoding, and consistent line endings (`\n`).
gotcha Performance bottlenecks have been observed with large repositories, where tool calls might take multiple seconds due to overheads like full file reads, total cache invalidation, and multiple large operations on every step.
Fix: Monitor for official updates addressing performance, consider using `--work-dir` in smaller, relevant subdirectories, or provide more focused prompts to limit context.

Install

uv tool install kimi-cli python@3.13 Recommended installation with uv
pip install kimi-cli Standard pip installation

Imports

kimi_cli
```
kimi
```
kimi-cli is primarily a command-line interface tool and is not typically imported as a Python library for direct programmatic use. For programmatic interaction, the 'kimi-agent-sdk' should be used.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to install Kimi Code CLI using `uv` and then interact with it directly from the terminal. It covers verifying the installation, launching the interactive agent, and asking a single question using `kimi ask`. Ensure your `MOONSHOT_API_KEY` is set as an environment variable for direct commands or use `/setup` within the interactive CLI.

# Install Kimi CLI (recommended with uv and Python 3.13)
uv tool install kimi-cli python@3.13

# Verify installation
kimi --help

# Start Kimi CLI in interactive mode
kimi

# Inside Kimi CLI, use /setup to configure (e.g., API key)
# /setup

# Or, use kimi ask for a single question directly from the shell
export MOONSHOT_API_KEY="$(os.environ.get('MOONSHOT_API_KEY', ''))" # Ensure API key is set for non-interactive use
kimi ask "Generate a Python function to calculate the factorial of a number."

# To start an interactive chat session:
kimi chat

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