CLI Reference

CLI Reference

The kernova CLI is your primary tool for developing and deploying Kernova applications.

Installation

The CLI is included when you install @kernova/cli:

npm install -g @kernova/cli

Or use it via npx (no install needed):

npx @kernova/cli dev

Commands

kernova create <name>

Scaffold a new full-stack project.

kernova create my-app
kernova create my-app --template multi-agent
kernova create my-app --no-frontend
kernova create my-app --react        # Use Vite instead of Next.js
kernova create my-app --no-install   # Skip npm install

Flag	Description
--template, -t	Template: default, minimal, multi-agent
--no-frontend	Agents only (no React/Next.js)
--react	Use Vite + React instead of Next.js
--no-install	Don’t run npm install

---

kernova dev

Start the development server.

kernova dev
kernova dev --port 4000
kernova dev --agent-port 5000
kernova dev --agents-only
kernova dev --app-only

Flag	Default	Description
--port, -p	3000	Frontend port
--agent-port	4555	Agent backend port
--agents-only	—	Only start agent backend
--app-only	—	Only start frontend

In full-stack mode, this starts both the Next.js frontend and the agent backend behind a single URL.

---

kernova build

Build the project for production.

kernova build
kernova build --agents-only
kernova build --app-only
kernova build --verbose

Flag	Description
--agents-only	Only compile agents
--app-only	Only build frontend
--verbose, -v	Show full build output

This:

1. Validates kernova.config.ts
2. Compiles agents (TypeScript → JavaScript)
3. Builds frontend (next build)
4. Generates build manifest

---

kernova start

Start the production server (must run kernova build first).

kernova start
kernova start --port 8080
kernova start --agents-only

Flag	Default	Description
--port	3000	Frontend port
--agent-port	4555	Agent backend port
--agents-only	—	Only start agent backend

---

kernova deploy

Deploy to Kernova Cloud or generate deploy artifacts.

kernova deploy                    # Deploy to Kernova Cloud
kernova deploy --agents-only      # Deploy only agents
kernova deploy --app-only         # Deploy only frontend
kernova deploy --region eu-west-1 # Deploy to specific region
kernova deploy docker             # Generate Dockerfile
kernova deploy node               # Generate Node.js entry

Flag	Description
--agents-only	Deploy only the agent backend
--app-only	Deploy only the frontend
--region	Deploy region (us-east-1, eu-west-1, etc.)
docker	Generate Dockerfile for self-hosting
node	Generate Node.js production entry

---

kernova login

Authenticate with Kernova Cloud.

kernova login                        # Opens browser for key creation
kernova login --key kn_live_xxxxx    # Use existing key

Credentials are saved to ~/.kernova/credentials.json.

---

kernova logout

Remove saved Kernova Cloud credentials.

kernova logout

---

kernova init

Create a legacy project (agents-only, no frontend). Use kernova create for full-stack projects.

kernova init my-agent-app

---

kernova serve

Start the agent runtime with the Gateway API (legacy mode).

kernova serve
kernova serve --port 4200

---

kernova studio

Open the Kernova Studio dashboard.

kernova studio
kernova studio --port 4200

---

kernova agent

Manage agent definitions.

kernova agent create my-agent    # Create a new agent file
kernova agent list               # List registered agents
kernova agent inspect my-agent   # Show agent details

---

kernova status

Show the runtime status.

kernova status

Shows: instance ID, environment, registered agents, providers, memory status.