Installation

This guide gets you from zero to a working Kernova setup in under 2 minutes.

Step 1: Install the SDK

npm install @kernova/sdk @kernova/types

This gives you everything needed to build intelligent applications.

What’s in the box:

@kernova/sdk — High-level API (Kernova.create(), app.ask(), app.tool(), etc.)
@kernova/types — TypeScript type definitions

Optional: Full runtime + CLI

npm install @kernova/core @kernova/cli

@kernova/core — The kernel (lower-level API for full control)
@kernova/cli — Project scaffolding, dev server, deployment tools

Step 2: Set an API key

Kernova needs at least one AI model provider. Pick whichever you prefer:

OpenAI (most popular)

export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-...

Anthropic (best for long-form reasoning)

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

DeepSeek (cheapest for most tasks)

export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=sk-...

Local with Ollama (free, runs on your machine)

# Install Ollama from https://ollama.ai
ollama serve
ollama pull llama3.1
# No API key needed — Kernova detects Ollama automatically

You can set multiple keys. Kernova auto-detects all available providers and uses the first one as default. If one fails, it falls back to the next.

Step 3: Verify it works

Create a file called test.ts:

import { Kernova } from '@kernova/sdk';

async function main() {
  const app = await Kernova.create();

  app.agent('assistant', {
    instructions: 'You are a helpful assistant. Respond in one sentence.',
  });

  const { answer } = await app.ask('What is Kernova?');
  console.log(answer);

  await app.close();
}

main();

Run it:

npx tsx test.ts

If you see a response, you’re ready to build.

Troubleshooting

“No model provider available” → You haven’t set an API key. Set OPENAI_API_KEY or any other provider key.

“Module not found: @kernova/sdk” → Run npm install @kernova/sdk @kernova/types in your project directory.

“fetch is not defined” → You need Node.js 18+. Check with node --version.

What’s next?

Now that you’re set up, let’s build something:

Quick Start → — Build a working app in 5 minutes
Your First Agent → — Create an agent with custom logic