Kyrex for VS Code
Your code never leaves your machine.
Kyrex is a local-first AI coding agent that runs entirely on your hardware. No telemetry, no cloud relay, no surprise uploads. It connects to any OpenAI-compatible API — or Anthropic — through a Python engine spawned as a child process in your workspace. Everything stays local.
Key Features
- Active file context — Every message automatically includes the content of your active editor tab. Kyrex always knows what you're looking at.
- Streaming responses — Token-by-token streaming in the sidebar. Watch reasoning unfold in real time.
- Tool visibility — Every tool call is displayed inline with expandable results. See exactly what Kyrex is doing and why.
- Diff gate — Full file rewrites open a native VS Code diff view for review and approval. Surgical edits apply directly with a visible inline diff.
- Session management — Token tracking, model switching, and one-click session resets. Start fresh or keep context — your call.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85 or later
- Python 3.8+ (the Kyrex engine runs as a local Python subprocess)
- API key for any OpenAI-compatible provider (OpenAI, OpenRouter, Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM, etc.) or Anthropic
Installation
- Search for Kyrex in the Extensions panel.
- Ensure Python 3.8+ is available on your
PATH.
- Set your API key — either via the environment or in settings (see below).
- Open the Kyrex sidebar and start chatting. The engine starts automatically.
Configuration
All settings are under kyrex.* in your VS Code settings (Ctrl+, → search "Kyrex"):
| Setting |
Description |
Default |
kyrex.provider |
LLM provider (openai or anthropic) |
openai |
kyrex.model |
Model name (e.g. gpt-4o, claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929) |
(empty — uses provider default) |
kyrex.apiKey |
API key (prefer the KYREX_API_KEY env var instead) |
(empty) |
kyrex.baseUrl |
Custom API endpoint URL |
(empty — uses provider default) |
kyrex.pythonPath |
Path to the Python interpreter |
python3 |
Recommended: Set your API key as an environment variable instead of storing it in settings:
export KYREX_API_KEY="sk-..."
Usage
- Open the sidebar — Click the Kyrex icon in the Activity Bar.
- Ask anything — Type a question and press
Enter. Your active file is sent as context automatically.
- Review tool calls — Expand any tool call to inspect arguments and results.
- Approve edits — When Kyrex proposes a file change, review the diff and click Apply or Reject.
- Switch models — Open the Settings panel at the bottom of the sidebar to pick a different model or provider on the fly.
- New session — Click + New to clear context and start fresh.
Supported Providers
Kyrex works with any OpenAI-compatible API out of the box:
| Provider |
Base URL |
Notes |
| OpenAI |
(default) |
Set kyrex.provider to openai |
| Anthropic |
(default) |
Set kyrex.provider to anthropic |
| OpenRouter |
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 |
Hundreds of models, single key |
| Ollama |
http://localhost:11434/v1 |
Fully local, no API key needed |
| LM Studio |
http://localhost:1234/v1 |
Local models with OpenAI-compatible API |
| vLLM |
http://localhost:8000/v1 |
High-throughput local inference |
| Any OpenAI-compatible |
Your endpoint |
Set kyrex.baseUrl to your server |
To use a custom provider, set kyrex.baseUrl to the API endpoint and kyrex.apiKey to your key. The model list is fetched automatically from /v1/models when you open the Settings panel.
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Kyrex: Start Engine |
Manually start the Python engine |
Kyrex: Stop Engine |
Stop the engine process |
Kyrex: Send Message |
Programmatically send a message |
Disclaimer
Kyrex modifies files on your system. Always use version control. The authors are not responsible for any data loss or damages resulting from use of this software.
License
MIT
