GakrCLI VS Code

The open AI coding assistant for VS Code — powered by any LLM you choose.

OpenAI · Anthropic · Google Gemini · DeepSeek · Ollama · AWS Bedrock · Vertex AI · GitHub Models · 200+ OpenAI-compatible endpoints.

What is GakrCLI?

GakrCLI is a full-featured VS Code extension that wraps the open-source GakrCLI CLI — an AI coding assistant that works with any LLM provider. The CLI handles all intelligence (tool use, provider routing, MCP, slash commands); the extension gives you a first-class editor experience: streaming chat panel, native diff viewer, @-mentions, session history, and more.

Unlike assistants locked to a single provider, GakrCLI lets you bring your own model — or switch between them mid-session.

Features

Chat & Conversation

• Streaming chat panel with markdown rendering and syntax-highlighted code blocks
• Tool-call visualization — collapsible blocks showing what the AI reads, edits, and runs
• Session history — browse, resume, or fork past conversations
• Stop / interrupt generation at any time
• Conversation compacting to manage token usage

Native VS Code Integration

• Diff viewer — AI-proposed changes open in VS Code's built-in diff editor with Accept/Reject buttons
• @-mentions — reference files, folders, symbols, and line ranges for context
• Status bar with live provider/model info and token usage
• 5 permission modes — Default, Accept Edits, Plan, Bypass, Full Access
• Git worktree support — parallel AI sessions on the same repo

Multi-Provider

Switch providers on the fly via /provider, the provider badge, or environment variables:

Developer Tools

• MCP (Model Context Protocol) server integration
• Plugin manager — install, update, manage MCP plugins
• Slash commands — /commit, /review, /diff, /resume, /compact, /mcp, and more
• Onboarding walkthrough for new users

Quick Start

Prerequisites

npm install -g @gakr-gakr/gakrcli

The CLI is required — the extension is a UI wrapper around it.

Install the Extension

code --install-extension gakr-gakr.gakrcli-vscode

Or search for GakrCLI in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X).

Configure a Provider

# OpenAI
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key
export OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-4o

# Anthropic
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key

# Ollama (local)
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=llama3

# Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.deepseek.com/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=deepseek-chat

Or use /provider interactively inside GakrCLI.

Open and Use

• Ctrl+Escape (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Escape (macOS)
• Click the GakrCLI icon in the Activity Bar
• Type your prompt, use @ to reference files, / for commands

Permission Modes

Change modes via the footer dropdown or the initial gakrcli.initialPermissionMode setting.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Slash Commands

Configuration

See Configuration Reference for the full settings reference, or browse gakrcli.* settings in VS Code's Settings UI.

Key settings: gakrcli.selectedModel, gakrcli.initialPermissionMode, gakrcli.preferredLocation, gakrcli.autosave, gakrcli.environmentVariables, gakrcli.apiKey, gakrcli.baseUrl.

Architecture

Webview (React + Tailwind)     ← UI: chat panel, diff, mentions
        │ postMessage
Extension Host (TypeScript)    ← VS Code integration, permissions, sessions
        │ stdin/stdout NDJSON
GakrCLI CLI (child process)    ← Intelligence: tools, providers, MCP, plugins
        │ OpenAI Chat Completions API
Any LLM provider               ← OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini / Ollama / …

The extension is deliberately thin — all provider logic, tool execution, MCP, and slash-commands live in the CLI. Upgrading the brain means npm install -g @gakr-gakr/gakrcli@latest with no VS Code reinstall.

See Architecture for details.

Documentation

• Installation Guide
• Usage Guide
• Permission System
• Configuration Reference
• Architecture
• Development Guide
• Publishing Guide

License

MIT — see LICENSE.