Install xcb

Before you start

A Mac with Apple silicon, or a Linux x86_64 machine with glibc 2.34 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, RHEL 9, and later). Other systems can build from source.
For Claude: a Claude subscription and Claude Code 2.1.268 or later. Check with claude --version.
For Codex (macOS): Codex CLI 0.156.1, which npm install -g @openai/codex@0.156.1 installs.
For Devin (macOS): Devin CLI 3000.11.3, signed in with devin auth login.

1. Install xcb

Paste this into your terminal. It downloads the release for your computer, checks its SHA-256 checksum, and puts xcb in ~/.local/bin:

curl -fsSL https://xcb.sh/install.sh | sh

When it finishes, xcb --version prints the version. If your shell says it can’t find xcb, add this line to your shell profile (~/.zshrc on a Mac) and open a new terminal:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

2. Connect an account

xcb setup claude

This adds a Claude account, checks your Claude Code build, opens the sign-in page in your browser, and loads the account’s models. xcb keeps this sign-in in its own folder, so your usual Claude Code login is unaffected. Codex and Devin have their own steps in Accounts and models.

3. Give it a task

cd ~/path/to/your/project
xcb

This opens your thread. Type a task, such as fix the failing test in add.js, and press Enter. xcb says which project folder it chose, picks an account and model that can take the task, and shows the answer when the task finishes. Close the terminal whenever you like: the task keeps running, and the next xcb shows the result. /tasks lists your work and /help lists every command.

The getting started guide walks through a first task step by step.

Ask your agent to install it

Already using Claude Code, Codex, or another coding agent? Paste this prompt into it. It installs and checks xcb, then leaves the sign-in to you:

Install xcb on this machine. Run `curl -fsSL https://xcb.sh/install.sh | sh`, then make sure `xcb --version` works; if the shell can't find it, add ~/.local/bin to my PATH in my shell profile. Then run `xcb doctor` and tell me which providers are ready and the one command I should run next. Don't sign in for me.

Build on xcb

From another agent or a script, xcb --json route takes one task as JSON, picks an account and model, and returns one JSON result. With dryRun it shows the route without running anything:

echo '{"version":1,"workspace":"'"$PWD"'","task":"Fix the failing parser test","dryRun":true}' \
  | xcb --json route

In a TypeScript app, install the SDK. There your app names the account and model for each task:

npm install @hraness/xcb

The route guide and the SDK quickstart have the details.

Update and uninstall

xcb upgrade installs the newest release the same way the installer did. To remove xcb, let running tasks finish, then run:

xcb service uninstall   # macOS: stop starting the supervisor at login
xcb update disable      # stop the daily update check
rm ~/.local/bin/xcb

Your accounts, credentials, and history stay in ~/.local/share/xcb until you delete that folder. Upgrade and uninstall lists everything xcb creates.

Build from source

On an Intel Mac, ARM Linux, or any other system, build with Git, Rust 1.97.1, and your platform’s build tools:

git clone https://github.com/hraness/xcb.git
cd xcb
rustup toolchain install 1.97.1 --profile minimal
./scripts/install-native.sh