Getting started
Install Codewhale, connect your model, and give it a task. Fleet setup is optional.
Install Codewhale
The command below installs the latest published release on macOS or Linux. Use the install guide for Windows, package managers, or building the unreleased source candidate.
Full install guide →curl -fsSL https://codewhale.net/install.sh | shConnect your model
Model replies need a connection to a hosted or local model. Use your own provider key, as in the DeepSeek example below, or follow the provider guide for other services and local models. Offline setup does not require a key.
Choose a provider →codewhale auth set --provider deepseekGive it a task
Open Codewhale in your project folder. Try /mode plan and ask it to explain the project, then use /mode work when you want edits and commands. Shift+Tab changes the approval setting; /provider and /model change the model connection.
Modes and permissions →codewhaleAdd a Fleet when you need one
When a task would benefit from several models and roles, run /fleet setup inside Codewhale to put a team together. You can see the saved Fleet from your shell with codewhale fleet status.
Fleet and Workflow docs →/fleet setup codewhale fleet status
Where next
Hooks
Run your own commands before and after tool calls, at turn end, and on session events, with per-project trust rules.
Modes and permissions
Plan / Work / Operate and Ask / Auto-Review / Full Access: what each one allows.
Documentation hub
Browse and search the documentation for help on a specific topic, with a link from each page to its source in the repository.
For more detail, see the user guide and keyboard shortcuts in the documentation.