What is ARKA Code?

ARKA Code is a terminal-based agentic coding assistant that lives in your command line. It understands your codebase, executes tasks autonomously, and helps you build faster — all through natural language.

Just type naturally. No special syntax, no quotes, no prefixes.

Quick Start

``bash


Install globally

npm install -g @arka-ai/code

Login with your ARKA AI account

arka login

Start coding!

arka
`

What's New in v2.0.16

- Reduced Flicker - 32ms throttled streaming updates (~90% fewer re-renders)
- Static Message History - Completed messages frozen from reconciliation cycle
- zod Validation - Runtime schema validation for configs and API responses
- execa Integration - Modern process execution with better error handling
- Compare Mode - Multi-model comparison working with proper API routing
- Actions Panel (Ctrl+A) - Unified panel showing all available shortcuts




Powered by ARKAbrain

Unlike single-model tools, ARKA Code uses ARKAbrain — our intelligent routing system that automatically selects the best AI model for each task:

| Task Type | Model Selection |
|-----------|-----------------|
| Complex refactoring | Claude Sonnet |
| Quick explanations | GPT-4o-mini |
| Code generation | Claude / GPT-4o |
| Bug fixing | Best available |

You get the best model for every task without manual switching.




Features








$3 Read, write, edit files and execute commands autonomously. ARKA Code understands context and takes action. $3 ARKAbrain automatically selects the optimal AI model based on your task complexity and type. $3 Modern Ink-based interface with syntax highlighting, markdown rendering, and real-time streaming. $3 Compare responses from multiple AI models side-by-side to find the best solution.

$3 Remembers your preferences, coding conventions, and project decisions across sessions. $3 Built-in tools for file operations, shell commands, git, and codebase exploration. $3 Efficient Ctrl+ shortcuts for power users. Toggle layouts, switch models, and navigate with ease. $3 Choose how ARKA handles actions: ask every time, auto-approve edits, or full autonomy.




Usage

`
Usage: arka [options] [command] [prompt...]

Arguments:
prompt Initial prompt to send

Options:
-V, --version Output version number
-k, --api-key API key (overrides config)
-u, --api-url API URL (overrides config)
-r, --resume Resume previous session
-p, --permission Permission mode: ask, auto-edit, auto-all
--read-only Read-only mode (no file writes or commands)
-h, --help Display help

Commands:
login Authenticate with ARKA AI
logout Log out and clear credentials
compare [prompt...] Multi-model comparison mode
`




Keyboard Shortcuts

Quick access: Press Ctrl+A to open the Actions Panel showing all available shortcuts.

| Shortcut | Action |
|----------|--------|
| Ctrl+A | Actions Panel (all shortcuts) |
| Ctrl+M | Model selector |
| Ctrl+T | Tools panel |
| Ctrl+L | Toggle layout |
| Ctrl+Y | Copy last response |
| Ctrl+Q | Quit |
| ? | Help |
| Esc | Close panel |




Compare Mode

Compare responses from multiple AI models side-by-side:

`bash


Default models

arka compare "write a function to parse JSON"

Specify models

arka compare -m gpt-4o,claude-3.5-sonnet,deepseek-chat "explain recursion"
`

Natural Language Interface

Just describe what you want — no commands, no syntax:

`
You: fix the type errors in src/utils.ts
You: add validation to the user registration form
You: write unit tests for the payment module
You: refactor this function to use async/await
You: explain how the auth middleware works
`




Permission Modes

Control how ARKA Code handles file and command permissions:

| Mode | Behavior |
|------|----------|
| ask (default) | Prompt for permission before each action |
| auto-edit | Auto-approve file edits, ask for commands |
| auto-all | Auto-approve all actions (use with caution) |

`bash
arka -p auto-edit "refactor this file"
`




Configuration

Environment Variables:
`bash
export ARKA_API_KEY=arka_xxxxx
`

Config File (~/.arka/config.json):
`json
{
"provider": "arka",
"model": "auto",
"tone": "concise",
"layoutEnabled": true
}
`




Authentication

ARKA Code requires an ARKA AI Pro subscription.

1. Visit arka-ai.com and sign up
2. Run arka login` to authenticate
3. Start coding!

See the Authentication Guide for details.

Requirements

- Node.js 18+
- ARKA AI Pro subscription
- Terminal with Unicode support

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