Use Your Local Machine (CLI)

Connect the workspace to your own machine with the xKat CLI.

By default, the Dynamic Workspace runs on xKat’s cloud servers. With the xKat CLI (the xKat Agent), you can instead connect the browser workspace to your own machine — running lessons against your local shell and syncing files in real time.

What it does

Local shell bridge

Connects the web IDE terminal directly to a native shell (PTY) on your machine, with your own user permissions.

Real-time file sync

Watches your local working directory and syncs changes with the web dashboard instantly.

Zero install

Run it on demand with npx — no separate installation required.

Security-first

Binds to 127.0.0.1 only and verifies the request origin so local control stays safe.

Quickstart

Run instantly with npx — no install needed:

npx xkat up

up starts the agent in the background and returns immediately, so your terminal stays free.

1. Start the agent

   npx xkat up        # start in the background (alias: start)
   
2. Open the workspace

   Back in the browser, the workspace can now use your local shell and files.

3. Manage it anytime

   xkat status        # is the agent running?
   xkat down          # stop the background agent (alias: stop)
   

Install globally (optional)

If you use it often, install it once:

npm install -g xkat-cli
xkat up

View on npm

xkat-cli on the npm registry

Requirements

• Node.js 16 or newer.

Security

The agent is designed to keep local control safe:

• Localhost only — its port is reachable only from your machine.
• Origin verification — only connections from official xKat domains are accepted.
• Audit log — every connection attempt and file-change event is recorded locally (~/.xkat/agent.log).

How it relates to the cloud workspace

	Cloud workspace	Local machine (CLI)
Setup	Zero-setup	npx xkat up
Runs on	xKat cloud servers	Your computer
Best for	Quick start, any device	Using your own tools, files, and environment

Both use the same Dynamic Workspace experience in the browser.