Standalone terminal apps

This folder contains everything needed to use Rookhold from a terminal:

• rookhold runs one job, checks a connection, configures an MCP host, or starts the service;
• rookhold-cli is the interactive human client; and
• rookhold-mcp connects Claude Code, OpenCode, Hermes, OpenClaw, and other MCP hosts.

For the smallest download, only rookhold-cli is needed. The same executable starts the MCP adapter with rookhold-cli mcp-server; the separate rookhold-mcp file remains a compatibility entry point.

Windows executables end in .exe. Python, Rust, pip, and a source checkout are not required.

The direct Linux x86_64 CLI is built and smoked on GNU/Linux for mainstream Ubuntu, Debian, and RHEL-class systems. The self-hosting service binary in the complete Linux archive remains statically linked with musl.

The current community binaries are covered by release checksums, an SBOM, and GitHub provenance attestations, but not yet by commercial Windows or Apple code-signing certificates. If the operating system shows an unidentified publisher warning, verify the downloaded archive before allowing it.

Local trusted-code demo

Run one command. It manages a temporary loopback service, saves the receipt, then stops the service:

rookhold run python 'print(6 * 7)'

This mode is intentionally unisolated, reports isolation: none, retains host network access, and may receive only trusted code.

Use rookhold dev when you want the local API and dashboard to remain open. The equivalent explicit environment remains available below.

macOS or Linux:

ROOKHOLD_SANDBOX=off ROOKHOLD_JOBS_ROOT="$PWD/.rookhold-dev/jobs" ./rookhold serve

Windows PowerShell:

$env:ROOKHOLD_SANDBOX = "off"
$env:ROOKHOLD_JOBS_ROOT = Join-Path (Get-Location) ".rookhold-dev\jobs"
.\rookhold.exe serve

Open a second terminal and start the human client.

macOS or Linux:

ROOKHOLD_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:7300 \
ROOKHOLD_API_KEY=rookhold-dev-key \
  ./rookhold-cli

Windows PowerShell:

$env:ROOKHOLD_BASE_URL = "http://127.0.0.1:7300"
$env:ROOKHOLD_API_KEY = "rookhold-dev-key"
.\rookhold-cli.exe

Try /mcp, then /run python "print(6 * 7)". Type /help for every command. Use rookhold check from another terminal to test the service, credential, runtimes, actual isolation, and packaged MCP adapter.

Connect an agent CLI

Run rookhold setup claude-code, rookhold setup opencode, or rookhold setup hermes. The command previews the change, backs up an existing file, keeps the API key in the host environment, writes only after confirmation, and tests the connection afterward.

Adding Rookhold does not disable an agent host's built-in shell or other execution tools. Deny those alternate routes in the host when every job must cross Rookhold.

The local demo is not a security boundary. Before running untrusted code, read docs/security-boundary.md and deploy the guarded Linux x86_64 profile on a dedicated VM.