DOCS · START

Getting started

Install a Cortex release or build it with Go, make sure opencode is available in the same environment, then start the self-contained binary. By default the workspace root is your home directory; use --root when you want to confine it more tightly.

Install Cortex

With Go installed:

go install github.com/crtx-dev/cortex/cmd/cortex@latest

Linux and macOS can install the latest release for the current user:

curl -fsSL https://crtx.dev/install.sh | sh

This installs to ~/.local/bin without sudo. For a deliberate machine-wide installation:

curl -fsSL https://crtx.dev/install.sh | sudo sh -s -- --system

GitHub releases provide Linux, macOS and Windows archives for both amd64 and arm64.

Download without installing

curl -fsSL https://crtx.dev/download.sh | sh

This writes a checksum-verified Cortex executable to the current directory without changing services or configuration.

Update and rollback

curl -fsSL https://crtx.dev/update.sh | sh

The updater retains the previous executable. Pass --rollback to restore it.

Uninstall

Remove a per-user installation while preserving Cortex data:

curl -fsSL https://crtx.dev/uninstall.sh | sh

Pass --all to remove the default per-user Cortex data directory too. For a system-wide binary installed in /usr/local/bin:

curl -fsSL https://crtx.dev/uninstall.sh | sudo sh -s -- --system

Build from source

Cortex dogfoods Nift. Frontend source lives in content/ and templates/; public/ is generated and embedded into the Go executable.

nift build
go test ./...
go build -o cortex ./cmd/cortex
./cortex --root ~/Repositories

Configure the listener

Cortex defaults to 127.0.0.1:7331. The listener is set with --host and --port, or the CORTEX_HOST and CORTEX_PORT environment variables; CLI flags take precedence over the environment, which takes precedence over the defaults.

cortex
cortex --port 7401
CORTEX_PORT=7401 cortex
cortex service install --port 7401

Loopback (127.0.0.1) is recommended behind a reverse proxy. Binding 0.0.0.0 exposes Cortex on all IPv4 interfaces and should be deliberate. IPv6 hosts are accepted and bracketed automatically. Ports must be integers from 1 through 65535; an invalid value fails rather than silently falling back.

Secure the first load

On the first browser visit, create the instance password before Cortex exposes workspaces, settings or agent APIs. Passwords require at least seven characters. Optional TOTP and Google sign-in are available under Settings → Security.

Run a task

Open Cortex at 127.0.0.1:7331. Choose a workspace inside the configured root, describe the task and press Enter; use Shift+Enter for a newline.

Return later

Cortex writes conversations and run history to cortex.db in its private data directory. Open another session for parallel work, archive sessions you are finished with, and restore them later without relying on one browser's local storage.

Verified downloads and atomic replacement

The installer downloads the platform archive and release checksum manifest over HTTPS, verifies SHA-256 before extraction, then stages the executable in the destination directory and atomically renames it into place. A missing checksum, mismatch or interrupted download leaves an existing installation untouched.

Release targets

Release automation builds Linux, macOS and Windows archives for amd64 and arm64. Every archive contains only the Cortex executable, README and license.