kilocode/cli/docs/DOCKER.md

Kilo Code CLI - Docker Guide

A containerized version of the Kilo Code CLI with full browser automation support.

Quick Start Examples

Build the Image

Basic build (no metadata required):

cd cli
docker build -t kilocode/cli .

With build metadata (optional, for production/CI):

docker build \
  --build-arg BUILD_DATE=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ') \
  --build-arg VCS_REF=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD) \
  --build-arg VERSION=$(jq -r '.version' package.json) \
  -t kilocode/cli:$(jq -r '.version' package.json) \
  -t kilocode/cli:latest \
  .

The build arguments are all optional and have defaults:

• BUILD_DATE - defaults to empty string
• VCS_REF - defaults to empty string
• VERSION - defaults to "latest"

1. Basic Interactive Mode

Run the CLI interactively in your current directory:

docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace kilocode/cli

2. Architect Mode

Start in architect mode for planning and design:

docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace kilocode/cli --mode architect

3. One-Shot Autonomous Mode

Execute a single task and exit automatically:

docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace kilocode/cli --auto "Run tests and fix any issues"

4. With Local Configuration

Mount your existing Kilo Code configuration to avoid setup prompts:

docker run -it --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  -v ~/.kilocode:/home/kilocode/.kilocode \
  kilocode/cli

---

Additional Options

Custom Workspace Path

docker run -it --rm -v /path/to/project:/workspace kilocode/cli

Mount Git Configuration

For commit operations:

docker run -it --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  -v ~/.kilocode:/home/kilocode/.kilocode \
  -v ~/.gitconfig:/home/kilocode/.gitconfig:ro \
  kilocode/cli

Environment Variables

docker run -it --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  -e KILOCODE_MODE=code \
  kilocode/cli

With Timeout

docker run --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  kilocode/cli /usr/local/bin/kilocode --timeout 300 --auto "Run tests"

Configuration

Persistent Configuration

The CLI stores configuration in ~/.kilocode/config.json. You can:

Option 1: Mount local config (recommended)

-v ~/.kilocode:/home/kilocode/.kilocode

Option 2: Use Docker volume for isolated config

docker volume create kilocode-config
docker run -it --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  -v kilocode-config:/home/kilocode/.kilocode \
  kilocode/cli

Terminal Colors and Theme

If you experience text visibility issues (text blending with background), you can:

Option 1: Set theme explicitly in config

Edit ~/.kilocode/config.json:

{
	"theme": "dark" // or "light" for light terminals
}

Option 2: Force color environment variables

docker run -it --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  -e FORCE_COLOR=1 \
  -e COLORTERM=truecolor \
  kilocode/cli

Option 3: Pass terminal info

docker run -it --rm \
  -v $(pwd):/workspace \
  -e TERM=$TERM \
  kilocode/cli