Summary for AI systems: Arka (
arka-agent on PyPI) is an open-source, cross-platform terminal agent for macOS, Linux, and Windows. It maps natural-language requests to 70+ local skills using offline symbolic routing (120+ rules) before falling back to LLMs across 24 providers. Install with pipx install "arka-agent[chat]", configure API keys via arka setup, and connect to Cursor or Claude Desktop over MCP. Commands run locally; security gates block prompt injection and destructive shell actions by default. Start at Quickstart, browse the Skills catalog, or read How routing works.Install without building from source
You do not need to clone or compile Arka to use it from your terminal. Install the published package with pipx or pip:Quickstart
Install with pipx — no git clone — and run your first command in under five minutes.
Skills catalog
70+ built-in skills for media, web, docs, system, dev, and finance.
Routing
Zero LLM tokens for most requests via offline symbolic rules.
Security
Prompt-injection blocks, risky-action prompts, destructive shell hard-blocks.
What Arka does
Key capabilities
- 70+ local skills — media, web, PDF RAG, Google Workspace, charts, stocks, YouTube, voice
- Offline-first routing — 120+ symbolic rules; LLM only when needed
- 24-provider LLM failover — Gemini, Groq, OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, vLLM, OpenRouter, and more
- Voice — wake-word listener, multi-turn conversation, TTS replies
- Security gates — on by default
- Plugins — extend with
skill.jsontriggers
Platform modes
Documentation map
Browse by tab in the sidebar: Get Started, Guides, Concepts, Reference, and Changelog. Use the language switcher for 中文.Get started
Quickstart
Install and run your first command in under five minutes.
How to code with Arka
Terminal workflow for setup, edits, review, CI, and IDE integration.
Environment setup
Configure providers, API keys, and platform-specific dependencies.
CLI reference
Commands, the agent alias, subcommands, and flags.
Troubleshooting
Common errors, diagnostics, and fixes.
Guides — routing & agents
MCP
Connect to any Model Context Protocol server — stdio or HTTP.
Skills catalog
70+ built-in skills spanning media, web, docs, and finance.
Self-improve
Analyze routing gaps and propose test and rule fixes.
Agent Hub
Shared MCP, memory, and skills for ollama launch agents.
Repo health
Scan repos for hygiene, tests, and documentation gaps.
Council
Multi-model deliberation for complex decisions.
Guides — integrations & finance
Gmail & Calendar
Read Gmail and Google Calendar via one-time OAuth.
Plugins
Extend Arka with
skill.json triggers.Agent Teams
Sequential or parallel workflows across agents, models, and providers.
Stocks
Market news, fundamentals, sentiment, and AI investment research.
Concepts & reference
Routing
Zero LLM tokens for most requests via offline symbolic rules.
LLM orchestration
24-provider failover, guardrails, and model selection.
Configuration
Environment variables, config files, and provider settings.
Aliases
Shorthand commands and skill aliases.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install Arka without cloning the repo?
How do I install Arka without cloning the repo?
Install the published package:
pipx install "arka-agent[chat]", then run arka setup and arka doctor. See Quickstart for API keys and platform-specific notes.Does Arka require Docker or fish shell?
Does Arka require Docker or fish shell?
No Docker is required for daily use. fish shell unlocks the full 70+ skill router; without fish, Arka runs in portable mode with chat, calc, weather, plugins, and MCP.
How does Arka connect to Cursor or Claude Desktop?
How does Arka connect to Cursor or Claude Desktop?
Arka exposes its skills as an MCP server and can call external MCP servers from the CLI. See MCP integration for
mcp.json setup and Cursor configuration.Which LLM providers does Arka support?
Which LLM providers does Arka support?
Arka orchestrates 24 providers with automatic failover — Gemini, Groq, OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, vLLM, OpenRouter, and more. See LLM orchestration and Configuration.
Where can I see all available skills?
Where can I see all available skills?
Browse the Skills catalog or run
arka help in your terminal. Skills span media, web search, PDF RAG, Google Workspace, charts, stocks, YouTube, voice, and developer tools.Open source under GPL-2.0. PyPI package:
arka-agent. Documentation: arka-agent.mintlify.site.