installation.mdx

title	Set Up the Kairo Toolchain: Install Forge and Pulse
sidebarTitle	Installation
description	Install Forge and Pulse to start building and running Kairo applications. Covers early access options and building the toolchain from source.

To build and run Kairo applications you need two tools: Forge, the compiler and build system, and Pulse, the runtime that executes your compiled programs. Together they form the Kairo toolchain — everything you need to go from source code to a running application.

Kairo is currently in **v0.1 preview** and is under active development. Official installation packages have not yet been published. Installation instructions will be available with the first public release. In the meantime, see the sections below for early access options.

What you get

When the Kairo toolchain is installed, you will have two CLI tools available on your system.

The Forge CLI

Forge is the compiler and build system for Kairo. It reads your kairo.toml manifest, compiles your .ak source files, and manages your project's dependencies and outputs.

Command	What it does
forge restore	Download and restore package dependencies
forge check	Type-check and validate your code without building
forge build	Compile your project and produce output artifacts
forge test	Run your project's test suite
forge package	Bundle your project into a distributable package
forge publish	Publish your package to a package registry
forge clean	Remove build artifacts and temporary output files

The Pulse CLI

Pulse is the runtime that executes compiled Kairo applications. It also provides tools for validating and inspecting compiled artifacts before you run them.

Command	What it does
pulse validate	Validate a compiled artifact without executing it
pulse run	Execute a compiled Kairo application

Getting early access

Kairo is being developed openly by Astra Kairo. If you want to follow along, get notified when the first release drops, or participate in shaping the language, the community is the best place to start.

Visit community.astrakairo.dev to follow development, ask questions, and get early access announcements. The Kairo source is available on GitHub. You can build the toolchain from source if you want to get started today.

Building from source

If you want to use Kairo before the first official release, you can build the toolchain directly from the source repository.

Clone the Kairo repository from GitHub to your local machine.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/Astra-Kairo/kairo.git
cd kairo
```

Refer to the `README.md` in the repository for platform-specific build prerequisites and instructions. The repository contains the canonical, up-to-date steps for building Forge and Pulse from source.

```bash
cat README.md
```

Once the build completes, verify that both CLI tools are available and show the expected version.

```bash
forge --version
pulse --version
```

Building from source gives you access to the latest in-development code, which may include breaking changes or incomplete features. For the most stable experience, wait for an official release package.

What to expect from the toolchain

Once you have Forge and Pulse installed, the typical development workflow looks like this:

1. Write your Kairo source files (.ak) and define your project in kairo.toml
2. Check your code with forge check for fast feedback during development
3. Build your project with forge build to produce compiled output
4. Run your application with pulse run

You do not need any other tools to get started. The Forge CLI handles everything from dependency resolution to packaging, and Pulse handles execution.

Once you're set up, follow the [Quickstart](quickstart) guide to write and run your first Kairo program in just a few minutes.