Karmas Coder connects to xAI’s Grok Build runtime through the grok executable and its Agent Client Protocol support. Grok owns authentication, models, tools, and provider behavior; Karmas Coder supplies the task, repository environment, transcript, approvals, review surfaces, and Git lifecycle around the session.

Install

On macOS, Linux, or WSL, use the official installer:

curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash

On Windows PowerShell:

irm https://x.ai/cli/install.ps1 | iex

Verify the installation:

grok --version

Authenticate

Start Grok Build in a normal terminal:

grok

On first launch, Grok normally opens a browser for authentication. You can explicitly restart that flow with:

grok login

For headless environments, use device authentication or an xAI API key. The environment-variable path is:

export XAI_API_KEY="xai-..."

Do not place the key in a repository, prompt, screenshot, or documentation file. Grok may prefer an existing cached account session over the environment variable until you sign out.

Verify

From a disposable repository:

grok --version
grok models

Then run Grok and ask a harmless read-only question. Confirm that the expected model catalog is available and that authentication succeeds before opening Karmas Coder.

Connect to Karmas Coder

Enable Grok

Open provider settings and confirm that Karmas Coder detects grok.

Confirm authentication

Use the cached Grok account session or make XAI_API_KEY available to the process that launches Karmas Coder.

Select model and reasoning

Confirm that Karmas Coder shows the expected model and reasoning-effort options before starting the task.

Run a test task

Use a small repository and a bounded objective. Review the active mode and permissions before allowing edits or commands.

Capabilities in Karmas Coder

Grok sessions can expose:

Grok model selection and reasoning-effort controls
Plan and normal interaction modes supported by the ACP runtime
Tool calls, command output, file changes, and assistant text
Provider authentication through a cached session or xAI API key
Compaction when the installed runtime advertises the command
Karmas Coder's terminal, browser, diff, checkpoint, worktree, and Git delivery surfaces

Grok currently applies model and reasoning settings when the ACP process starts. Change those settings before beginning a new session rather than assuming every option can be switched safely during an active turn.

Karmas Coder does not currently classify Grok as supporting native live-turn steering.

Updating

Use xAI’s official installer or release mechanism to update Grok Build, then restart Karmas Coder so provider health and model discovery use the new executable.

After an update, start a new task when the change affects ACP behavior, model options, permissions, or session negotiation.

Troubleshooting

Grok is not detected

Run grok --version from a fresh terminal.
Confirm the installer directory is on PATH.
Check Karmas Coder's custom binary path.
Restart Karmas Coder after installation or environment changes.

Grok Build