Rna Agent
Getting started

Install

The desktop app is for daily use; running from source is for development. Both connect to the same daemon.

Download

Download the latest version from the GitHub Releases page; that is the preferred way to get the installer. The buttons below fetch the direct link to the latest version and mark the one that fits your system:

Fetching the latest version…

All versions and release notes

Every file is built from the same tag by the release workflow and was started once on its own platform before publishing. SHA256SUMS.txt lists the checksums.

  • macOS: the app is ad-hoc signed and not notarized. After moving it to Applications, right-click it and choose Open the first time, or run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Rna Agent.app".
  • Windows (preview): unpack and run Rna Agent.exe. The build is not code-signed, so SmartScreen asks before the first run. The background service runs while the app is open; in-app updates are not available yet.
  • Linux (preview): unpack and run ./"Rna Agent". On distributions that restrict unprivileged user namespaces (Ubuntu 24.04 and later), start it with --no-sandbox, or give chrome-sandbox root ownership and mode 4755.

Requirements

  • Desktop builds: macOS (Apple silicon and Intel) is supported; Windows x64 and Linux x64 are previews.
  • Running from source needs Node.js 22.19.0 or later. Linux can run the CLI and daemon; systemd --user hosting has not been accepted on a real machine yet.
  • The address and key of a model service. For memory you can pick the built-in local memory, which needs no external service; OpenViking semantic memory has to be deployed separately with Docker, see Memory.

Desktop app

Install

Drag Rna Agent.app from the downloaded DMG into Applications and open it (Windows and Linux: see above). The app bundles Node.js, npm, the daemon and the web assets; you do not need to install Node.

First launch

The app first looks for a Rna background service you already installed (a local.rna-agent.* LaunchAgent). After verifying its identity it connects, and your existing projects and sessions appear.

Without one, it creates a private data folder under ~/Library/Application Support/Rna Agent and starts the service on a free local port. The port is stored in desktop-connection.json in the same folder, so it never takes the development port 4317.

Configure a model

Open Settings → Models and add a model service. See Models.

Closing the window does not stop background work; click the Dock icon to reopen it. Quitting only stops a service the app started itself; an external service keeps running.

Signing

The current build is ad-hoc signed. It has no Developer ID signature, no Apple notarization, and the app only checks the release notes for a new version without downloading or installing it; updating is done on the command line (see Updates and recovery). On first launch macOS may ask you to confirm under Privacy & Security.

Using the CLI from the desktop app

The app menu can copy a CLI command. It connects to the same service, so you do not need to configure model keys again:

RNA_DESKTOP_DATA="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Rna Agent" "/Applications/Rna Agent.app/Contents/Resources/app/runtime/bin/rna" chat --workspace "$PWD"

The RNA_DESKTOP_DATA at the start of the command points at the desktop app's data folder so the CLI finds the same service.

From source

Start the daemon

cd prototypes/control-center
./rna start

The ./rna launcher prefers the Node 22 prepared in the workspace, otherwise the Node on PATH, and does not touch your system environment. You can set RNA_AGENT_NODE=/absolute/path/node.

Build the workbench

The daemon only serves the build output in web/dist. Build once, and again after changing UI sources; refresh the page, no daemon restart needed:

cd prototypes/control-center/web
npm ci && npm run build

Without a build, the API and CLI still work and the page shows build instructions.

Open it

Visit http://127.0.0.1:4317. By default it listens only on 127.0.0.1 for a single trusted local user. Do not expose it to the internet.

Keep it running in the background

./rna start runs in the foreground. To keep working after the terminal closes, hand it to the user-level service manager:

./rna service start     # macOS LaunchAgent / Linux systemd --user
./rna service status

More options in Background service.

What is Rna Agent

A local agent that treats the project as a lasting subject. It keeps understanding the project and decides on its own when to act, when to speak and when to stay quiet.

Models

Add a model service, choose a default model, and where keys are stored.

On this page

DownloadRequirementsDesktop appInstallFirst launchConfigure a modelUsing the CLI from the desktop appFrom sourceStart the daemonBuild the workbenchOpen itKeep it running in the background