> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://arka-agent-mintlify-f21cea86.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Arka — AI terminal agent documentation

> Official docs for Arka, a cross-platform AI terminal agent with 70+ local skills, natural-language routing, voice, MCP for Cursor, and 24-provider LLM failover. Install with pipx and run your first command in minutes.

Arka is a **cross-platform AI agent** for your terminal. Say what you want in plain English. Arka routes your request to the right local skill, runs it, and speaks the answer back if you want.

Commands run locally. LLM calls go through a **fallback orchestrator** across **24 providers**. You don't need Docker for daily use.

## 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:

```bash theme={null}
pipx install "arka-agent[chat]"
arka setup
arka doctor
arka ask "what is Rust?"
```

If PyPI is not live yet, install directly from GitHub (still no local build):

```bash theme={null}
pipx install "arka-agent[chat] @ git+https://github.com/Sumit884-byte/arka.git"
```

See the [Quickstart](/quickstart) for API keys, fish shell, and optional extras.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Install with pipx without cloning the repo. Run your first command in under five minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skills catalog" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/guides/skills">
    70+ built-in skills for media, web, docs, system, dev, and finance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Routing" icon="route" href="/concepts/routing">
    Zero LLM tokens for most requests via offline symbolic rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security" icon="shield-check" href="/concepts/security">
    Prompt-injection blocks, risky-action prompts, destructive shell hard-blocks.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What Arka does

```bash theme={null}
arka ask "what is Rust?"
arka "convert 100 USD to INR"
arka youtube research "python asyncio tutorial"
arka stock invest "where to invest 3000 for 1 month"
arka goal set up a venv and run pytest
arka listen    # "hey arka, what's the weather"
```

## 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.json` triggers

## Platform modes

| Platform | Mode |
| - | - |
| **All (macOS, Windows, Linux)** | Full 70+ skills via pip + [fish shell](https://fishshell.com) |
| **Without fish** | Portable Python: chat, web, calc, weather, plugins |
| **Linux + fish login shell** | Full skills + voice autostart + systemd units |

## Documentation map

Browse by tab in the sidebar: **Get Started**, **Guides**, **Concepts**, **Reference**, and **Changelog**. Use the language switcher for 中文.

### Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Install and run your first command in under five minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to code with Arka" icon="laptop-code" href="/guides/code-with-arka">
    Terminal workflow for setup, edits, review, CI, and IDE integration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Environment setup" icon="gear" href="/guides/env-setup">
    Configure providers, API keys, and platform-specific dependencies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI reference" icon="terminal" href="/guides/cli">
    Commands, the agent alias, subcommands, and flags.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="stethoscope" href="/reference/troubleshooting">
    Common errors, diagnostics, and fixes.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Guides — routing & agents

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="AI agent guide" icon="robot" href="/guides/ai-agents">
    MCP routing, execution rules, and tool selection for Cursor and Claude agents.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP" icon="network-wired" href="/guides/mcp">
    Connect to any Model Context Protocol server over stdio or HTTP.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skills catalog" icon="list-check" href="/guides/skills">
    70+ built-in skills spanning media, web, docs, and finance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Self-improve" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/guides/self-improve">
    Analyze routing gaps and propose test and rule fixes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent Hub" icon="hub" href="/guides/agent-hub">
    Shared MCP, memory, and skills for ollama launch agents.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Repo health" icon="heart-pulse" href="/guides/repo-health">
    Scan repos for hygiene, tests, and documentation gaps.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Council" icon="users" href="/guides/council">
    Multi-model deliberation for complex decisions.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Guides — integrations & finance

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Gmail & Calendar" icon="envelope" href="/guides/google-workspace">
    Read Gmail and Google Calendar via one-time OAuth.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Plugins" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/guides/plugins">
    Extend Arka with `skill.json` triggers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent Teams" icon="users" href="/guides/agent-teams">
    Sequential or parallel workflows across agents, models, and providers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stocks" icon="arrow-trend-up" href="/guides/stocks">
    Market news, fundamentals, sentiment, and AI investment research.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Concepts & reference

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Routing" icon="route" href="/concepts/routing">
    Zero LLM tokens for most requests via offline symbolic rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="LLM orchestration" icon="brain" href="/concepts/llm">
    24-provider failover, guardrails, and model selection.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="sliders" href="/reference/configuration">
    Environment variables, config files, and provider settings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Aliases" icon="list" href="/reference/aliases">
    Shorthand commands and skill aliases.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="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](/quickstart) for API keys and platform-specific notes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Arka require Docker or fish shell?">
    Arka does not require Docker for daily use. [fish shell](https://fishshell.com) unlocks the full 70+ skill router. Without fish, Arka runs in portable mode with chat, calc, weather, plugins, and MCP.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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](/guides/mcp) for `mcp.json` setup and Cursor configuration.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="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](/concepts/llm) and [Configuration](/reference/configuration).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where can I see all available skills?">
    Browse the [Skills catalog](/guides/skills) or run `arka help` in your terminal. Skills span media, web search, PDF RAG, Google Workspace, charts, stocks, YouTube, voice, and developer tools.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  Open source under MIT. PyPI package: `arka-agent`. Documentation: [arka-agent.mintlify.site](https://arka-agent.mintlify.site).
</Note>


## Related topics

- [AI agent guide — use Arka over MCP](/guides/ai-agents.md)
- [Quickstart: install Arka and run your first command](/quickstart.md)
- [MCP integration for Cursor and Claude](/guides/mcp.md)
- [Maximize free AI credits](/guides/free-credits.md)
- [How Arka compares to other agents](/concepts/comparison.md)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.