Install
Herkos is a single Go binary. Install it with go install, or clone the repo and build from source.
Prerequisites
- Go 1.25 or newer (the module targets
go 1.25.0). - A C toolchain for the tree-sitter parser bindings, since the parser is cgo-backed.
- An MCP-capable agent to put Herkos in front of. Claude Code is the first target.
Install with go install
This pulls the latest tagged build and drops the herkos binary in your $GOBIN (usually $HOME/go/bin).
$ go install github.com/akhilesharora/herkos/cmd/herkos@latest
Make sure $GOBIN (or $HOME/go/bin) is on your PATH, then confirm the binary runs:
$ herkos status
Build from source
Clone the repo and use the Makefile. make build wraps go build ./....
$ git clone https://github.com/akhilesharora/herkos.git $ cd herkos $ make build
Useful make targets
| Target | What it runs |
|---|---|
make build | go build ./... |
make race | go test ./... -race |
make lint | golangci-lint run |
make check | build + vet + race + lint |
make verify-clean | build, vet, and race the committed tree (HEAD) from a throwaway worktree |
Verify before you trust it
This is a security tool. Build it from source, read the diff, run make check, and decide for yourself. Local-first means you do not have to take anyone's word for what the binary does.
Next
With the binary on your path, head to the quickstart to generate a key and put Herkos in front of an MCP server.