How to Deploy Prime Agent (PrimeIntellect‑ai/prime‑agent): Complete Installation Guide

Bold answer: Prime Agent deploys via three methods: the official installer script for one‑step global installation, run from source for development, or the bundled distribution for containerized environments—each verified against SHA‑256 checksums with optional IPython runtime bootstrapping.

Prime Agent from PrimeIntellect‑ai is a self‑contained command‑line coding agent delivered as a TypeScript‑based TUI/CLI. Whether you need a quick production install or a development environment for hacking on the source, this guide covers every deployment path with references to the exact source files that implement each behavior.

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Deploy via the Official Installer

The recommended path for most macOS and Linux users is the signed release installer. It requires no source checkout and handles Node.js dependencies automatically.

Run the Installer Script

curl -fsSL https://app.primeintellect.ai/prime-agent/install.sh | sh

The installer lives in [install.sh](https://github.com/PrimeIntellect-ai/prime-agent/blob/main/install.sh). It performs these verified steps:

• Pre‑flight checks — verifies Node 20.6+ and npm are present (run_preflight_checks in install.sh lines 96‑110)
• Node installation — auto‑installs Node via Homebrew, apt, apk, or standalone binary if missing (install_node_standalone etc., lines 126‑150)
• Version resolution — contacts the release channel (stable or beta) to obtain the latest version (resolve_prime_agent_version, lines 124‑148)
• Download and verification — fetches the tarball plus SHA256SUMS, then validates the checksum (download_prime_agent_package & verify_prime_agent_package_checksum, lines 54‑84)
• Global npm install — runs npm install -g on the verified tarball (install_prime_agent_package, lines 92‑102)
• Optional IPython bootstrapping — prompts to prepare the IPython runtime (confirm_kernel_runtime_setup, lines 55‑66)

Add to PATH

If the installer cannot auto‑update your shell profile, it prints manual instructions (see print_standalone_path_manual_instructions in install.sh lines 135‑140). Add the export PATH="…:$PATH" line from standalone_node_path_line to make prime-agent available in new shells.

Launch

prime-agent

The command now points to the globally installed npm package, launching the TUI or CLI as documented in the README (lines 70‑78).

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Run Directly from Source

Use this method when modifying Prime Agent or running the bleeding‑edge main branch.

Clone and Install Dependencies

git clone https://github.com/PrimeIntellect-ai/prime-agent
cd prime-agent
npm ci

Node 22.8+ is required for source execution.

Launch with the Wrapper Script

./prime-agent.sh

The thin launcher script ([prime-agent.sh](https://github.com/PrimeIntellect-ai/prime-agent/blob/main/prime-agent.sh)) handles:

• Parsing --no-env and --dist flags
• Unsetting all API‑key environment variables when --no-env is used
• Executing either the bundled cli.js (--dist) or running source cli.ts via tsx (node_modules/.bin/tsx)

Use the Bundled Distribution

./prime-agent.sh --dist

This skips the tsx interpreter and runs the pre‑built bundle from packages/coding-agent/dist/bundle/cli.js (referenced at line 66 in prime-agent.sh, lines 65‑73). The bundled mode provides approximately 3× faster startup and is ideal for containers where tsx is undesirable.

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Post‑Installation Configuration

Authentication

Run /login inside the TUI, or export an API key before launching:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
prime-agent

Supported providers and environment variables are documented in the Quickstart (lines 39‑64) and providers documentation.

Project‑Specific Instructions

Add an AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md file in your project root to define custom policies. See the "Give Prime Agent Project Instructions" section of the Quickstart for format details.

Session Management

Sessions auto‑save under ~/.prime/agent/sessions/. Use:

• prime-agent -c — continue the most recent session
• prime-agent agents — list running workers

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Installation Method Comparison

Method	Speed	Best For	Key File
Official installer	Fastest setup	Production macOS/Linux	install.sh
Source + tsx	Moderate	Active development	prime-agent.sh (default)
Source + --dist	Fast	Containers, CI/CD	prime-agent.sh --dist

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Code Reference: Key Implementation Files

File	Purpose
install.sh	Downloads, verifies, and globally installs releases
prime-agent.sh	Runtime launcher selecting between tsx and bundled JS
packages/coding-agent/src/cli.ts	Main TypeScript entry point for interactive TUI/CLI
packages/coding-agent/docs/quickstart.md	First‑run guide and authentication steps
packages/coding-agent/docs/providers.md	LLM provider configuration reference
packages/coding-agent/docs/architecture.md	Daemon/worker/kernel architecture deep‑dive

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Summary

• Official installer: One‑line curl command with automatic Node.js handling, SHA‑256 verification, and optional IPython setup
• Source execution: Requires Node 22+, uses prime-agent.sh with tsx for development flexibility
• Bundled mode: Add --dist to prime-agent.sh for faster startup in containerized environments
• Authentication: Export provider API keys or use /login in the TUI
• Configuration: Use AGENTS.md for project‑specific instructions and ~/.prime/agent/sessions/ for persistence

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Node.js version does Prime Agent require?

The official installer requires Node 20.6+ and will auto‑install it if missing. Running from source requires Node 22.8+ as enforced by prime-agent.sh. Check your version with node --version before attempting a source deployment.

Is the official installer secure?

Yes. The installer in install.sh downloads release tarballs over HTTPS, verifies their SHA‑256 checksum against a signed SHA256SUMS file (verify_prime_agent_package_checksum, lines 54‑84), and only proceeds with npm install -g after validation succeeds.

Can I run Prime Agent without installing Node.js globally?

Yes. The official installer can bootstrap a standalone Node binary in a local directory (install_node_standalone in install.sh, lines 126‑150) and update your PATH accordingly. For containers, build once with npm ci and npm run build, then use ./prime-agent.sh --dist to run the bundled JS without tsx.

How do I switch between stable and beta releases?

Append beta to the installer command: curl -fsSL https://app.primeintellect.ai/prime-agent/install.sh | sh -s -- beta. The resolve_prime_agent_version function (lines 124‑148) detects the channel and fetches the corresponding release metadata.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}