How to Install PrimeIntellect-ai/prime-agent: Complete Setup Guide for macOS and Linux

Prime Agent installs in seconds via a self‑installing shell script that auto‑resolves the latest release, verifies its SHA‑256 checksum, and runs a global npm install, or you can build directly from source using Node.js 22.8.0+.

Prime Agent is an open‑source coding agent distributed by PrimeIntellect‑ai. Whether you want the latest stable release, early beta builds, or a development checkout from GitHub, the repository provides automated tooling to get you running quickly. This guide covers every installation method based on the actual source implementation in install.sh.

One‑Line Install: Stable Release

The fastest way to install Prime Agent is via the hosted installer script. This method works on macOS and Linux without manual dependency management.

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

After installation completes, start Prime Agent in any project directory:

cd /path/to/your/project
prime-agent

The installer performs five automated steps defined in install.sh:

• run_preflight_checks – validates Node.js ≥20.6.0 and npm availability
• resolve_prime_agent_version – fetches the latest stable release
• download_prime_agent_package – pulls the versioned tarball
• verify_prime_agent_package_checksum – validates against SHA256SUMS
• install_prime_agent_package – executes npm install -g with environment flags

Install Beta Releases

To install pre‑release builds from the beta channel, pass beta as an argument to the installer:

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

The resolve_prime_agent_version function in install.sh uses the PRIME_AGENT_RELEASE_CHANNEL environment variable (defaulting to stable) or the command‑line argument to select the appropriate release stream.

Build and Run From Source

For development or customization, clone the repository and build locally. This requires Node.js 22.8.0 or newer.

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

The npm ci command installs exact dependencies from package-lock.json. Running ./prime-agent.sh launches the agent directly from the source tree without a global install.

How the Installer Handles Dependencies

Node.js Auto‑Installation

If run_preflight_checks detects a missing or outdated Node.js runtime, the installer can bootstrap one via:

• Homebrew on macOS
• apt or apk on Linux distributions
• Standalone binary download as fallback

Standalone Node PATH Configuration

When a standalone Node binary is installed, configure_standalone_node_path in install.sh automatically detects your shell profile (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, etc.) and inserts an export PATH entry. If automatic detection fails, it prints manual instructions for updating your PATH.

Optional Runtime Bootstrapping

Set PRIME_AGENT_BOOTSTRAP_KERNEL_ON_INSTALL=1 before running the installer to additionally fetch the IPython runtime and supplementary tools during installation.

Installation Verification

After any install method, verify the installation by checking the binary path and version:

which prime-agent
prime-agent --version

The global npm install ensures prime-agent is available in your shell PATH for all subsequent sessions.

Summary

• Stable install: curl ... | sh – fastest production setup
• Beta install: append beta argument for pre‑release builds
• Source build: git clone + npm ci + ./prime-agent.sh for development
• Auto‑dependency handling: Node.js and npm resolved automatically if missing
• Security: every release verifies against published SHA‑256 checksums

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the minimum system requirements for Prime Agent?

Prime Agent requires Node.js 20.6.0 or newer and a working npm installation. The installer supports macOS and Linux. Windows users should use WSL2 or build from source with a compatible Node environment.

Can I install multiple versions of Prime Agent side by side?

The standard installer performs a global npm install, which overwrites existing versions. For side‑by‑side versions, use source checkouts in separate directories and launch via ./prime-agent.sh without global installation.

Is the installer script safe to pipe directly to sh?

The installer downloads versioned releases with SHA‑256 verification via verify_prime_agent_package_checksum before execution. For additional security, download install.sh separately, inspect its contents, and run it locally with sh install.sh.

How do I uninstall Prime Agent?

Run npm uninstall -g prime-agent to remove the globally installed package. If the installer added standalone Node to your PATH, manually remove the corresponding export PATH line from your shell profile.

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}