Install Founding Bot X
Founding Bot X runs coding agents on your computer and lets you control them from its desktop, web, or mobile app. Set up the machine where the agents will work first.
Requirements
You need an installed, authenticated provider before starting a thread. You can launch Founding Bot X and configure providers afterwards.
Command line
curl -fsSL https://founding.bot/x/install.sh | sh
On Windows, in PowerShell:
irm https://founding.bot/x/install.ps1 | iex
This installs the foundingbot-x binary to ~/.local/bin. If your shell reports command not found
afterwards, that directory is not on your PATH yet; the installer prints the
line to add. Set FOUNDINGBOT_X_VERSION to pin an exact version.
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Start the server and open the web app | foundingbot-x |
| Start the server without a browser | foundingbot-x serve |
| Keep it running in the background (macOS, Linux) | foundingbot-x service install (details) |
| Move to the newest release | foundingbot-x update |
| Reclaim database space | foundingbot-x doctor (details) |
| Remove it again | foundingbot-x uninstall |
Run foundingbot-x help or foundingbot-x --help for the full reference. To start in a new working
directory, use an explicit path such as foundingbot-x ./my-project. A bare directory name
is accepted only if it already exists.
If foundingbot-x or foundingbot-x start reports an already running server, connect to that server
instead. Stop it before starting a replacement, or use a different --base-dir
for an independent server.
To try Founding Bot X once without installing it, run npx @foundingbot/x@latest instead (needs
Node.js for npx).
Intel Macs
There is no foundingbot-x executable for Intel Macs. Install the
desktop app instead. It runs the server itself and includes the
foundingbot-x command.
Desktop app
Download the installer for your platform from
founding.bot/x/download. On Debian or Ubuntu,
install the .deb with sudo apt install ./Founding-Bot-X-*.deb.
The .deb updates itself like the other desktop builds. It asks for your
password to install each update. If your desktop has no password prompt, the
update fails. Download the new .deb and install it the same way.
The foundingbot-x command
The desktop app includes the foundingbot-x command-line tool. To run it from any
terminal, open Settings → General → About and choose Install next to
foundingbot-x command. On macOS and Linux it adds a foundingbot-x link to a folder on your
PATH; on Windows it adds the app's command folder to your PATH. Open a new
terminal afterwards. Remove takes it off again. If you already have foundingbot-x
from npm, it stays as it is.
Windows Subsystem for Linux
Choose a WSL distro in Settings → Connections to run agents and projects there. Install the provider CLIs inside that distro. Founding Bot X installs its own server runtime there automatically; the first launch after an app update can take longer.
Open a project from a terminal
With the desktop app already running on the same machine:
foundingbot-x app
This opens a new thread for the current directory, adding the project if needed.
Pass a path, such as foundingbot-x app ../my-project, to open another directory. It requires
the desktop app, so a standalone server or an SSH session is not enough. If the
command cannot reach the app, start or update the desktop app and try again.
Mobile app
Install Founding Bot X for iPhone or iPad from the App Store, or for Android from Google Play. The phone connects to a server on another machine. Follow remote access to link it through Founding Bot Connect or a pairing URL.
Store links and QR codes are also available in Settings → General → Mobile app on web and desktop.
If the app crashes during launch, open Settings → Diagnostics on the next launch that succeeds. It lists startup crashes from the last 7 days with the error and component stack that store crash reports leave out. Copy the report and email it to hi@founding.bot. Error messages can quote values from the app, so read it over before sharing.
Providers
Open Settings → Providers in the web or desktop app, select the environment, and enable the provider you want. Installation, login, and configuration belong to that environment's machine, even when you connect from a phone or another computer.
| Provider | Install and authenticate |
|---|---|
| Codex | Connect with ChatGPT, or install Codex CLI and run codex login. |
| Claude | Install Claude Code, then run claude auth login. |
| Cursor | Install Cursor CLI, then run agent login. |
| Grok Build | Install Grok Build CLI, then run grok login. |
| OpenCode | Install OpenCode, then run opencode auth login. |
| Antigravity | Install and sign in with Google from Founding Bot X's provider settings. |
| Pi | Install Pi with Node.js 22.19 or newer, then run pi and /login. |
| Muse Code | Install Muse Code on the server, run muse login, then enable it in Settings → Providers. |
Provider CLIs must be on the server's PATH. If Founding Bot X cannot find one, set its
Binary path in provider settings, especially when using a version manager.
Cursor's executable is cursor-agent, although its login command is
agent login. Codex connected through ChatGPT and Antigravity can use their
managed runtimes without a PATH entry.
Founding Bot X warns when a provider version has known compatibility problems with your release. Check Settings → Providers on that environment for the recommended version or range. When its package manager supports installing a specific version, you can install the recommendation there. Otherwise use the provider's installer on the environment's machine. An unlisted version is unverified.
When a provider CLI is behind its latest release, its provider card shows the available version. Update now runs the installer that owns the CLI (Homebrew, or a global npm, pnpm, Yarn, Bun, Volta, or Vite+ install), or the CLI's own update command when Founding Bot X cannot tell. Update a CLI installed with mise through mise. Cursor and Antigravity update with Founding Bot X. Homebrew installs compare against the version Homebrew offers, which can trail the npm release by a few hours.
Add another provider instance for a separate account or configuration. Each instance can have its own environment variables, such as API keys or a custom base URL. Mark secret values as sensitive; after saving, Founding Bot X does not display their original values.
For provider-specific setup and accounts, see Codex, Claude, OpenCode, Antigravity, Pi, and Muse Code.
Next steps
- Working with threads: start tasks and organize parallel work.
- Permission modes: choose when agents ask before acting.
- Remote access: connect from another device.
- Running in the background: keep a Linux or macOS host available.
- Updating Founding Bot X: update the app and connected servers.