Kilo Code

Give Kilo Code long-term memory that survives context wipes, session restarts, and fresh chats. Kilo remembers what you’re working on, your durable preferences, and prior context across every project you touch. The plugin runs inside Kilo’s local server, so the same install works in the Kilo CLI, the VS Code extension, and the JetBrains plugin.

Quick Start

Step 1: Get Your Honcho API Key

Go to app.honcho.dev
Sign up or log in
Copy your API key (starts with hch-)

Step 2: Install the Plugin

Desktop app, VS Code, JetBrains
Kilo CLI

Install Honcho from the Kilo Marketplace, then type /honcho in the chat. The agent asks what name Honcho should call you and opens a window on your screen for your API key. You can skip Step 3. See Setting Up from the Desktop App or an Extension.

Until Honcho is listed in the Kilo Marketplace, add it to Kilo’s global config yourself. Put it in the plugin array of ~/.config/kilo/kilo.jsonc, and create the file if it does not exist:

{
  "plugin": ["@honcho-ai/kilo-honcho"]
}

Restart Kilo, then type /honcho.

Install the plugin, then run Step 3:

kilo plugin @honcho-ai/kilo-honcho --global

To update an existing install:

kilo plugin @honcho-ai/kilo-honcho --global --force

To add the plugin by hand, put "@honcho-ai/kilo-honcho" in the plugin array of ~/.config/kilo/kilo.jsonc (or kilo.json), which loads the server half, and of ~/.config/kilo/tui.json, which loads the /honcho:* commands. kilo plugin writes the same entries, but under Kilo’s older opencode.json name; Kilo reads both. The desktop app and the VS Code and JetBrains extensions read the same global config, so one install covers every client.

Step 3: Run Setup in the Kilo CLI

Start Kilo. The first time the plugin loads without an API key, it offers to set up Honcho.
Choose Set up now, or run /honcho:setup
Keep the default Honcho Cloud option unless you want a self-hosted or local endpoint
Paste your Honcho API key
Confirm the name Honcho should call you. Setup fills in the peerName your other Honcho tools use, or your OS user name.
Choose a workspace: Kilo’s own, or one another Honcho tool already uses
Run /honcho:status to verify the runtime

Already using Honcho with Claude Code, Hermes, or another tool? Kilo reads the same ~/.honcho/config.json, so it works without setup. Run /honcho:setup only to share a workspace with that tool.

What You Get

Persistent Memory — Kilo retains durable context across sessions
Recall on every prompt — Honcho’s conclusions that match your prompt reach the model without being saved into Kilo’s session history
Visible recall — A Honcho section in Kilo’s sidebar shows what Honcho added, and /honcho:recall shows the exact text
Cloud or Local Deployments — Point at Honcho Cloud or a self-hosted / local instance
Flexible Session Mapping — Scope sessions per directory, repo, branch, chat instance, or globally
Memory Skill — A honcho-memory skill tells the agent when to search and save memory on its own
Agent Tools — First-class tools for search, chat, and conclusion-writing inside Kilo

Kilo CLI, Desktop App, and IDE Extensions

Every Kilo client starts its own local Kilo server, and the plugin runs inside that server. Memory works the same in all of them: Honcho recalls what it knows about you on each prompt, saves the conversation, and gives the agent its honcho_* tools. Setup and what you can see differ.

	Kilo CLI	Desktop app, VS Code, JetBrains
Recall, saving, and `honcho_*` tools	Yes	Yes
Setup	`/honcho:setup`, or Set up now when Kilo first loads the plugin	`/honcho`, or say yes when the agent offers
`/honcho` command	Yes	Yes
Honcho section in the sidebar	Yes	No
`/honcho:*` commands	Yes	No
Check that Honcho is working	The sidebar, `/honcho:status`, `/honcho:recall`	`/honcho`. Honcho tool calls also appear in the chat.

The sidebar section and the /honcho:* commands come from the plugin’s terminal UI half. The desktop app and the extensions do not load terminal UI plugins. /honcho comes from the server half, so every client lists it.

Setting Up from the Desktop App or an Extension

Type /honcho in the chat. The agent asks what name Honcho should call you, then opens a window on your screen for your API key. Paste the key into that window, never into the chat. Memory starts with your next message; you do not need to restart Kilo. Asking “Set up Honcho memory for me” does the same, and the agent offers it on its own when Honcho has no key. Once Honcho is set up, /honcho shows your peer, the workspace, a link to the session, and a summary of what Honcho recalled most recently. /honcho is a prompt to the agent, so it uses a model call. If the window cannot open, for example in a remote session, see Remote and Headless Use.

Differences Outside the CLI

Environment variables. On macOS and Linux, the desktop app and an editor opened from the Dock or an app launcher do not see variables from your shell profile, such as HONCHO_API_KEY in ~/.zshrc. Save the key with setup instead. An editor started from a terminal, for example with code ., does see them.
Desktop chats. Each desktop chat runs in its own folder, so each chat is its own Honcho session. Memory of you carries across chats. honcho_search searches the current session’s messages only, so it finds nothing from other chats; honcho_chat and recall do.
Kilo version. The desktop app and the extensions bundle their own copy of Kilo, which can be a different version from your Kilo CLI. All of them read the same ~/.config/kilo and ~/.honcho/config.json, so one install and one setup cover every client.

Kilo Memory and Honcho

Kilo has its own memory feature, Kilo Memory. It is off by default, and it stores facts about the current project on your machine. Honcho stores facts about you, and keeps them across every repo and every machine that uses the same workspace. The two run side by side. Kilo Memory’s capture skips the text this plugin adds, so Honcho’s recall is never copied into Kilo Memory. Kilo’s sidebar shows Memory • Disabled while Kilo Memory is off. That line is about Kilo Memory only. The plugin adds its own Honcho section below it:

Honcho
• Active
Peer: alice
Session: View in Honcho ↗
/honcho:recall

On Honcho Cloud, clicking View in Honcho opens the session in the Honcho dashboard, where you can read the saved messages and the conclusions. Any other Honcho server has no known dashboard address, so the sidebar shows the session name instead. Click /honcho:recall, or run it, to read the exact memory text the model received.

The sidebar section is part of the Kilo CLI. The desktop app and the IDE extensions do not show it; see Kilo CLI, Desktop App, and IDE Extensions.

Configuration

Configuration lives in a single shared file at ~/.honcho/config.json, shared with other Honcho hosts (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and others). Kilo-specific settings live under hosts.kilo. Edit the file directly, use /honcho:config, or call the honcho_set_config tool.

{
  "apiKey": "hch-...",
  "peerName": "alice",
  "baseUrl": "https://api.honcho.dev",
  "hosts": {
    "kilo": {
      "workspace": "kilo",
      "aiPeer": "kilo",
      "recallMode": "hybrid",
      "observationMode": "unified",
      "sessionStrategy": "per-directory"
    }
  }
}

Top-level shared fields are apiKey, peerName, and baseUrl. Kilo’s host-scoped settings live under hosts.kilo: workspace, aiPeer, recallMode, observationMode, agentObserveMe, autoConclusions, and sessionStrategy. Set KILO_HONCHO_CONFIG_PATH to use a different file. autoConclusions is off by default. When it is on, a prompt that contains phrases such as “I prefer”, “always”, “never” or “remember that” is saved verbatim as a conclusion, so it is available on the next prompt. Honcho already derives conclusions from every saved message, and the keyword rule also catches prompts like “never mind, revert that”.

Peer Name and Workspace

Your peer is your peerName, unchanged, so Kilo uses the same peer as your other Honcho tools. Kilo reads HONCHO_PEER_NAME, then peerName in ~/.honcho/config.json, then your OS user name ($USER). If you already use another Honcho tool, Kilo picks up its API key and peer name with no setup. A peer belongs to one workspace. Kilo uses its own kilo workspace by default, so it starts with no memory of you. To share memory with another Honcho tool, choose that tool’s workspace in /honcho:setup, or set hosts.kilo.workspace to it. This changes nothing for the other tool.

Cloud vs Local

For Honcho Cloud:

apiKey is required
baseUrl should stay at https://api.honcho.dev

For self-hosted or local Honcho:

baseUrl should point to your deployment (e.g. http://127.0.0.1:8000). Without baseUrl, Kilo uses the environmentUrl that honcho init writes.
apiKey is only required if the deployment is authenticated
The agent’s honcho_setup will not switch Kilo to a local baseUrl. Set it in the file, or with /honcho:setup in the Kilo CLI.

If Kilo is running inside Docker or another remote environment, localhost won’t refer to your host machine. The baseUrl must be reachable from the Kilo server.

Recall Modes

Mode	Behavior	Best for
`hybrid` (default)	Context injection and tool access	Most users — balanced memory coverage
`context`	Only inject memory into the prompt	Predictable prompts, no tool calls
`tools`	Only expose memory as tools	Explicit, on-demand retrieval

Session Strategies

Strategy	Behavior	Best for
`per-directory` (default)	One session per working directory	Most projects
`per-repo`	One session per repository	Repos with multiple entry directories
`git-branch`	Session follows the current git branch	Branch-specific workflows
`per-session`	New session per Kilo session id	Short-lived isolated work
`chat-instance`	Session tied to the current chat instance	Highly ephemeral usage
`global`	One session for everything	Shared memory across all work

Operator Commands

Command	Description
`/honcho`	Set up Honcho from the chat, or show your peer, workspace, session link, and latest recall. Every Kilo client lists it.
`/honcho:setup`	First-time setup for cloud or local Honcho
`/honcho:status`	Show effective Honcho status for the current Kilo project
`/honcho:recall`	Show the exact memory text Honcho added to the current session
`/honcho:settings`	Show effective config values and config paths
`/honcho:config`	Edit shared Honcho fields
`/honcho:import`	Preview or import local Kilo session history into Honcho

The /honcho:* commands are part of the Kilo CLI only.

Agent Tools

The plugin exposes these tools inside Kilo:

Tool	Description
`honcho_setup`	Save the peer name and workspace, and ask for the API key in a window on the user’s screen. A key never passes through the chat, and the saved key is never sent to a new server.
`honcho_status`	Show effective runtime status
`honcho_get_config`	Read effective and persisted settings
`honcho_set_config`	Update a persisted shared setting. `apiKey` and `baseUrl` can only be changed by the user.
`honcho_search`	Search the messages in the current Honcho session only
`honcho_chat`	Query Honcho for reasoning-backed context
`honcho_create_conclusion`	Save a durable memory conclusion

The agent cannot read Honcho’s config. The plugin refuses any Kilo tool call that names ~/.honcho, the config file in use, or the session activity folder, and tells the agent to call honcho_status instead. It checks file paths and command text, so it stops an agent that means well, but not one that hides the path on purpose.

Plugin Surfaces

The plugin hooks into these Kilo plugin capabilities:

config
event
chat.message
experimental.chat.messages.transform
experimental.chat.system.transform
experimental.session.compacting
tool.execute.before
tool.execute.after
command.execute.before
shell.env
tool
dispose
the sidebar_content TUI slot

What Install Writes

Kilo config: @honcho-ai/kilo-honcho in the plugin array of Kilo’s global config. kilo plugin --global writes it to ~/.config/kilo/opencode.json and ~/.config/kilo/tui.json. The Kilo Marketplace adds the same plugin entry.
Honcho config: ~/.honcho/config.json, written only by /honcho:setup, /honcho:config, honcho_setup, and honcho_set_config, with mode 600. Installing or starting the plugin does not write it. An apiKey written as ${HONCHO_API_KEY} stays a reference.
Skill: ~/.config/kilo/skills/honcho-memory/SKILL.md, or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/kilo/skills/honcho-memory/SKILL.md when that variable is set. Every Kilo client reads it.
Import state: ~/.honcho/kilo-import-state.json, after you run /honcho:import.
Session activity: ~/.honcho/kilo/sessions/<session id>.json, one file per Kilo session, with mode 600. It holds the memory text shown by /honcho:recall. Files older than 14 days are removed when the plugin starts, and a file is removed when Kilo deletes its session.

Troubleshooting

The plugin does not load. Run kilo run --print-logs "hello" and look for kilo-honcho and Honcho session initialized for Kilo. in the output. Setting KILO_PURE=1 turns off every external plugin, including this one. Kilo does not use memory. In the desktop app or an extension, type /honcho. In the CLI, check the Honcho section in the sidebar. Not set up means there is no API key: run /honcho:setup. Error shows the reason the last Honcho request failed. Run /honcho:status to see the values the plugin uses, including any HONCHO_API_KEY, HONCHO_URL, or HONCHO_WORKSPACE set in your environment. Recall starts once Honcho has something to recall; a new workspace has no conclusions until a few messages have been processed. The sidebar shows the wrong peer. Kilo uses HONCHO_PEER_NAME if it is set, then peerName from ~/.honcho/config.json, then your OS user name. Unset HONCHO_PEER_NAME or run /honcho:setup to choose a name. Every Honcho tool on the machine reads it from ~/.honcho/config.json. The sidebar shows Error: … could not be read. ~/.honcho/config.json is not valid JSON. Honcho pauses until you fix the file, then resumes with the next message. Memory is missing from another tool. Each tool writes to its own workspace unless you set the same workspace for both. See Configuration.

Remote and Headless Use

The plugin runs wherever Kilo’s server runs, and reads ~/.honcho/config.json on that machine. When no window can open on your screen, finish setup on that machine in one of two ways:

Run /honcho:setup in the Kilo CLI there, if that machine has it.
Write ~/.honcho/config.json yourself with at least apiKey and peerName (see Configuration), then run chmod 600 ~/.honcho/config.json.
VS Code Remote SSH, dev containers, Codespaces. Kilo’s server runs on the remote machine, so it reads the remote’s ~/.honcho/config.json, not your laptop’s. Set Honcho up on the remote.
Key window over SSH. On macOS and Windows, honcho_setup does not open the key window in an SSH session, because it would appear on that machine’s own screen. The agent tells you to finish setup one of the two ways above instead. On Linux it opens only when a display is available, including through X forwarding. An unanswered window closes after 2 minutes.
CI and scripts. When the CI variable is set, the agent does not offer setup. Set HONCHO_API_KEY to use Honcho in CI, or KILO_PURE=1 to turn off every plugin.

Building with Teammates

Because ~/.honcho/config.json is shared across Honcho hosts, teammates can point at the same workspace while keeping their own identities. Session names start with each person’s peer, so two teammates in the same repo never share a session. Alice (~/.honcho/config.json):

{
  "apiKey": "hch-team-key...",
  "peerName": "alice",
  "hosts": {
    "kilo": { "workspace": "team-acme", "aiPeer": "kilo" }
  }
}

Bob (~/.honcho/config.json):

{
  "apiKey": "hch-team-key...",
  "peerName": "bob",
  "hosts": {
    "kilo": { "workspace": "team-acme", "aiPeer": "kilo" }
  }
}

Both write to team-acme; Honcho’s dialectic reasoning draws on context from both peers.

General Agents

Coding Agents

Frameworks & SDKs

Apps & Workflows

Data Sources

Tutorials

Quick Start

Step 1: Get Your Honcho API Key

Step 2: Install the Plugin

Step 3: Run Setup in the Kilo CLI

What You Get

Kilo CLI, Desktop App, and IDE Extensions

Setting Up from the Desktop App or an Extension

Differences Outside the CLI

Kilo Memory and Honcho

Configuration

Peer Name and Workspace

Cloud vs Local

Recall Modes

Session Strategies

Operator Commands

Agent Tools

Plugin Surfaces

What Install Writes

Troubleshooting

Remote and Headless Use

Building with Teammates

Next Steps

Source Code

Honcho Architecture

​Quick Start

​Step 1: Get Your Honcho API Key

​Step 2: Install the Plugin

​Step 3: Run Setup in the Kilo CLI

​What You Get

​Kilo CLI, Desktop App, and IDE Extensions

​Setting Up from the Desktop App or an Extension

​Differences Outside the CLI

​Kilo Memory and Honcho

​Configuration

​Peer Name and Workspace

​Cloud vs Local

​Recall Modes

​Session Strategies

​Operator Commands

​Agent Tools

​Plugin Surfaces

​What Install Writes

​Troubleshooting

​Remote and Headless Use

​Building with Teammates

​Next Steps

Source Code

Honcho Architecture

Quick Start

Step 1: Get Your Honcho API Key

Step 2: Install the Plugin

Step 3: Run Setup in the Kilo CLI

What You Get

Kilo CLI, Desktop App, and IDE Extensions

Setting Up from the Desktop App or an Extension

Differences Outside the CLI

Kilo Memory and Honcho

Configuration

Peer Name and Workspace

Cloud vs Local

Recall Modes

Session Strategies

Operator Commands

Agent Tools

Plugin Surfaces

What Install Writes

Troubleshooting

Remote and Headless Use

Building with Teammates

Next Steps