Getting started
Padu is a high-performance, native desktop and web workspace for orchestrating local AI coding agents. Built in Rust with GPUI (the GPU-accelerated engine behind Zed), Padu runs directly on your machine, keeping all code, transcripts, checkpoints, and credentials 100% local.
1. Desktop App (Recommended)
Download the native release for macOS, Linux, or Windows from padu.dev/download or the GitHub releases page.
The desktop app bundles its own lightweight daemon and starts it automatically on loopback (127.0.0.1:4789). No separate server install or cloud account is required.
2. Headless Daemon (Remote Devboxes / Servers)
For remote devboxes, headless Linux servers, or continuous environments, you can run the standalone daemon binary:
# Start the standalone daemon on loopback port 4789
padu-daemon --bind 127.0.0.1:4789
# Or allow remote connections over private VPN / Tailscale
padu-daemon --bind 100.101.102.103:4789 --allow-non-loopback
The daemon can also serve the bundled web client directly. See Self-hosting the web UI.
Configuration and local state live under ~/.padu/ (or your OS user data directory).
3. Prerequisites
Padu manages external agent CLIs; it does not bundle AI models itself. Before launching an agent in Padu, make sure you have installed and authenticated at least one supported agent CLI:
- Claude Code:
claude(Anthropic CLI) - OpenAI Codex:
codex(OpenAI CLI) - OpenCode:
opencode - Pi Agent:
pi - Other ACP Agents: Cursor CLI, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Amp, Grok Build, Kimi Code, etc.
See Supported providers for the full list of supported agents.
Next Steps
- Workspaces — Understand Padu's workspace, session, and worktree model.
- Git worktrees — Run concurrent agents in isolated branches.
- Connectivity — Connect remote web or mobile clients via LAN, Tailscale, or SSH.
- Performance Architecture — Learn how GPUI delivers 120 FPS rendering with zero UI-thread blocking.
- Security & Privacy — How Padu protects your source code and credentials.
- Configuration & Settings — Configure
~/.padu/settings.jsonand provider binary overrides.