How to use DistilCode

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How to use it

DistilCode is a coding agent that runs in your terminal. Install it once, start it inside a project, and it reads files, edits code and runs commands for you — while keeping the context it sends small, so every task costs less.

Getting started

  1. 01

    Install DistilCode

    Install or update the CLI, then open a new terminal so it picks up your PATH. On Windows, run the installer; on macOS and Linux, copy the command below.

    curl -fsSL https://www.distilcode.dev/install | bash
    See all platform downloads →
  2. 02

    Start a session

    Open DistilCode inside your project. It starts in the current folder — pass a path to open another — and the interactive session takes it from there.

    distil

Control Panel

Tune how the agent works.

The Control Panel sits at the bottom of the right sidebar — press ctrl+o to switch to it. Every option is a toggle you flip from there, grouped by what it changes.The DistilCode Control Panel listing Enable Ponytail, Enable Caveman, Enable codebase memory, Enable smartCompress and Extend cache

Change agent behaviour

Ponytail
Full-intensity efficiency: reuse existing code, the standard library and native features before writing the minimum that works. On by default for main agents — say “stop ponytail” or “normal mode” to stop.
Caveman
Terse answers with no loss of substance. Removes the fluff while keeping code, commands, paths and errors exact. Off by default.

Change agent persistence

Codebase memory
Builds persistent repository, module, feature and command knowledge that the main and explore agents reuse across sessions.

Others

smartCompress
Lets Jev choose when to compress your context instead of compressing at a fixed point. Saves an additional ~6% in cost.
Extend cache
Sends a dummy message just before the prompt cache expires during a tool-call wait, so the cache stays warm.
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