Use the Kilo Code Adapter

Use the nvidia.fabric.kilo adapter to run tasks with Kilo Code. Each NVIDIA NeMo Fabric runtime starts one isolated kilo serve child process and reuses one Kilo Code session across ordered invocations. Kilo Code runs as a separate server process; it is not embedded in the adapter process.

Install the Adapter

Install Node.js 22.19 or later. Then install the adapter and its exact-pinned, consumer-managed Kilo Code packages in the project that owns the NeMo Fabric configuration:

npm install --save-exact nemo-fabric-adapters-kilo @kilocode/cli@7.7.12 @kilocode/sdk@7.7.12

The Kilo CLI and SDK are optional peers. Installing the adapter alone does not install them. Starting the adapter without the compatible packages returns kilo_harness_unavailable.

For source development, run these commands from the repository root:

just install-typescript-kilo
npm install --prefix adapters/typescript --no-save --package-lock=false @kilocode/cli@7.7.12
npm run build --prefix adapter-contract/typescript
npm run build --prefix adapters/typescript --workspace nemo-fabric-adapters-common
npm run build --prefix adapters/typescript --workspace nemo-fabric-adapters-kilo

Configure the Adapter

Select the Kilo Code integration and point discovery at the installed adapter descriptor:

from nemo_fabric import DiscoveryConfig, FabricConfig, HarnessConfig
from nemo_fabric import MetadataConfig, ModelConfig
config = FabricConfig(
    metadata=MetadataConfig(name="kilo-review"),
    discovery=DiscoveryConfig(
        local_paths=[
            "./node_modules/nemo-fabric-adapters-kilo/kilo.fabric-adapter.json"
        ]
    ),
    harness=HarnessConfig(adapter_id="nvidia.fabric.kilo"),
    models={
        "default": ModelConfig(
            provider="nvidia",
            model="nvidia/nemotron-3-nano-30b-a3b",
            api_key_env="NVIDIA_API_KEY",
            base_url="https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1",
        )
    },
)

Set NVIDIA_API_KEY before starting the runtime. For a source build, set discovery.local_paths to adapters/typescript/kilo/kilo.fabric-adapter.json instead. The build commands above create the descriptor’s dist/cli.js runner.

Supported Configuration

The adapter supports the following normalized configuration:

• Models: Selects the default role, or the only configured role. It maps provider, model, api_key_env, base_url, temperature, and top_p.
• Instructions: Supports instructions.system with mode: replace.
• Runtime: Maps a positive runtime.max_turns to Kilo Code’s build-agent step limit.
• Tools: Maps native Kilo Code tool names in tools.enabled and tools.blocked. Tool definitions are unsupported.
• Skills: Each skills.paths entry must be a directory containing SKILL.md. Startup verifies that Kilo Code loaded every configured skill.
• MCP: Supports stdio, streamable HTTP, and SSE server configurations. Startup requires every configured server to report connected.

Model Endpoints

When base_url is set, it must identify an OpenAI-compatible model-provider endpoint. It is not the address of the Kilo Code server. Without base_url, the configured provider and model must be supported by Kilo Code. HTTPS is required except for loopback HTTP. For a trusted private IPv4 HTTP endpoint, explicitly set harness.settings.allow_insecure_http_model_endpoint to true. Public IP addresses, hostnames, and link-local addresses remain blocked. The model credential and prompt content are then sent over an unencrypted connection.

MCP Configuration

Remote MCP endpoints require HTTPS except for loopback development endpoints. They may define headers but not process arguments or environment variables. Stdio servers may define arguments and environment variables but not headers.

Header values may reference ${NAME}. Resolution checks NeMo Fabric environment.env first and then the parent process environment. Unresolved references fail startup. Normalized MCP authentication and per-server tool filters are unsupported.

Runtime Behavior

The adapter accepts plain-text input and returns the terminal assistant text in output.response. Usage and cost are included when Kilo Code reports them. Ordered invocations reuse one warm session and its conversation history. A prompt has a 30-minute deadline; on timeout the adapter asks Kilo Code to abort the prompt and reports kilo_prompt_timeout.

The adapter disables project Kilo Code configuration and uses temporary Kilo and XDG directories. The child process receives required operating-system variables, explicit NeMo Fabric environment.env values, and the selected model credential. Other parent variables are not forwarded.

The adapter is non-interactive. It denies follow-up questions, access outside the workspace, doom-loop continuation, and direct reads of .env files. These permission rules are not a filesystem sandbox and cannot prevent an enabled shell tool from reading workspace files. Use an environment provider when the task needs stronger isolation.

models.max_tokens, provider-specific model settings, append-mode system instructions, streaming, cancellation, service mode, and Relay telemetry are unsupported.

Understand the Runtime Lifecycle

The adapter runs as a persistent Node.js process, but the Kilo Code harness does not run in-process. start launches kilo serve as a separate child process on an available loopback port, connects through @kilocode/sdk, and creates one session. stop deletes the session, terminates that server, and removes its temporary profile.

Create a new runtime to change the selected model, workspace, skills, MCP servers, or tool policy.