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Getting Started with Skales DevKit

Welcome to the Skales DevKit! This guide will help you set up and start using the development tools for the Skales application.

System Requirements

Before you begin, ensure your system meets these requirements:

  • Operating System: macOS 11+, Windows 10+, or Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 33+)
  • Node.js: Version 18 or higher (required for CLI operations)
  • Disk Space: Minimum 500MB for Skales and DevKit
  • Memory: 2GB RAM minimum recommended

You can check your Node.js version with:

node --version

Installation

  1. Download Skales

    • Visit skales.app and download the installer for your operating system
    • Follow the platform-specific installation prompts

  2. Launch Skales

    • Start the Skales application
    • You should see the main window with the sidebar

Enabling Developer Mode

  1. Place the DevKit folder (containing devkit.json) in the Skales installation directory (see the install-path table in the README)
  2. Set "enabled": true and your token in devkit.json
  3. Restart Skales - the DevKit surfaces (Developer Docs, Debug Panel, API Playground) become available

Setting Up the DevKit Folder

The DevKit stores its configuration and data in your user directory:

  1. Create the DevKit folder:

    mkdir -p ~/.skales-data/devkit

  2. Create a devkit.json configuration file in this folder:

    ~/.skales-data/devkit/devkit.json

  3. Add the following configuration:

    {
  "enabled": true,
  "token": "your-devkit-token-here",
  "features": {
    "apiPlayground": true,
    "debugPanel": true,
    "docs": true,
    "cliAccess": true
  }
}

DevKit Configuration (devkit.json)

The devkit.json file controls how the DevKit behaves:

Setting Type Description
enabled boolean Enable/disable the entire DevKit
token string Authentication token for API access (set your own value here; the CLI sends it as a Bearer token)
features.apiPlayground boolean Enable the interactive API Playground in the UI
features.debugPanel boolean Enable the Debug Panel for viewing logs and state
features.docs boolean Enable inline documentation viewer
features.cliAccess boolean Enable CLI access to DevKit APIs

What Appears After Setup

Once enabled, you'll see a new Developer section in the sidebar containing:

  • API Playground: Interactive interface to test API endpoints in real-time
  • Debug Panel: View application logs, state changes, and performance metrics
  • Docs: Built-in documentation viewer for all DevKit features

Using the CLI

The Skales DevKit includes a CLI for programmatic access:

  1. Navigate to the CLI directory:

    cd ~/.skales-data/devkit/cli

  2. Run the Skales CLI:

    node skales.js

  3. You'll see a prompt where you can enter commands and interact with the DevKit APIs

CLI Features

  • Send messages to the AI
  • Query available tools
  • Manage memories
  • Create and manage scheduled tasks
  • View system status

Your First API Call

To make your first API call, you can use curl from the command line:

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/cli/status \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your-devkit-token" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Expected Response:

{
  "app": "Skales",
  "version": "10.0.3",
  "provider": "anthropic",
  "model": "claude-opus",
  "memory_count": 0,
  "session_count": 0,
  "tools_count": 8,
  "uptime_ms": 45000,
  "devkit_version": "0.3.0"
}

For more detailed API documentation, see api-reference.md.

Data Storage

All DevKit data and configuration is stored in your user's home directory:

~/.skales-data/
├── devkit/
│   ├── devkit.json          # Configuration file
│   ├── cli/                 # CLI tools
│   └── sessions/            # Chat session history
├── agent-skills/            # Agent skill definitions
├── mcp-servers.json         # MCP server configuration
└── logs/                    # Application logs

Never commit these directories to version control as they contain sensitive tokens.

Troubleshooting

DevKit Not Showing in Sidebar

  • Issue: Developer section doesn't appear after enabling
  • Solution: Restart the Skales application completely (quit and relaunch)

401 Unauthorized Errors

  • Issue: API calls return 401 errors
  • Cause: Invalid or missing token in devkit.json
  • Solution:
    1. Set a new token value in the token field of devkit.json
    2. Use the same token in the CLI (SKALES_TOKEN env or cli config)
    3. Restart Skales

CLI Cannot Connect

  • Issue: "Cannot connect to Skales" error when running skales.js
  • Cause: Skales application is not running or listening on port 3000
  • Solution:
    1. Ensure Skales application is running
    2. Check that no other application is using port 3000
    3. Try setting the SKALES_URL environment variable: export SKALES_URL=http://localhost:3000

Permission Denied on devkit.json

  • Issue: Cannot create or modify devkit.json
  • Cause: File permissions issue
  • Solution: 
    chmod 755 ~/.skales-data/devkit
chmod 644 ~/.skales-data/devkit/devkit.json

Next Steps

For additional help, visit the Skales community or check the built-in documentation in the DevKit Docs viewer.