OpenSquilla — Token-Efficient AI Agent
Same budget, more capability, better results.
A microkernel AI agent for your CLI, Web UI, and chat channels.
English · 中文 · 日本語 · Français · Deutsch · Español
News
📢 2026-08-22 — The English version of our technical report is now on aiXiv: aixiv.260822.000001, and the Chinese version is on ChinaXiv: 202608.00176. See Citation for how to cite OpenSquilla.
📢 2026-08-21 — PDF versions of our technical report are now available in this repo: English · 中文.
📢 2026-07-14 — Our technical report Agentic Routing: The Harness-Native Data Flywheel is now on arXiv. It shows how the harness-native router turns everyday agent traffic into a self-improving data flywheel, and how multi-model ensemble routing surpasses Fable 5.
Overview
OpenSquilla is a token-efficient, microkernel AI agent. A local model
router sends each turn to the cheapest model that can handle it, while
persistent memory, a layered sandbox, built-in web search, and
on-device embeddings round out a single shared turn loop.
Every entry point — Web UI, CLI, and chat channels — runs through that
same loop, so tool dispatch, retries, and decision logging behave
identically everywhere. A pluggable provider layer speaks to
TokenRhythm, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, DeepSeek, Gemini,
Qwen/DashScope, and 20+ other LLM providers with no change to your code or config
schema.
OpenSquilla 0.5.4 is the current stable release.
For task-oriented product documentation, start with the
OpenSquilla Product Guide or the
documentation index.
Installation
OpenSquilla runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Pick the path that
matches your use case.
Desktop installers and Quick terminal install give you a prebuilt release —
no Git required. The other two — Install from source and
Develop from source — build from a Git checkout (git clone + Git LFS),
including the Vue control console. Release wheels and Desktop installers already
contain that console, so their users do not need Node.js or npm.
Release install commands use published GitHub release assets. Python wheel installs use versioned wheel filenames because installers validate the version
embedded in the wheel filename.
For 0.5.4 desktop use, prefer the packaged desktop installers from
the GitHub Release: OpenSquilla-0.5.4-mac-arm64.dmg on macOS and
OpenSquilla-0.5.4-win-x64.exe on Windows.
Prerequisites
| Requirement |
Quick terminal install |
Install from source |
Develop from source |
| Python 3.12+ |
via uv |
via uv or system |
via uv |
| Git + Git LFS |
— |
required |
required |
| Node.js 22.12+ + npm |
— |
required to build the Web UI |
required for Web UI and wheels |
uv |
installed if missing |
recommended |
required |
The default recommended profile installs SquillaRouter —
OpenSquilla's on-device model router — and its model assets;
OPENSQUILLA_INSTALL_PROFILE=core omits those dependencies. The
separate --router disabled onboarding flag keeps the dependencies
installed but turns the router off at runtime.
On Windows, SquillaRouter's bundled ONNX runtime also needs the Visual
C++ runtime. The from-source PowerShell installer installs it automatically via
winget; the Quick terminal install (uv tool install) path does not — if
startup logs a DLL load failed error, install it manually (see
Troubleshooting). OpenSquilla keeps running with direct
single-model routing until it is installed.
On macOS terminal installs, SquillaRouter's LightGBM runtime may also
need the system OpenMP library. The desktop app bundles the
runtime it needs, but Quick terminal install does not install
Homebrew/system libraries. If startup logs Library not loaded: @rpath/libomp.dylib, run brew install libomp, then restart the
gateway. OpenSquilla keeps running with direct single-model routing
until it is installed.
Install links: Git ·
Git LFS ·
Node.js ·
uv.
Desktop installers
The 0.5.4 desktop installers package the Vue control console and
gateway runtime in an Electron shell.
For faster Mainland China downloads, use the OSS direct-download aliases:
These fixed links advance only after a newer eligible release passes mirror
verification. Use the versioned GitHub Release links above when you need a
specific release.
Quit any running OpenSquilla desktop app before upgrading. On macOS, drag the
app from the DMG into Applications for installation or updates, eject the DMG,
then open the Applications copy. The existing Desktop profile in the platform
application-data directory is reused. A terminal installation's
~/.opensquilla is a separate profile; transfer it explicitly from Settings
only if needed.
When upgrading the Windows Desktop from RC3 to RC4 or later, run the new
installer directly over the existing installation. Do not uninstall RC3
first: its uninstaller may remove Desktop user data. Back up
%APPDATA%\OpenSquilla before upgrading. RC4 and later installers preserve
profile data during a normal uninstall.
Code signing policy: docs/code-signing-policy.md.
[!NOTE]
The published v0.5.4 Windows installer remains unsigned. The current Release
Assets workflow Authenticode signs new Windows installers as Beijing
TokenRhythm Technologies Co., Ltd. SmartScreen reputation can still take time
to build for a new publisher or application. If enterprise policy blocks the
Desktop app, use Quick terminal install instead.
Quick terminal install
The recommended path on Windows, macOS, and Linux. uv installs
OpenSquilla into its own isolated environment and manages its own
Python — no system Python required. This path installs published
releases only; for main, development branches, or local checkouts
use Install from source.
1. Install uv — skip if uv --version already works.
Linux / macOS:
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
. "$HOME/.local/bin/env"
Windows PowerShell:
powershell -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
$env:Path = "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin;" + $env:Path
2. Install OpenSquilla — the same command on every platform.
uv tool install --python 3.12 "opensquilla[recommended] @ https://github.com/TokenRhythm/opensquilla/releases/download/v0.5.4/opensquilla-0.5.4-py3-none-any.whl"
This installs the OpenSquilla wheel from the release URL, then lets
uv download the dependencies declared by the selected extras. The
default recommended extra includes SquillaRouter runtime dependencies
such as ONNX Runtime, LightGBM, NumPy, and tokenizers, so a first install
needs network access unless those wheels are already cached. uv does
not install system native runtimes such as macOS libomp or the Windows
Visual C++ Redistributable; see Troubleshooting if
the router runtime reports a native-library load error.
3. Configure and run.
opensquilla onboard
opensquilla gateway run
[!NOTE]
If opensquilla is not found right after a fresh uv install, open
a new terminal, or re-run the PATH line from step 1.
For a fully pinned install, use the versioned wheel URL:
https://github.com/TokenRhythm/opensquilla/releases/download/v0.5.4/opensquilla-0.5.4-py3-none-any.whl.
Install from source
Use this path to run OpenSquilla from a checkout without editing it.
The clone is only the package source for the installer; after install,
use the opensquilla command — do not run uv run. Choose
Develop from source instead if you intend to
modify the code.
Clone with LFS assets
git lfs install
git clone https://github.com/TokenRhythm/opensquilla.git
cd opensquilla
git lfs pull --include="src/opensquilla/squilla_router/models/**"
Run the installer
macOS / Linux
bash scripts/install_source.sh
Windows PowerShell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ./scripts/install_source.ps1
The script installs .[recommended] (SquillaRouter + memory + local
models) into a dedicated user environment via uv tool install. Before the
Python install, it runs npm ci and npm run build in
opensquilla-webui. Every source reinstall recreates the locked
node_modules tree and rebuilds the console; the first run normally has the
largest dependency download, while a warm npm cache reduces later network
use but not all build time or disk writes. It then installs the built console
with the Python package,
falling back to python -m pip install --user when uv is
unavailable. If opensquilla is not on PATH after install (common
on a fresh host where ~/.local/bin is not yet on PATH), run
uv tool update-shell and open a new terminal; see
Troubleshooting for details.
Direct pip install ., uv tool install ., and VCS URL installs are
low-level source-build paths, not substitutes for this installer. A local
checkout works only after its Web UI has been built; a VCS URL checkout has
no generated artifact and is intentionally rejected. Use this source
installer or an official release wheel instead.
(optional) Install advanced extras. Most channels — Feishu,
Telegram, DingTalk, QQ, WeCom, Slack, and Discord — work from the
base install. The opt-in extras are:
matrix — Matrix channel (pulls in matrix-nio)matrix-e2e — Matrix channel with end-to-end encryption (requires
libolm)document-extras — PDF generation via WeasyPrint
OPENSQUILLA_INSTALL_EXTRAS=matrix bash scripts/install_source.sh # macOS / Linux
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File ./scripts/install_source.ps1 -Extras matrix # Windows
Configure and run — see Configuration.
Install from source — terminal prerequisites and installer options
Install prerequisites (Git, Git LFS, Node.js 22.12+ with npm, uv) from a terminal
Windows PowerShell:
winget install --id Git.Git -e
winget install --id GitHub.GitLFS -e
winget install --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS -e
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
git lfs install
macOS (Homebrew):
brew install git git-lfs node uv
git lfs install
Debian / Ubuntu:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git git-lfs curl
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
git lfs install
On Fedora use sudo dnf install -y git git-lfs; on Arch use
sudo pacman -S --needed git git-lfs; install Node.js 22.12+ and npm from
your distribution or nodejs.org, then install uv with the curl command
above. PATH changes from these installers apply to new
terminal sessions.
Installer environment variables and PATH checks
OPENSQUILLA_INSTALL_PROFILE=core bash scripts/install_source.sh # minimal runtime, no SquillaRouter
OPENSQUILLA_INSTALL_DRY_RUN=1 bash scripts/install_source.sh # print the plan only
Verify which opensquilla your shell runs with command -v opensquilla (macOS/Linux) or where.exe opensquilla (Windows). If it
is not on PATH, run uv tool update-shell. After reinstalling from a
local checkout, restart the gateway so it loads the updated package.
Develop from source
Use this path when you are working on OpenSquilla's source code:
making changes, running tests, or debugging behavior against this
checkout. It is not the normal install path. Unlike
Install from source, this path requires uv:
uv sync creates a repository-local .venv, and uv run executes
commands against the files in this checkout.
cd opensquilla-webui
npm ci
npm run build
cd ..
uv sync --extra recommended --extra dev
uv run opensquilla --help
Run npm run build again after changing Web UI sources. Standard wheel builds
fail closed when the generated console is missing or stale; editable uv sync
installs remain available for backend-only work.
The recommended extra includes SquillaRouter for development too;
the dev extra installs the test, lint, and typecheck tools. Install
additional extras into the same environment you run:
uv sync --extra recommended --extra dev --extra matrix
uv run opensquilla channels status matrix --json
In this mode, prefix every opensquilla command in
Configuration with uv run. Do not debug a
development checkout through a user-local opensquilla command — that
command runs in a different Python environment.
Uninstall
Remove OpenSquilla with opensquilla uninstall. It keeps your data by default
and removes only the program:
opensquilla uninstall --dry-run # preview what would be removed and kept
opensquilla uninstall # remove the program, keep your data
To delete data too, opt in explicitly:
opensquilla uninstall --purge-state # sessions, logs, cache, scheduler, memory
opensquilla uninstall --purge-config # config.toml and secrets (.env)
opensquilla uninstall --purge-all # everything (asks you to type a confirmation)
The running gateway is drained and stopped first, deletion stays inside the
OpenSquilla home, and Docker/desktop installs get guided removal steps instead.
Desktop or OS app removal remains platform-specific; the CLI guidance does not
remove a desktop app bundle. See docs/cli.md for the
full reference.
Installation Privacy
OpenSquilla uses pseudonymous installation telemetry to estimate install
counts, version adoption, and runtime compatibility. Data is sent on first
gateway startup and once per OpenSquilla version. It also records content-free daily
aggregates of completed top-level conversations and token usage by UTC date,
and attempts to upload pending cumulative UTC-day snapshots to the telemetry
service at startup and once per hour. OpenSquilla may also make
passive update checks, including automatic desktop update checks at startup
and, while the app remains open, at most once per day. Uploads use a short
timeout and never block startup.
See PRIVACY.md for the full privacy policy covering local data,
provider requests, network observability, logs, release downloads, and deletion.
What is sent:
- schema version
- locally generated stable
install_id digest
- OpenSquilla version
- event type (
install, version_seen, or daily_usage)
- install method (
pip, source, docker, desktop, or unknown)
- operating system, OS version, CPU architecture, and Python major/minor
version
- first-seen and sent timestamps
- CI/test-environment marker (
ci_environment)
- completed UTC day, conversation count, and aggregate input/output/cache/cache-write
token counts for daily-usage events
The install_id is a local one-way SHA-256 digest derived from usable MAC
addresses, then local IP addresses when no MAC is available, with a random
persisted fallback. Raw MAC/IP values are not uploaded.
By default, requests sent directly to the official TokenRhythm HTTPS API may
also carry the same pseudonymous, cross-session installation identifier in the
optional X-OpenSquilla-Install-Id header. Only the exact official
tokenrhythm.studio and api.tokenrhythm.studio HTTPS hosts on port 443 are
eligible; custom proxies, OpenRouter, other providers, browser pages,
redirected nonofficial targets, and returned image/CDN downloads are excluded.
The raw MAC/IP values are never sent. The header is omitted if its background
resolution is not ready or fails, so requests continue normally.
What is not sent: usernames, hostnames, paths, API keys, provider config,
chat/session/memory/agent content, file names, or file contents. Source IP may
be visible to HTTP servers at the transport layer, but is not part of the
payload.
To disable non-user-initiated network observability before startup:
OPENSQUILLA_PRIVACY_DISABLE_NETWORK_OBSERVABILITY=true
or set:
[privacy]
disable_network_observability = true
That unified switch covers automatic install telemetry, daily aggregate usage
telemetry, passive update checks, and automatic desktop update checks at
startup and during long-running app sessions, as well as the TokenRhythm
installation header. Explicit update-availability checks remain disabled while
the unified or legacy opt-out is active. CI and test environments also
suppress the installation header and installation telemetry automatically.
Other user-initiated actions may still
contact network services after user intent, including release downloads and
configured providers, search, or channels.
Legacy opt-out environment variables remain honored:
OPENSQUILLA_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=true
OPENSQUILLA_UPDATE_CHECK_DISABLED=true
The legacy telemetry opt-out suppresses the TokenRhythm installation header;
the update-check opt-out by itself does not. TokenRhythm must treat the header
as optional and untrusted,
OpenSquilla is a token-efficient, microkernel AI agent that uses a local model router to send each conversation turn to the cheapest model that can handle it, while sharing memory, a sandbox, and web search across its CLI, Web UI, and chat-channel interfaces.