What is what
cradle-server, the cradle CLI and the web console — the parts of the system, where each one is installed, and what you do not need to install at all.
Before installing anything, it helps to tell three things apart. The names look alike, but the roles differ — and they go on different machines.
The three components
| What it is | Where it lives | Installed from | |
|---|---|---|---|
cradle-server | The daemon. Holds the SQLite database, the models, RAG and the channels (Telegram, widget, HTTP API). The only component that actually does work | on the server | the cradle-cli package |
cradle | A thin HTTP client. It has no database and loads no models — every command is a call to some server's /admin/* namespace | anywhere: on the server and on your laptop | the same cradle-cli package |
The package is called cradle-cli, but it ships both binaries — the daemon
and the client. The name is historical: it comes from the prefix in the
downloads bucket.
Why the CLI ends up on the server too
cradle is not a "client half" of some app. It is the tool for driving a server from
anywhere: on the server itself it talks to localhost:31416, from a laptop to
http://<server-address>:31416. The commands are identical.
It is also how deployment happens: cradle server init is not data work but an
operator command that creates the database, the first API key and the systemd
unit. That is why the CLI is needed on the server from the start.
What is not connected to what
The server and the console are not parts of one installation. The console is a web page; the server runs wherever you put it:
- Laptop only, working locally → run the server on your machine.
The console finds it on
localhost:31416. - Shared server, heavy models, several people →
deploy
cradle-serverand connect to it from the console or the CLI.
The usual sequence
- On the server (once) — the installer puts
cradle-serverandcradlein place, creates the database and issues the first admin key. - Start the daemon — through systemd (with root) or by hand with
cradle-server. - Connect a client — either:
cradle login --url http://<server-address>:31416 --key ck_live_..., thencradle agents,cradle models pull,cradle health;- or the web console on opencradle.ai if you prefer a GUI.
Step 3 works the same from the server and from a laptop — one command, different
--url.
What is Cradle?
Cradle runs teams of AI agents and checks their work. A project is a team — a captain, leads with their executors, and a Checker. This page also says which parts run today and which are planned.
Run Cradle on your machine
From one command to your first team — install the server on your own computer, let the console find it, and pick a model for your hardware.