Editions¶

A Starkite edition is a packaged binary containing a specific set of runtime modules. Providing multiple editions allows you to minimize binary size and reduce dependency graphs in space-constrained or security-sensitive environments. All editions share a common language core and base modules.

By default, the all-in-one kite binary is used. Reach for a lean edition only if binary footprint or dependency auditing constraints require it.

Binary	Included Modules	Use Case
`kite`	Base + Kubernetes + AI/MCP	Default all-in-one developer workstation binary
`kitecmd`	Base only	Minimal system scripting, general automation, and CI tasks
`kitecloud`	Base + Kubernetes (`k8s` module + `kite kube` CLI commands)	Cloud-native ops and manifest workflows
`kiteai`	Base + LLM clients + MCP capabilities	Agentic AI orchestration and LLM tool integration

Lean editions (kitecmd, kitecloud, and kiteai) are strict subsets of kite, packaged smaller for space-conscious environments like init containers, edge nodes, and CI runners.

Per-edition Go modules¶

To optimize binary footprints, each edition is defined as a distinct Go module with independent dependency graphs. This ensures omitted modules are never compiled in. For example, kitecmd links no Kubernetes or LLM client libraries, producing a ~26 MB binary with no cloud-native library overhead. Lean editions are tailored for container init steps, edge computing, or CI runners; developers typically use the all-in-one kite binary.

Base modules¶

All editions include the following 27 base modules:

os, fs, fmt, io, vars, strings, regexp, json, yaml, csv, sql, time, base64, hash, uuid, template, gzip, zip, log, concur, retry, table, runtime, ssh, http, inventory, test

For module details, see the API Reference.

What `kitecloud` adds¶

The kitecloud edition adds the k8s module and the kite kube CLI command set. This enables Kubernetes CRUD operations, controller runtimes, custom resource definitions (CRDs), and admission webhooks.

For guides, see the Kubernetes Guide.

What `kiteai` adds¶

The kiteai edition adds LLM client integration and Model Context Protocol (MCP) support. This includes multi-provider chat and streaming APIs (ai module) and host-server MCP capabilities (mcp module).

For guides, see the AI Agents Guide.

List and switch editions¶

Use the kite edition subcommand to manage and switch between installed editions on a host. To list installed editions and verify the active one, run:

$ kite edition status
Current edition: ai
Version:         0.1.0-dev
Binary edition:  base

Installed editions:
  * ai    (56 MB)
    cloud (63 MB)

The * marker indicates the active edition.

To switch editions, use kite edition use. If the requested edition is not locally cached, the tool automatically fetches it from GitHub Releases before activation:

kite edition use cloud      # Download + activate kitecloud
kite edition use ai         # Download + activate kiteai
kite edition use base       # Switch back to base

For local development or offline environments, install custom-built binaries using --from:

kite edition use cloud --from ./bin/kitecloud

To uninstall an edition and reclaim disk space (the default base edition cannot be removed):

kite edition remove cloud

For syntax and flags, see the kite edition CLI Reference.