Windows quickstart

Carina runs on Windows with Node.js 22+. WSL2 is recommended for Docker-based sandboxing and parity with Linux deploy scripts.

1. Install Node.js

Install Node.js 22 LTS from nodejs.org or use winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS.

2. Install Carina

npm install -g carina-agent
carina --version

Native curl installer support may vary; npm is the most reliable path on Windows today.

3. Onboard

carina onboard

Store API keys in %USERPROFILE%\.carina\.env, not in the repo.

4. WSL2 (recommended for tools)

For sandboxed shell-exec and code-exec:

1. Install WSL2 and Docker Desktop
2. Run Carina inside WSL for tool execution, or point Docker from Windows PowerShell

5. First chat

carina "Confirm Windows install works."

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
carina not found	Re-open terminal after npm global install; check npm global bin path
Sandbox tools fail	Enable WSL2 + Docker Desktop
Line ending issues in .env	Save .env as UTF-8 LF

Next

• Install
• Troubleshooting