Install REA for your coding agent

01. Before you start

You need a terminal, npm, and a coding agent with local MCP support. This guide covers Claude Code, Codex and Cursor. Use software you own or have permission to inspect.

node --version
npm --version

REA currently supports Node.js 22.19+ within 22.x, 24.11+ within 24.x, or 26+. Versions 23, 25 and prereleases are outside its supported range. Get a compatible release from Node.js if needed.

Our example checks were run on macOS arm64 with Node.js 22.23.1 and REA 6.4.0. Platform support for additional engines varies; see the official installation reference for your target.

02. Connect your coding agent

Choose your client to get a scoped setup command. “Choose in setup” opens the interactive client selection.

npx rea-agents@latest setup

1. Run the command. npm may first ask to download the package.
2. Review REA’s own plan: client configuration files, matching skill instructions, and any optional engine setup.
3. Approve the changes you want. If your first target is JavaScript, you can start without a native engine.
4. Restart or reconnect your coding agent so it loads the new MCP server.

The setup installs both the MCP registration and the matching workflow instructions. Installing only a skill does not establish the tool connection.

Prefer to ask your agent?

Install REA for this coding agent using npx rea-agents@latest setup. Show me the proposed configuration changes before applying them. Then tell me how to restart and verify the connection. My first target will be a local JavaScript package.

03. Check the connection

After restarting, ask the agent whether it can see REA’s tools. For our first tutorial, it should be able to call analyze_javascript_application.

Check whether REA's analyze_javascript_application tool is available in this session. If it is, tell me the local path it needs. If it is missing, report that rather than pretending to run an analysis.

You can also check a client’s configuration from the terminal. Replace codex with claude_code or cursor as appropriate.

npx -y rea-agents@latest doctor --client codex --json

04. Add the tools your target needs

Start with the type of software you want to inspect. You do not need every analysis engine installed.

Commercial engines have their own licenses. REA does not supply an engine license. Check the official platform requirements before adding one.

05. If something goes wrong

The agent cannot see REA

Restart the client first. If the tools are still missing, run the scoped doctor command above. You can inspect a setup repair plan without applying it:

npx rea-agents@latest setup --client codex --dry-run --json

Review the plan, then run the same setup command without --dry-run --json if you want to apply it. Restart again after configuration changes.

“rea: command not found”

A project-local npm installation does not add rea to your global shell path. The npx commands in this guide work without a global install. If you prefer a permanent CLI:

npm install --global rea-agents
rea --version

An engine check fails

A missing native engine does not prevent unrelated static JavaScript analysis. Check the provider required by your specific target. For large native binaries, consult the official engine-specific startup timeout guidance.

06. Keep the client registration current

For an npx-based setup, rerun the latest setup, review the changes, and restart the client:

npx rea-agents@latest setup

For a global CLI, run rea update, then follow its setup-refresh instructions. A running MCP server will not refresh merely because newer instructions exist on GitHub.

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