Prerequisites

• Node.js v20+, pnpm v9+
• Tauri v2 toolchain (see https://v2.tauri.app/start/prerequisites/)
• Rust toolchain (for the Tauri backend)
• OpenCode (npm install -g opencode-ai)

Windows: Rust with MSVC toolchain

Tauri on Windows requires the MSVC toolchain. If you see missing dlltool.exe errors or your rustc -vV shows host: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu, follow these steps:

1. Install Microsoft C++ Build Tools - Download Visual Studio Build Tools - In the installer, select the Desktop development with C++ workload - Verify the MSVC v143 toolset and Windows 10/11 SDK are included - Open a new terminal after install and confirm with where cl

2. Install rustup (if rustup/cargo aren't found) - Download and run rustup-init.exe — choose the default install - Ensure %USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin is on your PATH - Verify: rustup --version && cargo --version

3. Switch to the MSVC toolchain

   rustup toolchain install stable-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
   rustup default stable-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
   

4. Remove any per-repo GNU override (common gotcha)

   rustup override list
   # If your repo is listed with ...-gnu:
   cd path\to\cowork-z
   rustup override unset
   

5. Clean and rebuild

   cd src-tauri && cargo clean && cd ..
   pnpm tauri dev
   

Note: Windows 11 ships with WebView2 pre-installed. If the build complains about WebView2, install the runtime and retry.

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1. Install OpenCode

Cowork-Z requires OpenCode as its AI engine. Install it globally:

npm install -g opencode-ai

If the app can't find opencode on launch, it will show a dialog with installation instructions. Make sure the opencode binary is on your shell's PATH.

Quickstart

[!NOTE] Early access — Cowork-Z is under active development. Some features may be rough around the edges. Feedback and bug reports are very welcome.

2. Launch the app & configure a provider

1. Open Cowork-Z
2. Press Cmd + , (or click the gear icon) to open Settings
3. Pick an AI provider (e.g. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Ollama ...)
4. Enter your API key — credentials are stored securely in the OS Keychain, never in plain text

Go further (optional)

• Automations — Switch to the Automations tab on the Home screen. Create a recurring task with a schedule and model, and let it run on its own. Findings appear in the sidebar triage tab.
• Starter Packs — Browse the Home screen, pick a guided workspace pack, and click Install. The app creates a workspace and the agent walks you through START_HERE.md.
• Skills Catalog — Click Install on any skill from the Home screen to add it to your OpenCode skills directory. No restart needed.
• Skills Manager — Open the Skills Manager from the sidebar to register Git repositories as skill sources, browse discovered skills, and install or update them across multiple skills directories.
• MCP Servers — Open Settings > MCP Servers to connect external tools and data sources (databases, APIs, file systems) via the Model Context Protocol.

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🏟️ Arena — Side-by-Side Model Comparison

Type one prompt, run 3 models in parallel, and compare results side-by-side. Arena helps you find the best model for a given task without switching back and forth.

• 3 independent agents — each column runs its own OpenCode session with a different model, sharing the same prompt and workspace
• Any model mix — pick from all 12+ supported providers per column (e.g., Claude + GPT + Gemini in one arena)
• Rich output — full Markdown rendering, syntax-highlighted code blocks, tool call cards, clickable links, and streaming in every column
• Tabbed layout — switch between columns with model-name tabs and live status badges
• Follow-up conversations — send additional messages and all 3 agents continue from where they left off
• Sidebar integration — arena sessions appear alongside regular tasks with an expandable disclosure triangle showing each model's individual chat

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