RalphTUI

Kiro Agent

Integrate AWS Kiro CLI with Ralph TUI for AI-assisted coding.

Kiro Agent

The Kiro agent plugin integrates with AWS's kiro-cli to execute AI coding tasks. It supports trust-all-tools mode for autonomous operation and agent selection for specialized workflows.

INFO

Kiro outputs text only (no JSONL), so subagent tracing shows activity indicators rather than detailed tool calls.

Prerequisites

Install Kiro CLI using one of these methods:

Bash
# Option 1: Install via curl
curl -fsSL https://cli.kiro.dev/install | bash
 
# Option 2: Install via Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew install kiro-cli

For other platforms, visit the Kiro Downloads page.

Verify installation:

Bash
kiro-cli -V
# Should output version like: kiro-cli 1.0.0

Basic Usage

Run with Kiro

Use the --agent kiro flag:

Bash
ralph-tui run --prd ./prd.json --agent kiro

Select an Agent

Specify a Kiro agent via CLI with --agent-options:

Bash
ralph-tui run --prd ./prd.json --agent kiro --agent-options 'agent=code-reviewer'

Or configure in TOML:

TOML
[agentOptions]
agent = "code-reviewer"

Enable Trust All Tools

Configure auto-approve in config:

TOML
[agentOptions]
trustAllTools = true

Configuration

Shorthand Config

The simplest configuration:

TOML
# .ralph-tui/config.toml
agent = "kiro"
 
[agentOptions]
trustAllTools = true

Full Config

For advanced control:

TOML
[[agents]]
name = "my-kiro"
plugin = "kiro"
default = true
command = "kiro-cli"
timeout = 300000
 
[agents.options]
trustAllTools = true
agent = "code-reviewer"

Options Reference

OptionTypeDefaultDescription
trustAllToolsbooleantrueSkip tool approval prompts for autonomous operation
agentstring-Specific Kiro agent to use (optional)
timeoutnumber0Execution timeout in ms (0 = no timeout)
commandstring"kiro-cli"Path to Kiro CLI executable
INFO

A timeout of 0 means no timeout (unlimited execution time). For production or autonomous runs, consider setting a reasonable timeout like 300000 (5 minutes) or 600000 (10 minutes) to prevent runaway executions.

Trust All Tools

When trustAllTools is enabled (default), Kiro will skip tool approval prompts and auto-approve all tool invocations. This is required for Ralph TUI's autonomous operation since it cannot relay interactive prompts.

TOML
[agentOptions]
trustAllTools = true
INFO

With trust-all-tools enabled, Kiro can execute any tool without confirmation. Ensure your task is well-defined and you trust the execution environment.

Agent Selection

Kiro supports multiple specialized agents. You can select one via the agent option:

TOML
[agentOptions]
agent = "code-reviewer"

Leave empty to use Kiro's default agent.

Skills Support

Kiro CLI supports skills similar to other agents:

LocationDescription
~/.kiro/skills/Personal skills (user-specific)
.kiro/skills/Repository skills (project-specific)
INFO

Kiro also has "Powers" (~/.kiro/powers/) which use a POWER.md format - these are similar to skills but follow a different specification.

How It Works

When Ralph TUI executes a task with Kiro:

  1. Build command: Constructs kiro-cli chat --no-interactive [options]
  2. Pass prompt via stdin: Avoids shell escaping issues with special characters
  3. Stream output: Captures stdout/stderr in real-time
  4. Detect completion: Watches for completion token
  5. Handle exit: Reports success, failure, or timeout

CLI Arguments

Ralph TUI builds these arguments:

Bash
kiro-cli chat \
  --no-interactive \               # Non-interactive mode
  --trust-all-tools \              # When trustAllTools enabled
  --agent code-reviewer \          # If agent specified
  < prompt.txt                     # Prompt via stdin

Text-Only Output

Unlike Claude and Gemini, Kiro outputs plain text rather than structured JSONL. This means:

  • Subagent tracing shows activity indicators only
  • No detailed tool call breakdown in the TUI
  • Output is displayed as-is in the main output pane

Troubleshooting

"Kiro CLI not found"

Ensure Kiro is installed and in your PATH:

Bash
which kiro-cli
# Should output: /path/to/kiro-cli
 
# If not found, follow installation at https://kiro.dev

"Execution timeout"

Increase the timeout for complex tasks:

TOML
[[agents]]
name = "kiro"
plugin = "kiro"
timeout = 600000  # 10 minutes

"Tool approval required"

Ensure trust-all-tools is enabled:

TOML
[agentOptions]
trustAllTools = true

"Agent not found"

Check available agents in Kiro and ensure the name is correct:

TOML
[agentOptions]
agent = "code-reviewer"  # Must match an available Kiro agent

Next Steps