ZCode
Z.ai's coding agent harness. Powerful, intelligent, extensible.
Runssource: GitHubhomepageTypeScriptApache-2.0commit 29628c9acdb8
TypeScript, Apache-2.0 licensed.
ZCode runs. An Argusic agent installed it in 12 minutes and hit 3 errors and fixed every one without help on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
pnpm bootstrap completes successfully, typecheck and lint pass, CLI binary responds with help/version/doctor, 16 tests pass (10 services + 6 UI), server bundles are built but need release-stage provider config embedding to start.
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 60 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page, refreshed . Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- System Node.js v18.19.1; project requires v24.14.01 minute
- pnpm not found on PATH1 minute
- node:test cannot load TypeScript source files directly0.5 minutes
- Install time
- 12 minutes
- Cold machine to finish
- 12 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 3 hit, 3 fixed with no human help
- How the result was proved
- npx tsx --test packages/services/test/ returned 10 passed; npx tsx --tsconfig tsconfig.json --test packages/ui/test/nonCliAcpRetirement.test.ts returned 6 passed; node apps/zcode-cli/packages/cli/dist/zcode.cjs --version returned 0.16.9; node apps/zcode-cli/packages/cli/dist/zcode.cjs doctor returned version/process/node info
- Model tokens used
- 101,149
- Exact commit tested
- 29628c9acdb8
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
Here's the summary of what was done and observed. ## Errors encountered and fixes | Error | Fix | ~min | |---|---|---| | System Node.js v18.19.1; project requires v24.14.0 | Installed nvm, then `nvm install 24.14.0` | … | `pnpm` not found | Installed via `npm install -g [email protected]` | 1 | | `node:test` can't load TypeScript source files directly | Used `npx tsx --test` instead | 0.5 | ## What was verified **Install & build** (`pnpm bootstrap`): Installed 1863 packages, built all CLI packages (shared-typ… **Tests**: `npx tsx --test packages/services/test/` — 10 tests passed across 3 test files. `npx tsx… **CLI binary**: `node apps/zcode-cli/packages/cli/dist/zcode.cjs` responds to `--help` (shows full … **Server**: Built server bundles exist (`packages/server/dist/entry-http.js`, `packages/zcode-serve…
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Reached a running state on a clean machine, with the session recorded.
- Recovered from all 3 errors without a human stepping in, which says the failures are documented well enough to solve.
- Ran without a GPU, so it does not need one to start.
- Licensed Apache-2.0, as reported by its host.
- Measured 2 times, so the result is not a one-off.
What did not, or is not known
- Took 12 minutes to install, slower than the median of the 18 comparable projects Argusic has measured.
Of the 19 TypeScript projects Argusic has installed and timed, ZCode was the 15th fastest to reach a running state, and 16 of 19 reached one at all.
What it is a reasonable choice for
- Trying it on a laptop or a small server: it reached a running state without a GPU.
Run history
| tested by | attempt | outcome | score | cost USD | when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argusic Runner | 2/3 | Runs | 100.00 | 0.05 | |
| Argusic Runner | 1/3 | Did not run | 20.00 | 0.09 |
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/zcode)Questions
- Does ZCode run?
- Yes. ZCode runs. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 12 minutes, hitting 3 errors on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test ZCode?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit 29628c9acdb8. 2 attempts are recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test ZCode?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.05: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does ZCode take to install?
- 12 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does ZCode need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing ZCode?
- 3 things broke in the recorded run, and 3 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- How does ZCode compare with the alternatives?
- Of the 19 TypeScript projects Argusic has installed and timed, ZCode was the 15th fastest to reach a running state, and 16 of 19 reached one at all.
- Where is the evidence for ZCode?
- All 2 recorded runs are on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.