> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://kerno.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://kerno.gitbook.io/docs/getting-started/uninstall-kerno.md).

# Uninstall Kerno

Remove the MCP registration from your coding tool, stop the local agent, and clean up the installed binaries and the CLI.

### Uninstall with your agent

Paste this into the coding agent Kerno is connected to.

```
Uninstall Kerno from this machine. Show me each change before you make it.

Remove the kerno entry from my coding tool's MCP config, and the allowlist rule that went with it:
"mcp__kerno__*" in permissions.allow for Claude Code, or the
[mcp_servers.kerno] block for Codex. Ask me which host if it isn't obvious.

  kerno logout                 clears the stored login
  kerno uninstall              stops the agent and removes the downloaded runtime
  npm uninstall -g @kerno/cli

Then tell me what is still on disk and leave all of it alone unless I ask you to delete it.
```

### Uninstall manually

#### 1. Remove the MCP entry

Edit your coding tool's MCP config file and delete the `kerno` server block.

#### 2. Stop the agent and remove its binaries

```bash
kerno uninstall
```

This stops the running agent and removes the downloaded agent runtime from `~/.kerno/assets/`.

#### 3. Uninstall the CLI

```bash
npm uninstall -g @kerno/cli
```

### What Kerno leaves behind

`kerno uninstall` clears `~/.kerno/assets/` and nothing else. The following stay on your machine until you remove them yourself:

| Location                                                                             | What it holds                                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `~/.kerno/workspaces/`                                                               | Per-workspace snapshots, indexed data, prompt cache, and logs          |
| `~/.kerno/state.json`                                                                | Which organization each repository uses, and where Kerno is turned off |
| `~/.kerno/secrets.json`                                                              | Your Kerno login credentials, when the OS keychain can't hold them     |
| `~/.kerno/agent/`, `agent.stdout.log`, `cli.installed`, `cli-update-check.json`      | Agent working files, its output log, and CLI install and update checks |
| `.kerno/` in each repository                                                         | Your scenarios, baselines, and workspace config                        |
| `.agents/skills/kerno-*` and `.claude/skills/kerno-*` in each repository             | The Kerno skills for your coding agent, and links to them              |
| `.git/info/exclude` in each repository                                               | The lines that keep those skills out of git                            |
| OS keychain                                                                          | Your Kerno login credentials                                           |
| Docker containers named `kerno-ts-sandbox-*`, and the `kernoio/ts-sandbox` image     | The sandbox your tests run in                                          |
| `kerno/sandbox/` in your system temp directory, and `/tmp/kerno/scenario-workspace/` | Sandbox config and scratch copies of your tests                        |

Run `kerno logout` before uninstalling to clear your stored credentials. Delete `~/.kerno/` if you want the local data gone, and remove the sandbox containers and image with Docker. Keep each repository's `.kerno/` directory if you may reinstall later, since it holds the test suites Kerno generated for that codebase.

### Resources

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><i class="fa-comment-question" style="color:$info;">:comment-question:</i> <strong>Support</strong></td><td>Get help from the Kerno team.</td><td><a href="https://join.slack.com/t/kerno-community/shared_invite/zt-3fzrjxgog-voatSyyKY78uDj6QaNW4OQ">https://join.slack.com/t/kerno-community/shared_invite/zt-3fzrjxgog-voatSyyKY78uDj6QaNW4OQ</a></td></tr><tr><td><i class="fa-lightbulb" style="color:$info;">:lightbulb:</i> <strong>FAQs</strong></td><td>Get answers to common questions.</td><td><a href="/docs/getting-started/faqs.md">FAQs</a></td></tr><tr><td><i class="fa-shield-check" style="color:$info;">:shield-check:</i> <strong>Security</strong></td><td>Learn how Kerno handles your code and data.</td><td><a href="/docs/references/security-and-privacy.md">Security &amp; Privacy</a></td></tr></tbody></table>