Build mode is a separate space in Kalon for Mac for making things with the agent. Switch between Chat and Build with the tabs in the sidebar. Build sessions have their own list, separate from your chats.
Workspaces
Every Build session works in a folder.
- By default, Kalon creates one for the session in
~/Library/Application Support/Kalon/workspaces. - To work in a folder of your own, click the Working in label that names the current folder, and choose another.
The agent's file tools cannot reach outside the workspace. The shell sandbox is on by default. If the folder has an AGENTS.md file, the agent reads it as project instructions.
Kalon-managed workspaces are included in backups, within the size limits described there.
The panels
Three buttons in Build mode open its panels.
| Panel | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Preview | A live view of the workspace's index.html. When the agent writes a self-contained web page, it renders here as soon as it is saved. The agent can also show a document here with doc_preview. |
| Diff | Every changed file against the last commit, with added and removed line counts. Click a file to expand its diff. If the folder is not a Git repository, choose Initialize git. |
| Terminal | A drawer of real login shells that open in the workspace. Add tabs with New terminal. Shells keep running when you hide the drawer or switch tabs. |
Files, in the Build menu or with ⇧⌘F, shows the workspace's file tree.
Run commands safely
When a reply contains a shell command, the Run chip on the code block types it into a workspace terminal without pressing Return. Nothing runs until you read it and press Return yourself.
The Build menu
The More menu for a session has:
- Files and Background tasks, an activity feed of this session's generations, file writes and runs.
- Sandbox shell, to turn the agent's shell sandbox on or off.
- Open in, to open the workspace in Finder, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf or Zed, when they are installed.
- Rename, Color, Fork, Pin, Mark as completed, Move to group, Archive and Delete.
Not available to children
Build mode is not available in a child profile.