Installation

Requirements

AXON requires Python 3.12 or higher.

python --version  # Should be 3.12+

Install from PyPI

The simplest way to install AXON is via pip:

pip install axon-lang

pip install axon-lang[tools]

pip install axon-lang[all]

The basic installation includes the compiler and runtime with zero dependencies. Install [tools] for real tool backends like WebSearch, or [all] for everything including model provider SDKs.

Install from Source

For development or to get the latest changes:

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/Bemarking/axon-ai.git
cd axon-ai

Create a virtual environment

python -m venv .venv

Activate it:

source .venv/bin/activate

.venv\Scripts\activate

Install in editable mode

pip install -e ".[tools,dev]"

This installs AXON with:

Real tool backends (tools)
Development dependencies (dev) - pytest, ruff, etc.

Verify Installation

Check that AXON is installed correctly:

axon version

You should see output like:

axon-lang 0.4.0a0

API Keys Configuration

AXON supports multiple LLM backends and tool providers. Configure the ones you need:

Model Provider Keys

Anthropic (Claude)
OpenAI (GPT)
Google (Gemini)
Ollama (Local)

Get your API key from console.anthropic.com

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-..."

Get your API key from platform.openai.com

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-..."

Get your API key from aistudio.google.com

export API_KEY_GEMINI="AIza..."

Install Ollama from ollama.ai - no API key needed

# No API key required
# Runs models locally

Tool Backend Keys

If you installed axon-lang[tools], configure tool backends:

Serper (Web Search)

Get your key at serper.dev

export SERPER_API_KEY="your-serper-key"

Free tier: 2,500 queries one-time

Using .env Files

For convenience, create a .env file in your project root:

Copy the example file

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your keys

The example file looks like this:

.env

# ── Model Providers ──────────────────────────────
OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-..."
API_KEY_GEMINI="AIza..."
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-..."

# ── Tool Backends ────────────────────────────────
SERPER_API_KEY="your-serper-key"

Never commit .env to version control. It’s already in .gitignore.

Available Installation Extras

AXON supports several optional dependency groups:

Extra	What it includes	Install with
`tools`	httpx for WebSearch backend	`pip install axon-lang[tools]`
`anthropic`	Claude SDK	`pip install axon-lang[anthropic]`
`openai`	GPT SDK	`pip install axon-lang[openai]`
`gemini`	Gemini SDK	`pip install axon-lang[gemini]`
`ollama`	Ollama SDK (local models)	`pip install axon-lang[ollama]`
`all`	All of the above	`pip install axon-lang[all]`
`dev`	pytest, ruff, build tools	`pip install axon-lang[dev]`

For development, none of the API keys are required — stub tools work without keys and allow you to test the compiler and runtime.

Tool System Modes

AXON’s tool system supports three modes:

from axon.runtime.tools import create_default_registry

# Safe for tests — no API calls, no I/O
registry = create_default_registry(mode="stub")

# Real backends where available, stubs elsewhere
registry = create_default_registry(mode="hybrid")

# Only real backends (fails if deps missing)
registry = create_default_registry(mode="real")

Get Started

Core Concepts

Language Reference

Examples

Installation

Requirements

Install from PyPI

Install from Source

Verify Installation

API Keys Configuration

Model Provider Keys

Tool Backend Keys

Serper (Web Search)

Using .env Files

Available Installation Extras

Tool System Modes

Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

CLI Reference

​Requirements

​Install from PyPI

​Install from Source

​Verify Installation

​API Keys Configuration

​Model Provider Keys

​Tool Backend Keys

Serper (Web Search)

​Using .env Files

​Available Installation Extras

​Tool System Modes

​Next Steps

Quickstart Guide

CLI Reference

Requirements

Install from PyPI

Install from Source

Verify Installation

API Keys Configuration

Model Provider Keys

Tool Backend Keys

Using .env Files

Available Installation Extras

Tool System Modes

Next Steps