Cline (open-source coding agent)
Cline (open-source coding agent) is a runtime maintained by Cline Bot Inc.12 Its source code is public1 under the Apache License 2.02.
Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that reads a project, edits files, and runs terminal commands, asking for approval at each step unless auto-approve is turned on. Its public repository holds a shared agent SDK, a command-line tool, the VS Code extension, and a desktop app for macOS and Windows; the JetBrains plugin is not open-sourced.15
- Website: Website (external site: cline.bot)
- Repository: Repository (external site: github.com)
- Documentation: Documentation (external site: docs.cline.bot)
- License: LICENSE (external site: github.com)
- Release notes: Reviewed release (VS Code extension) (external site: github.com)
Availability and license
Overall availability
Source code and installation documentation are public. Model access is configured separately: a Cline account using the hosted Cline Provider, the user's own provider credentials, or a local runtime. The JetBrains plugin is distributed through the JetBrains Marketplace but is not open source.156
Availability is separate from permission: read the license before using or redistributing.
The Apache 2.0 license (copyright 2026 Cline Bot Inc.) applies to the code in the cline/cline repository. It does not cover the JetBrains plugin, which the README says is not being open-sourced, the hosted Cline Provider, which is governed by Cline's terms of service, or any model the agent calls.218
Component reuse rights
- weights
- Unknown — no complete fact-level rights review
- code
- Reviewed qualifying license recorded — check scope and conditions
- data
- Unknown — no complete fact-level rights review
- documentation
- Unknown — no complete fact-level rights review
No complete system-rights review is recorded for this release.
Public materials checklist
| Item | Status | Notes and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Source codeIs the source code publicly readable? | Public | Public repository with the SDK, CLI, VS Code extension, and desktop app; the JetBrains plugin is excluded. The repository contains agent client code, not model weights.1 |
| DocumentationIs user documentation published? | Public | Public official documentation.5 |
| InstallationAre installation instructions or packages publicly available? | Public | The installation guide covers the extension in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, and Antigravity, the JetBrains Marketplace plugin, the CLI through npm (Node.js 20 or newer, 22 recommended), the desktop app, and the @cline/sdk package.6 |
| Supported platformsAre supported operating systems or hardware documented? | Public | VS Code and VS Code-based editors, JetBrains IDEs, terminals through the CLI, and a desktop app for macOS and Windows (the Windows app is in beta).61 |
| Release statusAre versioned releases published? | Public | Reviewed VS Code extension release v4.1.22 (CHANGELOG entry 4.1.22), published September 30, 2026. The repository also tags CLI, SDK, and desktop releases separately. This entry describes the project rather than one release.43 |
What it is useful for
Software development tasks in an editor, terminal, or CI pipeline, and building custom agents on the Cline SDK. Cline is open-source client code that calls whichever model the user configures: hosted models from third-party providers or through the Cline Provider, which are not themselves open, or models served locally through runtimes such as Ollama or LM Studio.157
Run and use notes
- The documentation covers running local models through Ollama, LM Studio, and Atomic Chat, and recommends turning on the "Use Compact Prompt" setting when using local models.7
Organization context
In the news
Cline introduces Cline Desktop, an early desktop app for running Cline agent sessions
Cline introduced Cline Desktop on September 14, 2026, describing it as an early version of its open-source app for open-weight models. The post says the app is a workspace for running agent sessions in parallel, scheduling recurring tasks, and extending agents through a Marketplace, and that it uses the same Cline harness, rebuilt around the Cline SDK. The beta is offered for Mac and Windows; the post says the Mac app is fully open source, like the extension and CLI. Sessions can be started in the CLI or extension and continued in the desktop app. USASI has not tested this app.
U.S. eligibility
Eligible · basis: U.S.-governed project
The LICENSE file and README assign copyright to Cline Bot Inc., which Cline's terms of service name as the provider of the service. The USPTO registration record for the CLINE trademark lists Cline Bot Inc. as a Delaware corporation with an owner address in Wilmington, Delaware, and Cline's careers page lists on-site roles in San Francisco, California. No foundation or multi-organization governance body is documented. See the cline organization record for the headquarters assessment.218910
Sources
This listing is not an endorsement, a safety assessment, or a federal approval.
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Cite this page
APA style
USASI. (2026, October 1). Cline (open-source coding agent). United States of America Superintelligence. https://unitedstatesofamericasuperintelligence.com/open/cline-extension/
BibTeX
@misc{usasi_cline_extension,
author = {{USASI}},
title = {Cline (open-source coding agent)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
howpublished = {\url{https://unitedstatesofamericasuperintelligence.com/open/cline-extension/}},
note = {United States of America Superintelligence. Last updated 2026-10-01}
}The date is when this page was last updated. Add the date you read it if your style needs one.
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