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Install the Environment

Install the latest Neat Development Environment (referred to as Neat SDK). It runs as a container on your host machine.

Prerequisites​

To use DevKit Sync later, you also need:

  • A DevKit running compatible software to the Neat SDK. Read the Compatibility Guide for more information.
  • Your host machine and DevKit on the same network with NFS traffic allowed.
  • Your DevKit IP address.

Install​

Install the current Neat SDK 2.1 release channel:

sima-cli neat install sdk@release-2.1

The first install can take several minutes because it downloads the Neat SDK container image. After the image is downloaded, the installer starts SDK setup and asks whether you want to pair with a Modalix DevKit and whether to install the matching Model Compiler inside the SDK.

If you choose to pair with a DevKit, enter the DevKit IP address when prompted. The setup flow configures the SDK workspace, starts the SDK container, and configures DevKit Sync. If you skip pairing, the SDK workspace is still created and you can pair later.

The release-2.1 package tracks the latest Neat SDK patch release in the 2.1 series. The current release is Neat SDK 2.1.2.2, which is compatible with DevKit software 2.1.2.

During setup, sima-cli also offers to install the matching Model Compiler (2.1.2) inside the SDK — accept the prompt if you compile or quantize models yourself; there is no separate version to choose. Skip it if you only run precompiled model packages. To install it later, pin a specific patch, or use a standalone host, see Install Model Compiler and the Compatibility Guide.

Older SDK releases use the legacy two-step install flow

For SDK 2.0.0, 2.1.2.0, or 2.1.2.1, install with the legacy image pull and setup commands. See Two Step SDK Installation.

To change SDK settings after installation, see Configure SDK. For restricted network environments, see Offline Installation.

Access the SDK​

After setup succeeds, you can access the SDK from a terminal, Chrome browser, or VS Code.

Use the SDK Shell​

Open the Neat SDK shell with:

sima-cli sdk neat

Use Chrome Browser​

Neat Insight is served from inside the SDK and can be opened from a browser. From inside the SDK shell, run:

neat

The command output includes the Insight URL. Open that URL in Chrome to inspect workspace files, media sources, stream delivery, and runtime behavior. On a local host, the URL is typically https://localhost:9900. From another machine on the network, use the host IP address shown by the SDK environment. For more information, see Insight.

Use VS Code​

Starting with SDK 2.1.2.3, you can access VS Code from a browser through the SDK Code UI. At the end of SDK installation, sima-cli prints the Code UI URL as codeUI, for example:

codeUI      | https://192.168.76.4:10000/?tkn=gA5CS...&folder=/workspace

Open that URL in your browser to work inside the SDK workspace. SDK 2.1.2.3 and later preinstall the Codex and Claude Code extensions in the browser Code UI.

Native VS Code is another option if you prefer it instead of the browser. Connect VS Code to the SDK container with Dev Containers.

Run sima-cli login once inside the SDK container so the SDK can retrieve assets such as prebuilt models.

Upgrade​

To reinstall or upgrade to the current SDK package, rerun the install command above from the host:

sima-cli neat install sdk@release-2.1

To update the Neat Library inside an existing Neat SDK container, run the Neat CLI from the container shell:

neat update

This updates the installed Neat Library components in the current Neat SDK. It does not replace a full container image upgrade when you need container-level changes.

If you delete or recreate the Neat SDK container later, run neat update again inside the new container.

Uninstall​

To remove an installed SDK container, run:

sima-cli sdk remove

Next Step​

  • Compiling a model in the SDK? Continue to Compile a Model — this runs entirely in the SDK, with no DevKit required.
  • Pairing a DevKit? Set up DevKit Sync to share your SDK workspace and run dk commands on the hardware.