Summoner's SDK supports installation on POSIX systems (Linux and macOS) and Windows. On POSIX, the installer scripts run in the Unix shell Bash. On Windows, the native installer scripts are written for PowerShell. Windows users can also run some Bash-based workflows via Git Bash, or, for full POSIX compatibility, via WSL.
Summoner supports two server backends: a Rust server and a Python server. On POSIX, the installer uses the Rust server by default, which requires Rust. If you prefer to avoid Rust, you can select the Python server by passing --server python (see the README in summoner-sdk). On native Windows, the default backend is the Python server (no Rust required). If you want to use the Rust server on Windows, install and run Summoner through WSL.
To install the summoner-sdk, the following software must be available:
python3(Python 3.9+ is required) and thepippackage installergitavailable on yourPATH(needed to clone repositories and follow tutorials)
If you use the Rust server, you also need:
rustcandcargo(we strongly recommend installing Rust using therustuptoolchain manager)
Note
If you are using our automated installation scripts (typically described in each repository's README.md), the scripts will install the required Python packages into your environment, and will also build/install Rust components when the Rust toolchain is available. This includes:
- All dependencies listed in the
setup.pyfile ofsummoner-core - Any dependencies listed in the
requirements.txtfiles of SDK extensions you include inbuild.txt(e.g.extension-utilities,extension-agentclass). These extensions are typically hosted in repositories created from our extension template. Their public APIs are documented in the Utility Extensions reference and the Agent Extensions reference.
Our installation script usually sets up a Python virtual environment (venv). If you are using VS Code, be sure to select the interpreter from that environment — it's where all Python and Rust dependencies are installed. If you're not already inside the virtual environment, you can activate it with:
source venv/bin/activateOn Windows (PowerShell):
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1Beyond software setup, some background knowledge can significantly enhance your ability to use and understand the SDK.
We recommend familiarity with:
- Finite state machines and automata
- Multi-agent systems and, more broadly, complex systems
- Asynchronous programming
For users interested in the theoretical foundations of agent design, the SDK draws from several areas in mathematics and computer science, such as:
- Graph theory, including graph traversal and Dijkstra's algorithm
- Category theory
- Higher category theory
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