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Install an Eve agent

Choose the right Eve agent install command for evex, agentcn, bergside, or a new Eve app.

the short version

The install command depends on the source. evex and agentcn copy an agent into an existing Eve app. bergside/awesome-eve-agents creates a standalone agent directory.

First, where did the agent come from?

@evex and @agentcn are shadcn registry namespaces for agents added to an existing Eve app (evex installation, agentcn installation). The bergside catalog uses its own CLI to create a new directory (awesome-eve-agents).

The commands are not interchangeable because they write to different destinations.

Into an existing Eve app

Run an evex install from the root of the Eve app:

npx shadcn@latest add @evex/<slug>

The shadcn CLI copies the agent source under agent/ and prompts for the npm dependencies the agent declares (Installation). You can read that source before installing on /agents.

agentcn uses the same shadcn mechanic and publishes recipes for Eve, Flue, Mastra, and LangGraph (Dawn) (agentcn installation). Its own Eve example, Deep Search, is:

npx shadcn@latest add @agentcn/eve/deep-search

Both commands run from the project root and write into an app you already have. Each namespace resolves entries from its own registry, and @evex resolves through the shadcn community registry with no configuration on your side. For how the two registries differ, see our evex and agentcn comparison.

As a standalone agent directory

bergside/awesome-eve-agents uses a separate installer (README). Its catalog is at eveagents.dev.

npx @bergside/eveagents install <slug>

The installer creates a new directory containing the complete agent. That destination is why it does not write into an existing Eve app. Enter that directory and start Eve:

cd <slug>

npx eve@latest

The project lists 21 agents under the MIT license, and the repository showed 26 GitHub stars on 3 Sep 2026 (README).

If you have no Eve app yet

Eve requires Node.js 24 or newer (Eve getting started). The official scaffold creates a new app:

npx eve@latest init my-agent

Decision table

Scaffold a new Eve app

Use when

You do not have an Eve app yet.

Avoid when

You already have an Eve app, or you are choosing an agent from a registry for an existing app.

Write the agent yourself

Use when

You are authoring your own agent files under agent/.

Avoid when

You want a ready-made agent from a catalog.

Install from evex or agentcn

Use when

You want registry source copied into an Eve app you already have.

Avoid when

You want a standalone agent directory, or you have no Eve app yet.

Install from bergside/awesome-eve-agents

Use when

You want the agent as its own standalone directory.

Avoid when

You want the agent copied into an Eve app you already have.

An evex agent in an existing Eve app

You already have an Eve app and chose an agent on /agents. Read its source, then run npx shadcn@latest add @evex/<slug> from the app root. The agent source is copied under agent/ in that app.

A bergside agent as a standalone directory

You chose an agent from eveagents.dev and want its own directory. Run npx @bergside/eveagents install <slug>, move into the new directory with cd <slug>, then start Eve with npx eve@latest.

FAQ

Why aren't the install commands interchangeable?

The @evex and @agentcn commands copy registry entries into an existing app. The bergside CLI creates a standalone directory. eve init creates an Eve app.

What lands where?

evex writes the selected agent under agent/. agentcn writes its recipe into the existing app. bergside creates a new directory with the whole agent. eve init creates the app itself.

Where is the source listed?

evex publishes agent files on /agents. agentcn documents each recipe in its own docs, for example Deep Search; our comparison covers how the two registries differ. bergside lists its agents at eveagents.dev.

Related guides

Keep moving through the same decision space.

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