Windows Setup & Guide

ZKite runs natively on Windows. You do not need WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run the CLI or build Android apps.

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.14 (64-bit): Download and install the official Windows installer from python.org. Check the box: Add python.exe to PATH.
2. Android SDK Platform-Tools: Download platform tools from Google and add the folder containing adb.exe to your Windows Environment System Path.
3. OEM USB Driver: Some Windows PCs require your phone manufacturer’s driver (e.g. Samsung USB Driver, Google USB Driver) for adb to detect the phone.

---

PowerShell Execution

When working in PowerShell:

# Create environment
py -3.14 -m venv .venv

# Activate environment
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Install ZKite
pip install zkite==1.0.0

Dealing with PowerShell Script Execution Policy

If PowerShell warns that script execution is disabled (PSSecurityException):

# Option A: Enable signed/remote scripts for CurrentUser
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Option B: Run commands directly without activating
.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install zkite==1.0.0
.\.venv\Scripts\zkite.exe dev

---

Windows Specific Environment Variables

• ZKITE_PYTHON: If you have multiple Python versions installed and the CLI picks an unintended interpreter, point ZKITE_PYTHON directly to your CPython 3.14 executable:

  $env:ZKITE_PYTHON = "C:\zkite-projects\.venv\Scripts\python.exe"

• ANDROID_SERIAL: Set the default device serial in multi-device setups:

  $env:ANDROID_SERIAL = "35291FDJ2000AB"