Roo Code

Use TensorX models as your AI coding agent in VS Code with Roo Code — featuring multiple specialized modes, custom instructions, and multi-agent orchestration.

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Overview

Roo Code is an open-source AI coding agent for VS Code. It provides a full dev team of AI agents in your editor with specialized modes for coding, debugging, architecture, and more. Roo Code supports OpenAI-compatible API providers, making it easy to connect to TensorX.

Why Roo Code + TensorX?

• 🧠 Multiple modes — Code, Architect, Debug, Ask, and Orchestrator built in
• 🔄 Boomerang orchestration — Coordinate multi-step tasks across modes
• 📁 Full codebase access — Read, edit, run commands, and browse the web
• 🎯 Custom modes — Create specialized personas with file restrictions
• 💰 Cost-effective — Use powerful open-source models at a fraction of the cost

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Prerequisites

• VS Code (latest version recommended)
• A TensorX API key (sign up here)

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Setup

Step 1: Install Roo Code

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Roo Code"
4. Click Install

Step 2: Configure TensorX

1. Open the Roo Code panel (click the Roo Code icon in the sidebar)
2. Click the gear icon to open settings
3. Configure the following:

Setting	Value
API Provider	OpenAI Compatible
Base URL	https://api.tensorx.ai/v1
API Key	Your TensorX API key
Model	z-ai/glm-5.1

Step 3: Configure Model Settings (Optional)

Under Model Configuration, you can customize:

Setting	Recommended Value
Context Window	See model specs on tensorx.ai/models
Max Output Tokens	16384

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Using Modes

Roo Code includes five built-in modes, each with different capabilities:

Mode	Slash Command	Best For
Code (default)	/code	Writing code, implementing features, debugging
Architect	/architect	System design, planning, architecture decisions
Debug	/debug	Tracking bugs, diagnosing errors
Ask	/ask	Code explanation, learning, technical questions
Orchestrator	/orchestrator	Multi-step projects, coordinating across modes

Switch modes using:

• The dropdown menu (left of chat input)
• Slash commands: /code, /architect, /debug, /ask, /orchestrator
• Keyboard shortcut: Cmd+. (macOS) or Ctrl+. (Windows/Linux)

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Recommended Models

Use Case	Model	Why
Coding ⭐	z-ai/glm-5.1	Top coding performance, strong reasoning
Reasoning	minimax/minimax-m2.5	Complex analysis, function calling
Architecture	deepseek/deepseek-r1-0528	Deep reasoning for design decisions
Vision	moonshotai/kimi-k2.5	Image understanding, long context
General chat	deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3.1	Balanced performance and cost
Fast tasks	minimax/minimax-m2	Quick responses, cost-sensitive

Tip: Use API Configuration Profiles to set different models for different modes — e.g., GLM-5.1 for Code mode, DeepSeek R1 for Architect mode.

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API Configuration Profiles

Roo Code supports per-mode API profiles, so you can use different models for different tasks:

1. Open Roo Code settings (gear icon)
2. Navigate to API Configuration Profiles
3. Create profiles for each mode with different TensorX models

Example setup:

Profile	Provider	Model	Use With
Coding	OpenAI Compatible	z-ai/glm-5.1	Code mode
Reasoning	OpenAI Compatible	deepseek/deepseek-r1-0528	Architect mode
Fast	OpenAI Compatible	minimax/minimax-m2	Ask mode

All profiles use the same Base URL (https://api.tensorx.ai/v1) and API key.

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Custom Modes

Create specialized modes by adding a .roomodes file to your project root:

customModes:
  - slug: reviewer
    name: "Code Reviewer"
    roleDefinition: >-
      You are a senior code reviewer focused on code quality,
      security, and best practices.
    groups:
      - read
      - browser
    customInstructions: |
      Review code for bugs, security issues, and style.
      Suggest improvements with specific examples.

  - slug: docs-writer
    name: "Documentation Writer"
    roleDefinition: You are a technical writer specializing in clear documentation.
    groups:
      - read
      - - edit
        - fileRegex: \.(md|mdx)$
          description: Markdown files only
      - browser

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Troubleshooting

Model Not Responding

1. Verify your API key is correct in Roo Code settings
2. Ensure the Base URL is exactly https://api.tensorx.ai/v1
3. Check your TensorX credit balance at app.tensorx.ai

Context Window Errors

Update the Context Window in Model Configuration to match your chosen model. Check tensorx.ai/models for current specs.

Slow Responses

Try switching to a faster model like minimax/minimax-m2 for simple tasks, or reduce the Max Output Tokens setting.

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See Also

• Roo Code Documentation
• Roo Code on GitHub
• Cline Integration — Similar VS Code extension
• Kilo Code Integration — Another VS Code coding agent
• TensorX Models