OpenClaude Advanced Setup

June 3, 2026 · View on GitHub

This guide is for users who want source builds, Bun workflows, provider profiles, diagnostics, or more control over runtime behavior.

Install Options

Option A: npm

npm install -g @gitlawb/openclaude@latest

Option B: From source with Bun

Use Bun 1.3.13 or newer for source builds on Windows. Older Bun versions can fail during bun run build.

git clone https://github.com/Gitlawb/openclaude.git
cd openclaude

bun install
bun run build
npm link

Option C: Run directly with Bun

git clone https://github.com/Gitlawb/openclaude.git
cd openclaude

bun install
bun run dev

Provider Examples

OpenAI

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-4o

Codex via ChatGPT auth

codexplan maps to GPT-5.5 on the Codex backend with high reasoning. codexspark maps to GPT-5.3 Codex Spark for faster loops.

If you use the in-app provider wizard, choose Codex OAuth to open ChatGPT sign-in in your browser and let OpenClaude store Codex credentials securely.

If you already use the Codex CLI, OpenClaude reads ~/.codex/auth.json automatically. You can also point it elsewhere with CODEX_AUTH_JSON_PATH or override the token directly with CODEX_API_KEY.

If you set CODEX_API_KEY manually and are not relying on auth.json or stored Codex OAuth credentials, also set CHATGPT_ACCOUNT_ID (or CODEX_ACCOUNT_ID).

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_MODEL=codexplan

# optional if you do not already have ~/.codex/auth.json
export CODEX_API_KEY=...
export CHATGPT_ACCOUNT_ID=...

openclaude

DeepSeek

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.deepseek.com/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=deepseek-v4-flash

Use deepseek-v4-pro when you want the stronger model. deepseek-chat and deepseek-reasoner remain available as DeepSeek's legacy API aliases.

Google Gemini

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GEMINI=1
export GEMINI_API_KEY=...
export GEMINI_MODEL=gemini-3-flash-preview

The Vertex route uses Anthropic's Claude-on-Vertex API. It is not a general Vertex AI Model Garden adapter for Gemini or arbitrary partner models; use the Gemini provider for Gemini models and OpenAI-compatible routes for compatible third-party gateways.

Authentication uses Google Application Default Credentials through google-auth-library. There is no OPENAI_API_KEY-style API key for this route. Authenticate with either a service-account file or local ADC:

gcloud auth application-default login

Minimal setup:

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_VERTEX=1
export ANTHROPIC_VERTEX_PROJECT_ID=my-gcp-project
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=my-gcp-project
export CLOUD_ML_REGION=us-east5

openclaude --model claude-sonnet-4-6

CLOUD_ML_REGION is optional and defaults to us-east5. Model-specific Vertex region override variables are also supported for Claude models; see src/utils/envUtils.ts for the current override names.

Gemini via OpenRouter

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-or-...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=google/gemini-2.5-pro

OpenRouter model availability changes over time. If a model stops working, try another current OpenRouter model before assuming the integration is broken.

Ollama

ollama pull llama3.3:70b

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=llama3.3:70b

Atomic Chat (local, Apple Silicon)

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=your-model-name

No API key is needed for Atomic Chat local models.

Or use the profile launcher:

bun run dev:atomic-chat

Download Atomic Chat from atomic.chat. The app must be running with a model loaded before launching.

LM Studio

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=http://localhost:1234/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=your-model-name

Together AI

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.together.xyz/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct-Turbo

Groq

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.groq.com/openai/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=llama-3.3-70b-versatile

GROQ_API_KEY matches the built-in Groq gateway preset. OPENAI_API_KEY also works as a fallback on the generic OpenAI-compatible path, but GROQ_API_KEY is the preferred variable for Groq-specific setup.

OpenCode Zen (pay-as-you-go)

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENCODE_API_KEY=...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://opencode.ai/zen/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-5.4

openclaude

OpenCode Zen is a pay-as-you-go AI gateway with 41 models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, Qwen, MiniMax, GLM, Kimi, Grok, Big Pickle, DeepSeek, Nemotron). Uses the same OPENCODE_API_KEY as OpenCode Go. Get your key from https://opencode.ai.

OpenCode Go (subscription)

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENCODE_API_KEY=...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://opencode.ai/zen/go/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=glm-5.1

openclaude

OpenCode Go is a $10/mo subscription for 12 open models (GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, MiMo, MiniMax, Qwen). Uses the same OPENCODE_API_KEY as OpenCode Zen.

Gitlawb Opengateway

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://opengateway.gitlawb.com/v1
export OPENGATEWAY_API_KEY=ogw_live_...
export OPENAI_MODEL=mimo-v2.5-pro

The Opengateway route is the fresh-install startup default and requires an API key from https://gitlawb.com/opengateway/keys. Keep the base URL at /v1 and switch models with /model or OPENAI_MODEL. Current partner models include:

mimo-v2.5-pro
google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview

Xiaomi MiMo

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export MIMO_API_KEY=...
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.xiaomimimo.com/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=mimo-v2.5-pro

The /provider Xiaomi MiMo preset uses the same endpoint and stores the key as MIMO_API_KEY. OPENAI_API_KEY also works as a compatibility fallback, but MIMO_API_KEY keeps the profile tied to the MiMo route.

Mistral

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_MISTRAL=1
export MISTRAL_API_KEY=...
export MISTRAL_MODEL=devstral-latest

Azure OpenAI

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-azure-key
export OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/openai/deployments/your-deployment/v1
export OPENAI_MODEL=gpt-4o

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
`CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI`	OpenAI-compatible only	Set to `1` to enable the OpenAI-compatible provider path
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	OpenAI-compatible cloud routes*	Your API key (`*` not needed for local models like Ollama, LM Studio, Atomic Chat, or other local OpenAI-compatible proxies)
`OPENAI_MODEL`	OpenAI-compatible only	Model name such as `gpt-4o`, `deepseek-v4-flash`, or `llama3.3:70b`
`OPENAI_BASE_URL`	No	API endpoint, defaulting to `https://api.openai.com/v1`
`OPENAI_API_BASE`	No	Compatibility alias for `OPENAI_BASE_URL`
`OPENCODE_API_KEY`	OpenCode Zen / Go	Shared API key for OpenCode Zen (pay-as-you-go) and OpenCode Go (subscription); get yours from https://opencode.ai
`MIMO_API_KEY`	Xiaomi MiMo route	Xiaomi MiMo API key for `https://api.xiaomimimo.com/v1`; mirrored into the OpenAI-compatible auth env when the MiMo route is active
`CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GEMINI`	Gemini only	Set to `1` to enable the direct Gemini provider path
`GEMINI_API_KEY` / `GOOGLE_API_KEY`	Gemini API-key auth	Gemini API key for direct Gemini setup
`GEMINI_MODEL`	Gemini only	Model name such as `gemini-3-flash-preview` or `gemini-2.5-pro`
`GEMINI_BASE_URL`	No	Override the Gemini base URL
`CLAUDE_CODE_USE_MISTRAL`	Mistral only	Set to `1` to enable the dedicated Mistral provider path
`MISTRAL_API_KEY`	Mistral only	Mistral API key
`MISTRAL_MODEL`	Mistral only	Model name such as `devstral-latest`
`MISTRAL_BASE_URL`	No	Override the Mistral base URL
`CODEX_API_KEY`	Codex only	Codex or ChatGPT access token override
`CHATGPT_ACCOUNT_ID` / `CODEX_ACCOUNT_ID`	Codex only	Required for manual Codex env setup when the account id is not coming from `auth.json` or stored OAuth credentials
`CODEX_AUTH_JSON_PATH`	Codex only	Path to a Codex CLI `auth.json` file
`CODEX_HOME`	Codex only	Alternative Codex home directory
`OPENCLAUDE_MAX_RETRIES`	No	Maximum retry attempts for retryable API failures, capped at 100 (default: 10). Set to `0` to disable retries after the initial request. If unset, deprecated `CLAUDE_CODE_MAX_RETRIES` is still honored for compatibility.
`OPENCLAUDE_RETRY_DELAY_MS`	No	Base retry delay in milliseconds for APIs that do not send `Retry-After`; exponential backoff starts from this value, capped at 60000 (default: 500)
`OPENCLAUDE_DISABLE_CO_AUTHORED_BY`	No	Suppress the default `Co-Authored-By` trailer in generated git commits
`OPENCLAUDE_LOG_TOKEN_USAGE`	No	When truthy (e.g. `verbose`), emits one JSON line on stderr per API request with input/output/cache tokens and the resolved provider. User-facing debug output — complements the REPL display controlled by `/config showCacheStats`. Distinct from `CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TOKEN_USAGE_ATTACHMENT`, which is model-facing (injects context usage info into the prompt itself). Both can run together.

Model env vars are provider-scoped: first-party Anthropic sessions read ANTHROPIC_MODEL, OpenAI-compatible sessions read OPENAI_MODEL, Gemini reads GEMINI_MODEL, and Mistral reads MISTRAL_MODEL. For manual Bedrock, Vertex, or Foundry launches, select the model with --model.

Runtime Hardening

Use these commands to validate your setup and catch mistakes early:

# quick startup sanity check
bun run smoke

# validate provider env + reachability
bun run doctor:runtime

# print machine-readable runtime diagnostics
bun run doctor:runtime:json

# persist a diagnostics report to reports/doctor-runtime.json
bun run doctor:report

# full local hardening check (smoke + runtime doctor)
bun run hardening:check

# strict hardening (includes project-wide typecheck)
bun run hardening:strict

Notes:

doctor:runtime fails fast if CLAUDE_CODE_USE_OPENAI=1 with a placeholder key or a missing key for non-local providers.
doctor:runtime also validates the dedicated Gemini and Mistral env paths when CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GEMINI=1 or CLAUDE_CODE_USE_MISTRAL=1.
Local providers such as http://localhost:11434/v1, http://10.0.0.1:11434/v1, and http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1 can run without OPENAI_API_KEY.
Codex profiles validate CODEX_API_KEY or the Codex CLI auth file and probe POST /responses instead of GET /models.

Provider Launch Profiles

Use profile launchers to avoid repeated environment setup:

# one-time profile bootstrap (prefer viable local Ollama, otherwise OpenAI)
bun run profile:init

# preview the best provider/model for your goal
bun run profile:recommend -- --goal coding --benchmark

# auto-apply the best available local/openai provider/model for your goal
bun run profile:auto -- --goal latency

# codex bootstrap (defaults to codexplan and ~/.codex/auth.json)
bun run profile:codex

# openai bootstrap with explicit key
bun run profile:init -- --provider openai --api-key sk-...

# gemini bootstrap with explicit key
bun run profile:init -- --provider gemini --api-key ...

# ollama bootstrap with custom model
bun run profile:init -- --provider ollama --model llama3.1:8b

# ollama bootstrap with intelligent model auto-selection
bun run profile:init -- --provider ollama --goal coding

# atomic-chat bootstrap (auto-detects running model)
bun run profile:init -- --provider atomic-chat

# codex bootstrap with a fast model alias
bun run profile:init -- --provider codex --model codexspark

# launch using persisted user-level provider profile
bun run dev:profile

# codex profile (uses CODEX_API_KEY or ~/.codex/auth.json)
bun run dev:codex

# OpenAI profile (uses the saved OpenAI profile, or OPENAI_API_KEY from your shell)
bun run dev:openai

# Gemini profile (uses the saved Gemini profile, or GEMINI_API_KEY / GOOGLE_API_KEY from your shell)
bun run dev:gemini

# Ollama profile (defaults: localhost:11434, llama3.1:8b)
bun run dev:ollama

# Atomic Chat profile (Apple Silicon local LLMs at 127.0.0.1:1337)
bun run dev:atomic-chat

profile:recommend ranks installed Ollama models for latency, balanced, or coding, and profile:auto can persist the recommendation directly.

If no profile exists yet, dev:profile uses the same goal-aware defaults when picking the initial model.

Provider Profile Model Picker Mode

When a saved provider profile is active, /model can either show the provider's catalog/discovered models or only the models explicitly listed in the profile. Configure this in ~/.openclaude.json:

{
  "providerProfileModelPickerMode": "auto"
}

Supported values:

auto (default): single-model profiles show the provider catalog; multi-model profiles show the explicit profile list; native vendor routes keep their full provider catalog.
provider: show the provider catalog/discovery list first and append profile-only custom model IDs.
profile: show only explicitly configured profile models.

Use --provider ollama when you want a local-only path. Auto mode falls back to OpenAI when no viable local chat model is installed.

Use --provider atomic-chat when you want Atomic Chat as the local Apple Silicon provider.

Use profile:codex or --provider codex when you want the ChatGPT Codex backend.

dev:openai, dev:gemini, dev:ollama, dev:atomic-chat, and dev:codex run doctor:runtime first and only launch the app if checks pass.

For dev:ollama, make sure Ollama is running locally before launch.

For dev:atomic-chat, make sure Atomic Chat is running with a model loaded before launch.