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Auto Bot Solutions edited this page Apr 26, 2026 · 1 revision

Configuration

This guide covers how to configure Chat Linux Client, including API keys, local models, and application settings.

Table of Contents

API Keys

Chat Linux Client supports multiple AI providers. Configure API keys through the application settings or environment variables.

Supported Providers

  • Groq - Ultra-low latency inference
  • HuggingFace - Open-source models
  • OpenRouter - Multi-model routing
  • OpenAI - GPT models

Setting API Keys via Application UI

  1. Open the application
  2. Click on Settings in the menu bar
  3. Navigate to the Providers tab
  4. Select a provider from the dropdown
  5. Enter your API key in the key field
  6. Click Save

Setting API Keys via Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root (copy from .env.example):

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Add your API keys:

# Groq API Key
GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_your_actual_api_key_here

# HuggingFace API Key
HUGGINGFACE_API_KEY=hf_your_actual_api_key_here

# OpenRouter API Key
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-your_actual_api_key_here

# OpenAI API Key
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your_actual_api_key_here

Getting API Keys

Local Models (Ollama)

Ollama provides local AI models that work offline without API keys.

Installing Ollama

curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh

Pulling Models

# Lightweight model (1.3GB)
ollama pull llama3.2:1b

# Balanced model (1.9GB)
ollama pull qwen2.5:3b

# Capable model (2.2GB)
ollama pull phi3.5:3.8b

# Large model (4.4GB)
ollama pull mistral:7b

Configuring Ollama

Ollama is automatically detected by Chat Linux Client if:

  • Ollama is running (ollama serve)
  • Models are installed
  • Default URL is http://localhost:11434

To use a custom Ollama URL, set the environment variable:

OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://your-custom-url:11434

Application Settings

Configure application behavior through the Settings dialog.

Chat Settings

  • Temperature: Controls response randomness (0.0 - 2.0)
    • Lower: More focused, deterministic responses
    • Higher: More creative, varied responses
  • Max Tokens: Maximum response length (0 = unlimited)

Model Selection

Choose your preferred model from the dropdown:

  • Models are listed as provider/model-name
  • Local models start with ollama/
  • Cloud models show their provider prefix

Routing Strategy

Select how models are chosen:

  • OFFLINE_FIRST: Prefer local Ollama models
  • SPEED_OPTIMAL: Prefer Groq for speed
  • COST_OPTIMAL: Prefer free/local options
  • QUALITY_OPTIMAL: Prefer larger models

Privacy Settings

Chat Encryption

Enable encryption for chat history:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Navigate to Privacy tab
  3. Enable Encrypt Chats
  4. Set a password when prompted
  5. Click Save

Important: Remember your encryption password. Lost passwords cannot be recovered.

API Key Storage

API keys are encrypted and stored locally. To enhance security:

  1. Set the CHAT_CLIENT_PASSWORD environment variable
  2. Or enable password-based encryption in Settings

Delete API Keys on Exit

Automatically delete API keys when the application closes:

  1. Open Settings
  2. Navigate to Privacy tab
  3. Enable Delete API Keys on Exit
  4. Click Save

Note: You'll need to re-enter keys on next launch.

Configuration File Location

Configuration is stored at:

~/.config/chat-linux-client/config.json

Manual Configuration (Advanced)

You can edit the configuration file directly:

{
  "providers": {
    "groq": {
      "enabled": true,
      "api_key": "your_api_key_here",
      "base_url": "https://api.groq.com/openai/v1"
    },
    "ollama": {
      "enabled": true,
      "base_url": "http://localhost:11434"
    }
  },
  "chat": {
    "temperature": 0.7,
    "max_tokens": null,
    "routing_strategy": "offline_first"
  },
  "privacy": {
    "encrypt_chats": false,
    "delete_api_keys_on_exit": false
  }
}

Warning: Manual editing may cause issues. Use the UI settings when possible.

Environment Variables

Override configuration with environment variables:

# API Keys
GROQ_API_KEY=your_key
HUGGINGFACE_API_KEY=your_key
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key

# Ollama
OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434

# Application
LOG_LEVEL=INFO
THEME=dark
FONT_SIZE=12

# Privacy
ENCRYPT_CHATS=false
DISABLE_TELEMETRY=true

# Development
DEBUG=false
LOG_TO_FILE=true

Troubleshooting Configuration

API Key Not Working

  1. Verify the key is correct
  2. Check the key has proper permissions
  3. Ensure the provider account is active
  4. Check network connectivity

Models Not Showing in Dropdown

  1. Verify the provider is enabled in settings
  2. Check API key is configured (for cloud providers)
  3. Ensure Ollama is running (for local models)
  4. Run system checks: python main.py --check-system

Configuration Not Saving

  1. Check write permissions for ~/.config/chat-linux-client/
  2. Ensure the directory exists
  3. Check disk space

Next Steps

Clone this wiki locally