> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orcapods.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Choose a provider and model

> Orcacode supports local OpenAI-compatible servers, OpenAI API, OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, CheaperInference, Anthropic, and the OpenAI Codex provider for a ChatGPT subscription.

## Choose interactively

Open `/provider` to switch among local OpenAI-compatible servers, OpenAI API, OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, CheaperInference, Anthropic, and OpenAI Codex, then `/models [filter]` to browse that endpoint’s catalog. `/settings` brings provider, model, theme, and API-key settings together.

```bash theme={"dark"}
› /provider
› /models coding
› /settings
```

## Supported providers

| Provider | Credential |
| - | - |
| `local` | None. Any OpenAI-compatible server; defaults to Ollama at `http://localhost:11434/v1`. |
| `openai` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
| `openai-codex` | ChatGPT subscription through device login. |
| `anthropic` | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`. Uses the native Messages API. |
| `openrouter` | `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` |
| `vercel` | `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY` (Vercel AI Gateway) |
| `cheaperinference` | `CHEAPERINFERENCE_API_KEY` |

## Configure from the shell

| Setting | Flag / environment |
| - | - |
| Model | `--model NAME` / `ORCA_MODEL` |
| Endpoint | `--base-url URL` / `ORCA_BASE_URL` |
| API key | `--api-key KEY` / selected provider’s environment key: OpenAI `OPENAI_API_KEY`, OpenRouter `OPENROUTER_API_KEY`, Vercel `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY`, CheaperInference `CHEAPERINFERENCE_API_KEY`, or Anthropic `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` |
| OpenRouter | `--openrouter` / `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` |
| Anthropic | `--anthropic` / `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` |
| Web tools | `--firecrawl-key KEY` / `FIRECRAWL_API_KEY` |

Flags and environment values take precedence over saved values. An explicit `--api-key` takes precedence over the selected provider’s environment key, which in turn takes precedence over its saved key.

## Saved configuration

Orcacode stores the provider, last model per provider, theme, API keys, extension settings, MCP servers, skills overrides, and workspace-scoped approvals in `config.json`. The default directory is `~/.config/orcacode` on Unix-like systems, `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/orcacode` when set, or `%APPDATA%\orcacode` on Windows. Set `ORCA_CONFIG_DIR` to override the directory.

For an OpenAI ChatGPT subscription, select `openai-codex` in `/provider`; Orcacode opens a device login flow and can import an existing official Codex login as a fallback.


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