Configuration¶

Arc requires configuration for API access to LLM providers. This guide will help you set up Arc's configuration.

Overview¶

Arc stores configuration in ~/.arc/user-settings.json. You can set configuration via: 1. The interactive /config command (recommended) 2. Environment variables 3. Direct file editing

Quick Configuration¶

The easiest way to configure Arc is using the interactive command:

# Start Arc
arc chat

# Run the config command
/config

You'll be prompted to enter: - API Key - Your LLM provider API key - Base URL - API endpoint (optional, defaults vary by provider) - Model - Model name to use (e.g., gpt-4, claude-sonnet-4, deepseek-chat)

Example Configuration¶

◇ Configuration
  API Key            ********
  Base URL           https://api.deepseek.com/v1
  Model              deepseek-chat

Supported LLM Providers¶

Arc works with any OpenAI-compatible API. Popular providers include:

OpenAI¶

API Key:    sk-...  (from https://platform.openai.com/api-keys)
Base URL:   https://api.openai.com/v1  (default)
Model:      gpt-4, gpt-4-turbo, gpt-3.5-turbo

Anthropic Claude¶

API Key:    sk-ant-...  (from https://console.anthropic.com/)
Base URL:   https://api.anthropic.com/v1
Model:      claude-sonnet-4, claude-opus-3

Note: Requires OpenAI-compatible wrapper or use Anthropic's native SDK.

Google Gemini¶

API Key:    Your Gemini API key
Base URL:   https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/
Model:      gemini-pro, gemini-ultra

DeepSeek¶

API Key:    Your DeepSeek API key
Base URL:   https://api.deepseek.com/v1
Model:      deepseek-chat, deepseek-coder

Local Models (OpenAI-compatible servers)¶

You can use local models via OpenAI-compatible servers like: - Ollama with OpenAI compatibility - LM Studio - LocalAI - vLLM

API Key:    (not required for local)
Base URL:   http://localhost:11434/v1  (example for Ollama)
Model:      llama3, mistral, mixtral, etc.

Configuration Methods¶

Method 1: Interactive Config (Recommended)¶

arc chat
/config

Follow the prompts to enter your settings.

Method 2: Environment Variables¶

Set environment variables before starting Arc:

# Set API configuration
export ARC_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
export ARC_BASE_URL="https://api.openai.com/v1"
export ARC_MODEL="gpt-4"

# Start Arc
arc chat

Environment variables take precedence over the settings file.

Method 3: Direct File Editing¶

Edit ~/.arc/user-settings.json directly:

# Create/edit the file
nano ~/.arc/user-settings.json

{
  "apiKey": "your-api-key-here",
  "baseURL": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
  "model": "gpt-4"
}

Save and restart Arc for changes to take effect.

Configuration File Location¶

Arc stores configuration in: - macOS/Linux: ~/.arc/user-settings.json - Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.arc\user-settings.json

Viewing Current Configuration¶

To view your current configuration:

arc chat
/config

This shows your current settings (with API key masked for security).

Next Steps¶

Once configured, continue to: - Quick Start Tutorial - Build your first model - CLI Commands Reference - Learn all commands