nodmix 2026.5.25

package/docs/help/faq-models.md

@@ -0,0 +1,553 @@
+---
+summary: "FAQ: model defaults, selection, aliases, switching, failover, and auth profiles"
+read_when:
+  - Choosing or switching models, configuring aliases
+  - Debugging model failover / "All models failed"
+  - Understanding auth profiles and how to manage them
+title: "FAQ: models and auth"
+sidebarTitle: "Models FAQ"
+---
+
+Model- and auth-profile Q&A. For setup, sessions, gateway, channels, and
+troubleshooting, see the main [FAQ](/help/faq).
+
+## Models: defaults, selection, aliases, switching
+
+<AccordionGroup>
+  <Accordion title='What is the "default model"?'>
+    Nodmix's default model is whatever you set as:
+
+    ```
+    agents.defaults.model.primary
+    ```
+
+    Models are referenced as `provider/model` (example: `openai/gpt-5.5` or `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6`). If you omit the provider, Nodmix first tries an alias, then a unique configured-provider match for that exact model id, and only then falls back to the configured default provider as a deprecated compatibility path. If that provider no longer exposes the configured default model, Nodmix falls back to the first configured provider/model instead of surfacing a stale removed-provider default. You should still **explicitly** set `provider/model`.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="What model do you recommend?">
+    **Recommended default:** use the strongest latest-generation model available in your provider stack.
+    **For tool-enabled or untrusted-input agents:** prioritize model strength over cost.
+    **For routine/low-stakes chat:** use cheaper fallback models and route by agent role.
+
+    MiniMax has its own docs: [MiniMax](/providers/minimax) and
+    [Local models](/gateway/local-models).
+
+    Rule of thumb: use the **best model you can afford** for high-stakes work, and a cheaper
+    model for routine chat or summaries. You can route models per agent and use sub-agents to
+    parallelize long tasks (each sub-agent consumes tokens). See [Models](/concepts/models) and
+    [Sub-agents](/tools/subagents).
+
+    Strong warning: weaker/over-quantized models are more vulnerable to prompt
+    injection and unsafe behavior. See [Security](/gateway/security).
+
+    More context: [Models](/concepts/models).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="How do I switch models without wiping my config?">
+    Use **model commands** or edit only the **model** fields. Avoid full config replaces.
+
+    Safe options:
+
+    - `/model` in chat (quick, per-session)
+    - `nodmix models set ...` (updates just model config)
+    - `nodmix configure --section model` (interactive)
+    - edit `agents.defaults.model` in `~/.nodmix/nodmix.json`
+
+    Avoid `config.apply` with a partial object unless you intend to replace the whole config.
+    For RPC edits, inspect with `config.schema.lookup` first and prefer `config.patch`. The lookup payload gives you the normalized path, shallow schema docs/constraints, and immediate child summaries.
+    for partial updates.
+    If you did overwrite config, restore from backup or re-run `nodmix doctor` to repair.
+
+    Docs: [Models](/concepts/models), [Configure](/cli/configure), [Config](/cli/config), [Doctor](/gateway/doctor).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="Can I use self-hosted models (llama.cpp, vLLM, Ollama)?">
+    Yes. Ollama is the easiest path for local models.
+
+    Quickest setup:
+
+    1. Install Ollama from `https://ollama.com/download`
+    2. Pull a local model such as `ollama pull gemma4`
+    3. If you want cloud models too, run `ollama signin`
+    4. Run `nodmix onboard` and choose `Ollama`
+    5. Pick `Local` or `Cloud + Local`
+
+    Notes:
+
+    - `Cloud + Local` gives you cloud models plus your local Ollama models
+    - cloud models such as `kimi-k2.5:cloud` do not need a local pull
+    - for manual switching, use `nodmix models list` and `nodmix models set ollama/<model>`
+
+    Security note: smaller or heavily quantized models are more vulnerable to prompt
+    injection. We strongly recommend **large models** for any bot that can use tools.
+    If you still want small models, enable sandboxing and strict tool allowlists.
+
+    Docs: [Ollama](/providers/ollama), [Local models](/gateway/local-models),
+    [Model providers](/concepts/model-providers), [Security](/gateway/security),
+    [Sandboxing](/gateway/sandboxing).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="What do Nodmix, Flawd, and Krill use for models?">
+    - These deployments can differ and may change over time; there is no fixed provider recommendation.
+    - Check the current runtime setting on each gateway with `nodmix models status`.
+    - For security-sensitive/tool-enabled agents, use the strongest latest-generation model available.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="How do I switch models on the fly (without restarting)?">
+    Use the `/model` command as a standalone message:
+
+    ```
+    /model sonnet
+    /model opus
+    /model gpt
+    /model gpt-mini
+    /model gemini
+    /model gemini-flash
+    /model gemini-flash-lite
+    ```
+
+    These are the built-in aliases. Custom aliases can be added via `agents.defaults.models`.
+
+    You can list available models with `/model`, `/model list`, or `/model status`.
+
+    `/model` (and `/model list`) shows a compact, numbered picker. Select by number:
+
+    ```
+    /model 3
+    ```
+
+    You can also force a specific auth profile for the provider (per session):
+
+    ```
+    /model opus@anthropic:default
+    /model opus@anthropic:work
+    ```
+
+    Tip: `/model status` shows which agent is active, which `auth-profiles.json` file is being used, and which auth profile will be tried next.
+    It also shows the configured provider endpoint (`baseUrl`) and API mode (`api`) when available.
+
+    **How do I unpin a profile I set with @profile?**
+
+    Re-run `/model` **without** the `@profile` suffix:
+
+    ```
+    /model anthropic/claude-opus-4-6
+    ```
+
+    If you want to return to the default, pick it from `/model` (or send `/model <default provider/model>`).
+    Use `/model status` to confirm which auth profile is active.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="If two providers expose the same model id, which one does /model use?">
+    `/model provider/model` selects that exact provider route for the session.
+
+    For example, `qianfan/deepseek-v4-flash` and `deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash` are different model refs even though both contain `deepseek-v4-flash`. Nodmix should not silently switch from one provider to the other just because the bare model id matches.
+
+    A user-selected `/model` ref is also strict for fallback policy. If that selected provider/model is unavailable, the reply fails visibly instead of answering from `agents.defaults.model.fallbacks`. Configured fallback chains still apply to configured defaults, cron job primaries, and auto-selected fallback state.
+
+    If a run that started from a non-session override is allowed to use fallback, Nodmix tries the requested provider/model first, then configured fallbacks, and only then the configured primary. That prevents duplicate bare model ids from jumping directly back to the default provider.
+
+    See [Models](/concepts/models) and [Model failover](/concepts/model-failover).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="Can I use GPT 5.5 for daily tasks and Codex 5.5 for coding?">
+    Yes. Treat model choice and runtime choice separately:
+
+    - **Native Codex coding agent:** set `agents.defaults.model.primary` to `openai/gpt-5.5`. Sign in with `nodmix models auth login --provider openai-codex` when you want ChatGPT/Codex subscription auth.
+    - **Direct OpenAI API tasks outside the agent loop:** configure `OPENAI_API_KEY` for images, embeddings, speech, realtime, and other non-agent OpenAI API surfaces.
+    - **OpenAI agent API-key auth:** use `/model openai/gpt-5.5` with an ordered `openai-codex` API-key profile.
+    - **Sub-agents:** route coding tasks to a Codex-focused agent with its own `openai/gpt-5.5` model.
+
+    See [Models](/concepts/models) and [Slash commands](/tools/slash-commands).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="How do I configure fast mode for GPT 5.5?">
+    Use either a session toggle or a config default:
+
+    - **Per session:** send `/fast on` while the session is using `openai/gpt-5.5`.
+    - **Per model default:** set `agents.defaults.models["openai/gpt-5.5"].params.fastMode` to `true`.
+
+    Example:
+
+    ```json5
+    {
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          models: {
+            "openai/gpt-5.5": {
+              params: {
+                fastMode: true,
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    }
+    ```
+
+    For OpenAI, fast mode maps to `service_tier = "priority"` on supported native Responses requests. Session `/fast` overrides beat config defaults.
+
+    See [Thinking and fast mode](/tools/thinking) and [OpenAI fast mode](/providers/openai#fast-mode).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title='Why do I see "Model ... is not allowed" and then no reply?'>
+    If `agents.defaults.models` is set, it becomes the **allowlist** for `/model` and any
+    session overrides. Choosing a model that isn't in that list returns:
+
+    ```
+    Model "provider/model" is not allowed. Use /models to list providers, or /models <provider> to list models.
+    Add it with: nodmix config set agents.defaults.models '{"provider/model":{}}' --strict-json --merge
+    ```
+
+    That error is returned **instead of** a normal reply. Fix: add the exact model to
+    `agents.defaults.models`, add a provider wildcard such as `"provider/*": {}` for dynamic provider catalogs, remove the allowlist, or pick a model from `/model list`.
+    If the command also included `--runtime codex`, update the allowlist first and then retry
+    the same `/model provider/model --runtime codex` command.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title='Why do I see "Unknown model: minimax/MiniMax-M2.7"?'>
+    This means the **provider isn't configured** (no MiniMax provider config or auth
+    profile was found), so the model can't be resolved.
+
+    Fix checklist:
+
+    1. Upgrade to a current Nodmix release (or run from source `main`), then restart the gateway.
+    2. Make sure MiniMax is configured (wizard or JSON), or that MiniMax auth
+       exists in env/auth profiles so the matching provider can be injected
+       (`MINIMAX_API_KEY` for `minimax`, `MINIMAX_OAUTH_TOKEN` or stored MiniMax
+       OAuth for `minimax-portal`).
+    3. Use the exact model id (case-sensitive) for your auth path:
+       `minimax/MiniMax-M2.7` or `minimax/MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed` for API-key
+       setup, or `minimax-portal/MiniMax-M2.7` /
+       `minimax-portal/MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed` for OAuth setup.
+    4. Run:
+
+       ```bash
+       nodmix models list
+       ```
+
+       and pick from the list (or `/model list` in chat).
+
+    See [MiniMax](/providers/minimax) and [Models](/concepts/models).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="Can I use MiniMax as my default and OpenAI for complex tasks?">
+    Yes. Use **MiniMax as the default** and switch models **per session** when needed.
+    Fallbacks are for **errors**, not "hard tasks," so use `/model` or a separate agent.
+
+    **Option A: switch per session**
+
+    ```json5
+    {
+      env: { MINIMAX_API_KEY: "sk-...", OPENAI_API_KEY: "sk-..." },
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          model: { primary: "minimax/MiniMax-M2.7" },
+          models: {
+            "minimax/MiniMax-M2.7": { alias: "minimax" },
+            "openai/gpt-5.5": { alias: "gpt" },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    }
+    ```
+
+    Then:
+
+    ```
+    /model gpt
+    ```
+
+    **Option B: separate agents**
+
+    - Agent A default: MiniMax
+    - Agent B default: OpenAI
+    - Route by agent or use `/agent` to switch
+
+    Docs: [Models](/concepts/models), [Multi-Agent Routing](/concepts/multi-agent), [MiniMax](/providers/minimax), [OpenAI](/providers/openai).
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="Are opus / sonnet / gpt built-in shortcuts?">
+    Yes. Nodmix ships a few default shorthands (only applied when the model exists in `agents.defaults.models`):
+
+    - `opus` → `anthropic/claude-opus-4-7`
+    - `sonnet` → `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6`
+    - `gpt` → `openai/gpt-5.4`
+    - `gpt-mini` → `openai/gpt-5.4-mini`
+    - `gpt-nano` → `openai/gpt-5.4-nano`
+    - `gemini` → `google/gemini-3.1-pro-preview`
+    - `gemini-flash` → `google/gemini-3-flash-preview`
+    - `gemini-flash-lite` → `google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview`
+
+    If you set your own alias with the same name, your value wins.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="How do I define/override model shortcuts (aliases)?">
+    Aliases come from `agents.defaults.models.<modelId>.alias`. Example:
+
+    ```json5
+    {
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          model: { primary: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6" },
+          models: {
+            "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6": { alias: "opus" },
+            "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6": { alias: "sonnet" },
+            "anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5": { alias: "haiku" },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    }
+    ```
+
+    Then `/model sonnet` (or `/<alias>` when supported) resolves to that model ID.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="How do I add models from other providers like OpenRouter or Z.AI?">
+    OpenRouter (pay-per-token; many models):
+
+    ```json5
+    {
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          model: { primary: "openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" },
+          models: { "openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6": {} },
+        },
+      },
+      env: { OPENROUTER_API_KEY: "sk-or-..." },
+    }
+    ```
+
+    Z.AI (GLM models):
+
+    ```json5
+    {
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          model: { primary: "zai/glm-5" },
+          models: { "zai/glm-5": {} },
+        },
+      },
+      env: { ZAI_API_KEY: "..." },
+    }
+    ```
+
+    If you reference a provider/model but the required provider key is missing, you'll get a runtime auth error (e.g. `No API key found for provider "zai"`).
+
+    **No API key found for provider after adding a new agent**
+
+    This usually means the **new agent** has an empty auth store. Auth is per-agent and
+    stored in:
+
+    ```
+    ~/.nodmix/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json
+    ```
+
+    Fix options:
+
+    - Run `nodmix agents add <id>` and configure auth during the wizard.
+    - Or copy only portable static `api_key` / `token` profiles from the main agent's auth store into the new agent's auth store.
+    - For OAuth profiles, sign in from the new agent when it needs its own account; otherwise Nodmix can read through to the default/main agent without cloning refresh tokens.
+
+    Do **not** reuse `agentDir` across agents; it causes auth/session collisions.
+
+  </Accordion>
+</AccordionGroup>
+
+## Model failover and "All models failed"
+
+<AccordionGroup>
+  <Accordion title="How does failover work?">
+    Failover happens in two stages:
+
+    1. **Auth profile rotation** within the same provider.
+    2. **Model fallback** to the next model in `agents.defaults.model.fallbacks`.
+
+    Cooldowns apply to failing profiles (exponential backoff), so Nodmix can keep responding even when a provider is rate-limited or temporarily failing.
+
+    The rate-limit bucket includes more than plain `429` responses. Nodmix
+    also treats messages like `Too many concurrent requests`,
+    `ThrottlingException`, `concurrency limit reached`,
+    `workers_ai ... quota limit exceeded`, `resource exhausted`, and periodic
+    usage-window limits (`weekly/monthly limit reached`) as failover-worthy
+    rate limits.
+
+    Some billing-looking responses are not `402`, and some HTTP `402`
+    responses also stay in that transient bucket. If a provider returns
+    explicit billing text on `401` or `403`, Nodmix can still keep that in
+    the billing lane, but provider-specific text matchers stay scoped to the
+    provider that owns them (for example OpenRouter `Key limit exceeded`). If a `402`
+    message instead looks like a retryable usage-window or
+    organization/workspace spend limit (`daily limit reached, resets tomorrow`,
+    `organization spending limit exceeded`), Nodmix treats it as
+    `rate_limit`, not a long billing disable.
+
+    Context-overflow errors are different: signatures such as
+    `request_too_large`, `input exceeds the maximum number of tokens`,
+    `input token count exceeds the maximum number of input tokens`,
+    `input is too long for the model`, or `ollama error: context length
+    exceeded` stay on the compaction/retry path instead of advancing model
+    fallback.
+
+    Generic server-error text is intentionally narrower than "anything with
+    unknown/error in it". Nodmix does treat provider-scoped transient shapes
+    such as Anthropic bare `An unknown error occurred`, OpenRouter bare
+    `Provider returned error`, stop-reason errors like `Unhandled stop reason:
+    error`, JSON `api_error` payloads with transient server text
+    (`internal server error`, `unknown error, 520`, `upstream error`, `backend
+    error`), and provider-busy errors such as `ModelNotReadyException` as
+    failover-worthy timeout/overloaded signals when the provider context
+    matches.
+    Generic internal fallback text like `LLM request failed with an unknown
+    error.` stays conservative and does not trigger model fallback by itself.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title='What does "No credentials found for profile anthropic:default" mean?'>
+    It means the system attempted to use the auth profile ID `anthropic:default`, but could not find credentials for it in the expected auth store.
+
+    **Fix checklist:**
+
+    - **Confirm where auth profiles live** (new vs legacy paths)
+      - Current: `~/.nodmix/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json`
+      - Legacy: `~/.nodmix/agent/*` (migrated by `nodmix doctor`)
+    - **Confirm your env var is loaded by the Gateway**
+      - If you set `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in your shell but run the Gateway via systemd/launchd, it may not inherit it. Put it in `~/.nodmix/.env` or enable `env.shellEnv`.
+    - **Make sure you're editing the correct agent**
+      - Multi-agent setups mean there can be multiple `auth-profiles.json` files.
+    - **Sanity-check model/auth status**
+      - Use `nodmix models status` to see configured models and whether providers are authenticated.
+
+    **Fix checklist for "No credentials found for profile anthropic"**
+
+    This means the run is pinned to an Anthropic auth profile, but the Gateway
+    can't find it in its auth store.
+
+    - **Use Claude CLI**
+      - Run `nodmix models auth login --provider anthropic --method cli --set-default` on the gateway host.
+    - **If you want to use an API key instead**
+      - Put `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in `~/.nodmix/.env` on the **gateway host**.
+      - Clear any pinned order that forces a missing profile:
+
+        ```bash
+        nodmix models auth order clear --provider anthropic
+        ```
+
+    - **Confirm you're running commands on the gateway host**
+      - In remote mode, auth profiles live on the gateway machine, not your laptop.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="Why did it also try Google Gemini and fail?">
+    If your model config includes Google Gemini as a fallback (or you switched to a Gemini shorthand), Nodmix will try it during model fallback. If you haven't configured Google credentials, you'll see `No API key found for provider "google"`.
+
+    Fix: either provide Google auth, or remove/avoid Google models in `agents.defaults.model.fallbacks` / aliases so fallback doesn't route there.
+
+    **LLM request rejected: thinking signature required (Google Antigravity)**
+
+    Cause: the session history contains **thinking blocks without signatures** (often from
+    an aborted/partial stream). Google Antigravity requires signatures for thinking blocks.
+
+    Fix: Nodmix now strips unsigned thinking blocks for Google Antigravity Claude. If it still appears, start a **new session** or set `/thinking off` for that agent.
+
+  </Accordion>
+</AccordionGroup>
+
+## Auth profiles: what they are and how to manage them
+
+Related: [/concepts/oauth](/concepts/oauth) (OAuth flows, token storage, multi-account patterns)
+
+<AccordionGroup>
+  <Accordion title="What is an auth profile?">
+    An auth profile is a named credential record (OAuth or API key) tied to a provider. Profiles live in:
+
+    ```
+    ~/.nodmix/agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json
+    ```
+
+    To inspect saved profiles without dumping secrets, run `nodmix models auth list` (optionally `--provider <id>` or `--json`). See [Models CLI](/cli/models#auth-profiles) for details.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="What are typical profile IDs?">
+    Nodmix uses provider-prefixed IDs like:
+
+    - `anthropic:default` (common when no email identity exists)
+    - `anthropic:<email>` for OAuth identities
+    - custom IDs you choose (e.g. `anthropic:work`)
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="Can I control which auth profile is tried first?">
+    Yes. Config supports optional metadata for profiles and an ordering per provider (`auth.order.<provider>`). This does **not** store secrets; it maps IDs to provider/mode and sets rotation order.
+
+    Nodmix may temporarily skip a profile if it's in a short **cooldown** (rate limits/timeouts/auth failures) or a longer **disabled** state (billing/insufficient credits). To inspect this, run `nodmix models status --json` and check `auth.unusableProfiles`. Tuning: `auth.cooldowns.billingBackoffHours*`.
+
+    Rate-limit cooldowns can be model-scoped. A profile that is cooling down
+    for one model can still be usable for a sibling model on the same provider,
+    while billing/disabled windows still block the whole profile.
+
+    You can also set a **per-agent** order override (stored in that agent's `auth-state.json`) via the CLI:
+
+    ```bash
+    # Defaults to the configured default agent (omit --agent)
+    nodmix models auth order get --provider anthropic
+
+    # Lock rotation to a single profile (only try this one)
+    nodmix models auth order set --provider anthropic anthropic:default
+
+    # Or set an explicit order (fallback within provider)
+    nodmix models auth order set --provider anthropic anthropic:work anthropic:default
+
+    # Clear override (fall back to config auth.order / round-robin)
+    nodmix models auth order clear --provider anthropic
+    ```
+
+    To target a specific agent:
+
+    ```bash
+    nodmix models auth order set --provider anthropic --agent main anthropic:default
+    ```
+
+    To verify what will actually be tried, use:
+
+    ```bash
+    nodmix models status --probe
+    ```
+
+    If a stored profile is omitted from the explicit order, probe reports
+    `excluded_by_auth_order` for that profile instead of trying it silently.
+
+  </Accordion>
+
+  <Accordion title="OAuth vs API key - what is the difference?">
+    Nodmix supports both:
+
+    - **OAuth** often leverages subscription access (where applicable).
+    - **API keys** use pay-per-token billing.
+
+    The wizard explicitly supports Anthropic Claude CLI, OpenAI Codex OAuth, and API keys.
+
+  </Accordion>
+</AccordionGroup>
+
+## Related
+
+- [FAQ](/help/faq) — the main FAQ
+- [FAQ — quick start and first-run setup](/help/faq-first-run)
+- [Model selection](/concepts/model-providers)
+- [Model failover](/concepts/model-failover)