Environment variables

The environment variables that control which backend memcode uses and how it behaves.

Backend selection

Variable	Effect
`MEMCODE_API_TOKEN`	Hosted gateway API token, set by memcode login.
`MEMCODE_API_URL`	Override the gateway URL. Default is https://code.memcode.ai.
`MEMCODE_CREDENTIAL_SOURCE`	Use a subscription you already have: claude, with aliases claude-sub and anthropic-sub, codex, or copilot.
`MEMCODE_ENDPOINT_URL`	Point at any OpenAI-compatible endpoint such as Ollama or vLLM.
`MEMCODE_ENDPOINT_KEY`	Key for that endpoint, if it needs one.
`MEMCODE_ENDPOINT_MODEL`	Override the served model for an endpoint or subscription source.

An exported ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY activates that provider directly, with no other setup.

The keys below are used when MEMCODE_ENDPOINT_URL points at the matching provider's host:

ANTHROPIC_ADVISOR_MODEL overrides the model used by /advisor.

Variable	Effect
`MEMCODE_AUTO_UPDATE=off`	Disable the daily background self-update.
`MEMCODE_TRACE`	Set to a non-empty value to enable wire-trace logging, shown by `/debug`.
`MEMCODE_COMPACT_BUDGET`	Override the context-compaction budget, or set off.
`MEMCODE_CONTEXT_SOFT_CAP`	Lower the context ceiling for cost-capped setups.
`XDG_CONFIG_HOME`	Relocate the global config and secrets directory. Otherwise ~/.config.
`CODEX_HOME`	Where the Codex subscription login is read from.

Set the backend variables in your shell profile to make a choice the default across sessions, for example export MEMCODE_CREDENTIAL_SOURCE=claude.