Configuration

taoCode reads settings from user and project configuration. Keep shared project settings separate from gateway credentials.

File locations

Default Unix-style locations are shown below. Environment overrides and platform conventions may change the actual paths.

Purpose	Location
User configuration	~/.config/taocode/taocode.json
Project configuration	./taocode.json
Stored credentials	~/.local/share/taocode/auth.json

Use project configuration for defaults that belong with the repository. Do not commit auth.json or actual API keys.

Set a default model

{
  "model": "tao/chutes/Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B-TEE"
}

Use a reference available to the people running the project. An explicit --model argument selects a model for a particular task.

Configure gateway credentials

Set CHUTES_API_KEY or TARGON_API_KEY in your shell, or connect interactively with /connect. Stored keys use the identifiers tao-chutes and tao-targon.

Stored gateway credentials take precedence over environment variables. If exporting a new key does not resolve an authentication error, update the stored connection. See key resolution.

Connect an MCP server

The Model Context Protocol lets the agent use additional tools. For example, a local filesystem server can be declared in taocode.json:

{
  "mcp": {
    "filesystem": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "./"]
    }
  }
}

This example starts an external process and requires Node.js and npx on your machine. The final ./ grants access relative to the server’s working directory; use an explicit directory when the working directory may differ.

Check configuration errors

Use valid JSON, verify that model references exist, and confirm required server commands are installed. Settings vary by taoCode version; this page documents common examples rather than an exhaustive schema.