Simplify LLM API key configuration

README.md

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ openkb lint
 
 OpenKB comes with [multi-LLM support](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/providers) (e.g., OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) via [LiteLLM](https://github.com/BerriAI/litellm) (pinned to a [safe version](https://docs.litellm.ai/blog/security-update-march-2026)).
 
-Create a `.env` file with your LLM API key. Choose your LLM during `openkb init` or edit [`.openkb/config.yaml`](#configuration).
+Create a `.env` file with your LLM API key. Choose your LLM during `openkb init` or edit [`.openkb/config.yaml`](#configuration) (model names follow [LiteLLM format](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/providers), e.g. `gpt-5.4`, `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6`).
 
 ```bash
 LLM_API_KEY=your_llm_api_key
@@ -141,12 +141,19 @@ Generated by `openkb init`, stored in `.openkb/config.yaml`:
 
 ```yaml
 model: gpt-5.4                   # LLM model (any LiteLLM-supported provider)
-api_key_env: LLM_API_KEY         # Environment variable for LLM API key
 language: en                     # Wiki output language
 pageindex_threshold: 20          # PDF pages threshold for PageIndex
 pageindex_api_key_env: ""        # (Optional) Environment variable for PageIndex Cloud API key
 ```
 
+Model names follow [LiteLLM format](https://docs.litellm.ai/docs/providers):
+
+| Provider | Model example |
+|---|---|
+| OpenAI | `gpt-5.4` |
+| Anthropic | `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6` |
+| Gemini | `gemini/gemini-3.1-pro-preview` |
+
 ### PageIndex integration
 
 For long documents, relying solely on summaries often leads to information loss.

config.yaml.example

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 model: gpt-5.4                   # LLM model (any LiteLLM-supported provider)
-api_key_env: LLM_API_KEY         # Environment variable for API key
 language: en                      # Wiki output language
 pageindex_threshold: 20           # PDF pages threshold for PageIndex
 pageindex_api_key_env: ""         # Env var name for PageIndex Cloud API key

openkb/cli.py

@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@
 load_dotenv()
 
 
-def _setup_llm_key(config: dict) -> None:
-    """Set LiteLLM API key from the configured env var (default: LLM_API_KEY)."""
-    env_var = config.get("api_key_env", DEFAULT_CONFIG["api_key_env"])
-    api_key = os.environ.get(env_var, "")
+def _setup_llm_key() -> None:
+    """Set LiteLLM API key from LLM_API_KEY env var if present."""
+    api_key = os.environ.get("LLM_API_KEY", "")
     if api_key:
         litellm.api_key = api_key
 
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ def _add_single_file(file_path: Path, kb_dir: Path) -> None:
 
     openkb_dir = kb_dir / ".openkb"
     config = load_config(openkb_dir / "config.yaml")
-    _setup_llm_key(config)
+    _setup_llm_key()
     model: str = config.get("model", DEFAULT_CONFIG["model"])
     registry = HashRegistry(openkb_dir / "hashes.json")
 
@@ -160,8 +159,10 @@ def init():
         return
 
     # Interactive prompts
-    model = click.prompt("Model", default=DEFAULT_CONFIG["model"])
-    api_key_env = click.prompt("API key env var", default=DEFAULT_CONFIG["api_key_env"])
+    model = click.prompt(
+        "Model (e.g. gpt-5.4, anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6, gemini/gemini-3.1-pro-preview)",
+        default=DEFAULT_CONFIG["model"],
+    )
     language = click.prompt("Language", default=DEFAULT_CONFIG["language"])
     pageindex_threshold = click.prompt(
         "PageIndex threshold (pages)",
@@ -193,7 +194,6 @@ def init():
     openkb_dir.mkdir()
     config = {
         "model": model,
-        "api_key_env": api_key_env,
         "language": language,
         "pageindex_threshold": pageindex_threshold,
         "pageindex_api_key_env": pageindex_api_key_env,
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ def query(question, save):
 
     openkb_dir = kb_dir / ".openkb"
     config = load_config(openkb_dir / "config.yaml")
-    _setup_llm_key(config)
+    _setup_llm_key()
     model: str = config.get("model", DEFAULT_CONFIG["model"])
 
     try:
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ def lint(fix):
 
     openkb_dir = kb_dir / ".openkb"
     config = load_config(openkb_dir / "config.yaml")
-    _setup_llm_key(config)
+    _setup_llm_key()
     model: str = config.get("model", DEFAULT_CONFIG["model"])
 
     # Structural lint

openkb/config.py

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 DEFAULT_CONFIG: dict[str, Any] = {
     "model": "gpt-5.4",
-    "api_key_env": "LLM_API_KEY",
     "language": "en",
     "pageindex_threshold": 20,
     "pageindex_api_key_env": "",  # Set to env var name (e.g. PAGEINDEX_API_KEY) to use cloud PageIndex

tests/test_config.py

@@ -5,15 +5,13 @@
 
 def test_default_config_keys():
     assert "model" in DEFAULT_CONFIG
-    assert "api_key_env" in DEFAULT_CONFIG
     assert "language" in DEFAULT_CONFIG
     assert "pageindex_threshold" in DEFAULT_CONFIG
     assert "pageindex_api_key_env" in DEFAULT_CONFIG
 
 
 def test_default_config_values():
     assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["model"] == "gpt-5.4"
-    assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["api_key_env"] == "LLM_API_KEY"
     assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["language"] == "en"
     assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["pageindex_threshold"] == 20
 
@@ -39,7 +37,6 @@ def test_save_load_roundtrip(tmp_path):
     assert loaded["model"] == "gpt-3.5-turbo"
     assert loaded["language"] == "fr"
     # Defaults fill in missing keys
-    assert loaded["api_key_env"] == DEFAULT_CONFIG["api_key_env"]
     assert loaded["pageindex_threshold"] == DEFAULT_CONFIG["pageindex_threshold"]