From e234e8d18f1610dfffd78bec4735fb81a008237d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Mario Zechner <badlogicgames@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2025 01:52:59 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Allow startup without API keys, fixes #288

---
 packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md            |  1 +
 .../coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts    |  3 +-
 packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts         | 19 +++++-----
 unset-env.sh                                  | 37 +++++++++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 48 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)
 create mode 100755 unset-env.sh

diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
index a5005565..1c7c7f55 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- **Allow startup without API keys**: Interactive mode no longer throws when no API keys are configured. Users can now start the agent and use `/login` to authenticate. ([#288](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/issues/288))
 - **`--system-prompt` file path support**: The `--system-prompt` argument now correctly resolves file paths (like `--append-system-prompt` already did). ([#287](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/287) by [@scutifer](https://github.com/scutifer))
 
 ## [0.27.2] - 2025-12-23
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts
index 3fa1617e..883b27ad 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts
@@ -422,8 +422,7 @@ export class AgentSession {
 		if (!this.model) {
 			throw new Error(
 				"No model selected.\n\n" +
-					"Set an API key (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, etc.)\n" +
-					`or create ${getModelsPath()}\n\n` +
+					`Use /login, set an API key environment variable or create ${getModelsPath()}\n\n` +
 					"Then use /model to select a model.",
 			);
 		}
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts
index 9d13786b..2bbb6e81 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts
@@ -517,15 +517,14 @@ export async function createAgentSession(options: CreateAgentSessionOptions = {}
 	if (!model) {
 		const available = await discoverAvailableModels();
 		time("discoverAvailableModels");
-		if (available.length === 0) {
-			throw new Error(
-				"No models available. Set an API key environment variable " +
-					"(ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, etc.) or provide a model explicitly.",
-			);
-		}
-		model = available[0];
-		if (modelFallbackMessage) {
-			modelFallbackMessage += `. Using ${model.provider}/${model.id}`;
+		if (available.length > 0) {
+			model = available[0];
+			if (modelFallbackMessage) {
+				modelFallbackMessage += `. Using ${model.provider}/${model.id}`;
+			}
+		} else {
+			// No models available - set message so user knows to /login or configure keys
+			modelFallbackMessage = "No models available. Use /login or set an API key environment variable.";
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -542,7 +541,7 @@ export async function createAgentSession(options: CreateAgentSessionOptions = {}
 	}
 
 	// Clamp to model capabilities
-	if (!model.reasoning) {
+	if (!model || !model.reasoning) {
 		thinkingLevel = "off";
 	}
 
diff --git a/unset-env.sh b/unset-env.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ea4a11a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unset-env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Unset all provider API keys
+
+unset OPENAI_API_KEY
+unset OPENAI_KEY
+unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
+unset ANTHROPIC_OAUTH_TOKEN
+unset GROQ_API_KEY
+unset OPENROUTER_API_KEY
+unset GEMINI_API_KEY
+unset CEREBRAS_API_KEY
+unset HF_TOKEN
+unset XAI_API_KEY
+unset ZAI_API_KEY
+unset EXA_API_KEY
+unset MINIMAX_API_KEY
+unset MISTRAL_API_KEY
+unset ELEVENLABS_API_KEY
+unset BRAVE_API_KEY
+
+echo "Unset the following provider API keys:"
+echo "  OPENAI_API_KEY"
+echo "  OPENAI_KEY"
+echo "  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
+echo "  ANTHROPIC_OAUTH_TOKEN"
+echo "  GROQ_API_KEY"
+echo "  OPENROUTER_API_KEY"
+echo "  GEMINI_API_KEY"
+echo "  CEREBRAS_API_KEY"
+echo "  HF_TOKEN"
+echo "  XAI_API_KEY"
+echo "  ZAI_API_KEY"
+echo "  EXA_API_KEY"
+echo "  MINIMAX_API_KEY"
+echo "  MISTRAL_API_KEY"
+echo "  ELEVENLABS_API_KEY"
+echo "  BRAVE_API_KEY"