Setup

Get your API key

gdm routes your prompts to an AI model. You need at least one API key — pick the provider that suits your region and budget.

Choose a provider

All providers work the same way inside gdm. Pick one, grab a key, and run gdm login.

𝕏
xAI Grok
Recommended
Best overall quality for coding tasks. Fast, large context window. Requires a credit card to activate the free tier.
console.x.ai →
🔷
Google Gemini
Free tier
Generous free quota via Google AI Studio. No credit card required. Great fallback for regions without Grok access.
aistudio.google.com →
⬛
OpenAI Codex
GPT-5 / o-series models from OpenAI. Requires a paid account. Good for users already on the OpenAI platform.
platform.openai.com →
💡
Not sure which to pick? Start with Google Gemini — it has a free tier, no credit card needed, and works from almost any country.

Step-by-step: xAI Grok

1

Create an xAI account
Go to console.x.ai and sign in with your X (Twitter) account or email.

2

Open the API section
In the left sidebar choose API → API Keys.

3

Create a key
Click Create API Key, give it a name (e.g. gdm-local), and copy the key — it starts with xai-.

4

Store it in gdm

gdm login grok
# Paste your key when prompted — it is saved to your OS keychain

Step-by-step: Google Gemini

1

Open Google AI Studio
Go to aistudio.google.com/apikey and sign in with your Google account.

2

Create an API key
Click Create API key. Choose an existing Google Cloud project or let Studio create one for you.

3

Copy and store the key

gdm login gemini
# Paste your key when prompted — it starts with AIza…
🌍
Works almost everywhere. Google AI Studio is available in 230+ countries. If Grok is blocked in your region, Gemini is the best direct alternative.

Step-by-step: OpenAI Codex

1

Create an OpenAI account
Go to platform.openai.com and sign up or log in.

2

Add a payment method
Navigate to Settings → Billing and add a card. You only pay for what you use.

3

Create an API key
Go to platform.openai.com/api-keys → Create new secret key. Copy it — it starts with sk-.

4

Store it in gdm

gdm login codex

Using the gdmcode.com proxy

If your country restricts direct access to xAI Grok — or if you'd rather not manage API keys yourself — the gdmcode.com proxy routes requests through our relay server. One token gives you access to all supported models.

🚫
Grok is not directly accessible in these countries due to US export control regulations (OFAC):

🇮🇷 Iran 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇰🇵 North Korea 🇸🇾 Syria 🇷🇺 Russia 🇧🇾 Belarus 🇸🇩 Sudan 🇲🇲 Myanmar 🇻🇪 Venezuela
If you are in one of these countries, use Google Gemini (direct, free) or the gdmcode.com proxy below.
🔁
How the proxy works: your gdm sends API calls to proxy.gdmcode.com instead of directly to xAI or OpenAI. The proxy server (hosted in an unrestricted region) forwards the call and returns the response. Your key never leaves your machine.
1

Get a proxy token from gdmcode.com (sign-up → dashboard).

2

Store the token

gdm login proxy
# Paste your gdmcode.com proxy token when prompted
3

Enable the proxy from inside the REPL

gdm › /proxy on
Proxy enabled: https://proxy.gdmcode.com/v1
4

Or set it permanently in .gdm/config.toml:

[proxy]
enabled = true
url     = "https://proxy.gdmcode.com/v1"

Prompting in your language

gdm responds in whatever language you write in — no configuration needed.

🗣️
Write your prompt in French, Swahili, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala — or any other language — and gdm will reply in the same language.

Example:
gdm "corrige le bug de connexion dans auth.py"
→ gdm will plan and explain in French.

Verify your setup

Run gdm health to confirm everything is configured correctly before your first session.

$ gdm health
 
✔ database ok
✔ daemon running
✔ api (grok) ok 142ms
✔ tools 22 registered
✔ budget $4.87 of $20.00 used
 
All checks passed.
⚠️
If api shows fail, your key is missing or invalid. Re-run gdm login <provider> and try again.