Config Commands¶

setup¶

Pick the AI Max uses and a fallback, each with its own API key and model.

max config setup

The wizard asks for:

Main AI: openai (or any URL that speaks OpenAI's API), openrouter, gemini or ollama, then that provider's API key and model. Press Enter at the key to keep the saved one. For openai the wizard also asks for a custom URL (empty for OpenAI itself). Ollama needs no key, so the wizard asks where it runs instead. Before it asks for the model, the wizard lists up to 15 models your key can use.
Fallback: another provider, or none, with its key and model. When the main AI fails (no credit left, a rate limit, a wrong key, an unknown model, the service down), Max sends the same request to the fallback and stays on it for the rest of that run.
Image model of the main AI and of the fallback, for max ai create and edit (empty: that provider makes no images). The wizard names a few image models to pick from. Ollama has no image model. Images follow the main AI and its fallback like text does.

It changes only these settings; the rest of ~/.max_config.env stays.

Providers:

Provider	API key setting	Model setting	Notes
OpenAI or a custom URL	`OPENAI_API_KEY` (+ `OPENAI_BASE_URL`)	`AI_MODEL`	Pay as you go; any OpenAI-compatible URL
OpenRouter	`OPENROUTER_API_KEY`	`OPENROUTER_MODEL`	`openrouter/free` picks a free model
Google Gemini	`GEMINI_API_KEY`	`GEMINI_MODEL`	Free key at aistudio.google.com/apikey; `gemini-flash-latest` follows Google's newest Flash
Ollama	none	`OLLAMA_MODEL`	Runs on this computer (`OLLAMA_BASE_URL`)

For example, free OpenRouter models first and Gemini when they run out:

AI_PROVIDER=openrouter
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...
AI_FALLBACK_PROVIDER=gemini
GEMINI_API_KEY=AIza...

Settings from before AI_PROVIDER keep working: without it, Max uses Ollama when OLLAMA_ENABLED=true, otherwise OPENAI_API_KEY with OPENAI_BASE_URL and AI_MODEL. max config show names the main AI and the fallback, and max config validate warns when one has no key.

show¶

Show which config files Max loads: ~/.max_config.env, and a .env in the current folder, whose settings win. Below that it names the main AI and the fallback with their models (and (no API key) when one has none), the image model (AI_IMAGE_MODEL) and the custom URL when you set one.

max config show

save¶

Copy the .env file in the current folder to your global settings (~/.max_config.env). Max asks before it overwrites the global file.

max config save [--force]

Options:

--force, -f - Overwrite the global config without asking

grab¶

Configure download preferences.

max config grab

The wizard asks for: - Default video/audio quality (s, m, h or x) - Auto-strip playlist info - Embed metadata - Default type (video/audio) - Default download folder

It saves these to ~/.max_config.env.

reset¶

Delete your config files so Max falls back to its defaults. Max asks before it deletes each file.

max config reset [--global | --local]

Options:

--global - Delete only the global config (~/.max_config.env)
--local - Delete only the .env file in the current folder

With neither flag, Max offers to delete both.

validate¶

Check your settings and list any value outside its allowed range, and a main AI or fallback with no API key. It also names settings your ~/.max_config.env still sets that Max no longer has (APP_NAME, BATCH_SIZE, GRAB_AUDIO_FORMAT, GRAB_QUEUE_ENABLED, PROGRESS_BAR, VERBOSE). Max ignores them; delete those lines, or press Remove them on the dashboard's Settings page.

max config validate

export¶

Save your settings to a JSON file.

max config export [-o FILE] [--include-defaults] [--include-secrets]

Options:

-o - Output file (default: max-config.json)
--include-defaults - Write every setting, not only the AI and download ones
--include-secrets - Also write your API keys (OPENAI_API_KEY, OPENROUTER_API_KEY, GEMINI_API_KEY)

Without --include-defaults, the file holds AI_PROVIDER, AI_FALLBACK_PROVIDER, OPENAI_BASE_URL, AI_MODEL, OPENROUTER_MODEL, GEMINI_MODEL, AI_IMAGE_MODEL and the GRAB_* download settings, each one only when it has a value. The export leaves your API keys out, so you can share the file. With --include-secrets it contains the keys in plain text: keep that file private and never commit it.

import¶

Load settings from a JSON file. The settings in the file replace the whole config file, so Max asks before it overwrites one that exists.

max config import INPUT [--global | --local]

Options:

--global / --local - Write to the global config or to .env in the current folder (default: --global)

setup-font¶

Install the font that gives the dashboard its page icons.

max config setup-font [--yes] [--force]

Max downloads CaskaydiaMono Nerd Font (3.6 MB): Cascadia Mono, Windows Terminal's own font, with icons added by the Nerd Fonts project under the SIL Open Font License. Max installs it for your user only, so you need no admin rights, and asks first.

With Windows Terminal installed, Max then offers to make the font Windows Terminal's default. It keeps a copy of Terminal's settings next to them (settings.json.max-backup) and leaves the file alone if it has comments; Windows Terminal picks up the change at once. Open a new tab and run max: the pages show their icons.

To undo it, pick another font in Windows Terminal (Settings > Defaults > Appearance > Font face) or copy settings.json.max-backup back over settings.json. To keep the font but hide the icons, set Page icons to Neon codes on the dashboard's Settings page.

In another terminal, set CaskaydiaMono Nerd Font as its font yourself, then pick Nerd Font for Page icons on the dashboard's Settings page.

Options:

--yes, -y - Do every step without asking
--force, -f - Download the font again even if it's installed

setup-ffmpeg¶

Download FFmpeg for your platform into ~/.max_cli/bin/ and check that it runs.

max config setup-ffmpeg [--force]

Options:

--force, -f - Download FFmpeg again even if Max already has it

This command: - Detects your OS and architecture - Downloads the appropriate FFmpeg binary - Validates the binary after download - Stores it in ~/.max_cli/bin/, where Max looks for FFmpeg when it isn't on your PATH