config.json Reference

config.json lives at the repository root and holds every machine-specific setting LlamaForge needs — nothing is hardcoded into the source. It is created by the bootstrap scripts on first run and updated by the dashboard (POST /api/config, POST /api/network) as you use it. backend/config.py defines the defaults; any key missing from the file on disk falls back to its default at load time.

Keys

Key	Type	Default	Meaning
`llama_src`	string	`""`	Path to a git checkout of `llama.cpp`.
`build_dir`	string	`""`	CMake build directory for `llama.cpp` (usually `<llama_src>/build`).
`server_bin`	string	`""`	Path to the built `llama-server` (or `llama-server.exe`) binary.
`models_ini`	string	`<repo root>/models.ini`	Path to the `models.ini` preset file passed to `llama-server --models-preset`.
`model_dirs`	list	`[]`	Directories the Discover/scan feature searches for GGUF files.
`router_port`	int	`8080`	Port `llama-server` (the router) listens on.
`panel_port`	int	`8090`	Port the LlamaForge dashboard (`backend/server.py`) listens on.
`router_host`	string	`"127.0.0.1"`	Router bind address. The Network Access UI supports only `127.0.0.1` (local) and `0.0.0.0` (LAN).
`router_api_key`	string	`""`	Plaintext API key required for LAN. It is not returned in ordinary dashboard state.
`wsl_distro`	string	`""`	WSL distro that runs vLLM. Empty string auto-picks the default distro.
`vllm_port`	int	`8081`	Port vLLM serves on inside WSL (localhost-forwarded to Windows).
`cmake_flags`	object	`{}`	Persisted CMake build flags, normally seeded from hardware detection.
`git_remote`	string	`"https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp"`	Remote used to clone/update the `llama.cpp` source.
`active_engine`	string	`"llamacpp"`	Which llama-family binary the router uses: `"llamacpp"` or `"ikllama"`.
`ik_llama_src`	string	`""`	Path to a git checkout of `ik_llama.cpp`.
`ik_llama_build_dir`	string	`""`	CMake build directory for ik_llama.
`ik_llama_server_bin`	string	`""`	Path to ik_llama's built `llama-server`; empty leaves the engine disabled.
`ik_llama_models_ini`	string	`""`	ik_llama's own registry; empty resolves to a `-ikllama` sibling of `models_ini`.
`ik_llama_git_remote`	string	`"https://github.com/ikawrakow/ik_llama.cpp"`	Remote used to clone/update ik_llama.
`ik_llama_cmake_flags`	object	`{}`	Persisted CMake build flags for the ik_llama build.
`auto_load_model`	string	`""`	Model id to load automatically on launch. Empty string disables auto-load.
`presets`	object	`{}`	Named knob sets: `{name: {knob: value}}`, managed from the dashboard.
`preset_bindings`	object	`{}`	Preset bound as each model's default, scoped by llama-family engine: `{engine: {model_id: preset_name}}`.
`preset_binding_snapshots`	object	`{}`	Engine-scoped values materialized by a preset binding: `{engine: {model_id: {knob: value}}}`. LlamaForge uses these snapshots to retain model values you subsequently change yourself.
`ui_mode`	string	`"lite"`	`"lite"` shows a curated knob set; `"advanced"` exposes all ~220 llama-server flags.
`onboarded`	bool	`False`	Whether the first-run wizard has already been shown; set to `True` once dismissed.
`anthropic_default_model`	string	`""`	Fallback local model id used by the Anthropic-compatible shim when a request doesn't map to one.
`anthropic_shim_enabled`	bool	`True`	Whether `/v1/messages` (Anthropic-compatible) is served.
`wiki_dir`	string	`""`	Context-doc directory for the wiki feature. Empty string resolves to `<repo root>/wiki`.
`wiki_profiles`	object	`{}`	Named context-doc profiles: `{name: {"docs": [...], "description": str}}`.
`wiki_active`	object	`{}`	Active profile per model: `{model_id: profile_name}`.
`theme`	string	`""`	UI theme. Empty string follows OS/`localStorage`; otherwise `"light"` or `"dark"`.
`cvd`	bool	`False`	Enables the colorblind-safe palette and non-color status cues.
`vram_bandwidths`	object	`{}`	Optional `{vram_bw, ram_bw, disk_bw}` GB/s overrides for the VRAM-fit estimate; empty uses GPU presets/defaults.
`vram_predict_enabled`	bool	`True`	Whether the offline VRAM-fit/tok-s estimate is computed (Discover, on expand).
`docs_dir`	string	`""`	Directory the in-app docs viewer reads from. Empty string resolves to `<repo root>/docs/content`.

36 keys total, matching DEFAULTS in backend/config.py.

Preset bindings

Binding a preset makes it the default for a model in the active llama-family engine (llamacpp or ikllama). When a binding is created or its preset is edited, LlamaForge materializes only preset knobs that the model has not set. preset_binding_snapshots records those materialized values so unbinding, deleting a preset, or removing a knob cleans up only values that are still unchanged; manual model overrides remain in models.ini. Older flat binding maps are migrated to the engine that was active when they were saved.

Loading and saving

config.load() deep-copies DEFAULTS and overlays whatever is present in config.json on disk, so a config file written before a new key was added still works — the new key simply falls back to its default. config.save() writes the full in-memory dict back to disk as indented JSON.

config.migrate() runs once at server startup (backend/server.py main()) to classify pre-existing installs: a config file with no ui_mode key is treated as a legacy install. If server_bin is already set, it is stamped ui_mode: "advanced" and onboarded: True; otherwise it gets ui_mode: "lite" and onboarded: False, so the onboarding wizard shows. The migration is idempotent — a config that already has ui_mode is returned unchanged.

See also models.ini Format for the preset file models_ini points at, and HTTP API for the endpoints that read and write these keys.

Network Access and historical configuration

POST /api/network is the supported way to change the router scope and key. It uses explicit keep, generate, replace, and local-only clear actions; newly configured LAN access requires a usable key and LlamaForge-owned starts fail closed without one. config.json is a normal plaintext file, not an OS credential vault.

LlamaForge assesses existing values read-only. A printable older LAN key can remain in use as protected_legacy and is marked for rotation. A manually edited unsupported host, or LAN with an absent or invalid key, remains visible as unsafe_legacy; it is not auto-rewritten, but future starts and restarts are blocked until you generate/replace a key or return the router to local access.