azeemshaik025 · Oct 11, 2026 · Oct 11, 2026 · Oct 11, 2026 · Oct 11, 2026 · Oct 11, 2026
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
@@ -58,14 +58,21 @@ settings for future launches; manual settings changes clear its active-profile
 marker. Profiles are stored separately in `<data dir>/profiles.json`. See
 `core::paths` for how the data directory is resolved.
 
-`build_providers` in `crates/alan/src/main.rs` lists the registered providers.
-The `providers` crate also has a Google provider that is not registered. Sign in
-with `/login`, or set the provider's API key variable:
+`build_providers` in `crates/alan/src/main.rs` lists the built-in providers.
+The `providers` crate also has a Google provider that is not registered. Sign
+in with `/login`, or set the provider's API key variable:
 
 ```bash
 OPENROUTER_API_KEY=... cargo run -p alan
 ```
 
+`ProviderRegistry` holds the built-ins from `build_providers`, then the custom
+providers added with `/provider add`; a built-in wins a name clash.
+`core::custom_providers::CustomProviderStore` keeps a custom provider's name,
+URL and API standard (`ApiId`) in `<data dir>/providers.json` and its key in
+`auth.json`. `/provider` saves there first, then registers a
+`providers::CustomProvider`. Only `ApiId::ChatCompletions` is implemented.
+
 Optional model override:
 
 ```bash
@@ -143,7 +150,7 @@ auto-includes it in release archives.
 
 `ChatView` (`views/components/chat_view/`) owns the chat session: the
 `ChatController` and the agent stream. `PromptEditor` owns input. Overlays
-such as login and local models live beside `root.rs`.
+such as login and providers live beside `root.rs`.
 
 Keep UI simple. Avoid borders, unnecessary widgets, and premature abstraction.
 

diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- `/provider add`, `/provider edit` and `/provider remove` to use any Chat Completions server by name. Alan checks the server's `/models` before saving, lists all of its models in `/models`, and keeps the key in `auth.json` so `/login` can change it.
+
 ### Changed
 
 - Update default system prompt to include output formatting.

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -13,21 +13,21 @@ A minimal coding agent in your terminal.
 - [Providers](#providers)
 - [Usage](#usage)
 - [Permissions](#permissions)
-- [Local models](#local-models)
+- [Custom providers](#custom-providers)
 - [Skills](#skills)
 - [Configuration and data locations](#configuration-and-data-locations)
 - [Building from source](#building-from-source)
 - [Requirements](#requirements)
 
 ## Features
 
-- **First-class OpenRouter support** — full model catalog, per-model custom provider pinning (`/model-providers`), and reasoning effort control (`/effort`).
+- **First-class OpenRouter support** — full model catalog, per-model upstream provider pinning (`/model-providers`), and reasoning effort control (`/effort`).
 - **Paste images** — drop a screenshot from your clipboard straight into the conversation and ask about it.
 - **Compact with focus** — `/summarize-new "focus hint"` summarizes the context and restarts with just what matters.
 - **Steering** — queue a message mid-run and the agent picks it up without waiting for the response to finish.
 - **Plan and review modes** — cycle through them with `Shift+Tab` when you want the agent to think before it acts.
-- **Local models** — point Alan at any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, no API key required.
 - **Skills** — type `#name` in the prompt to attach a skill's full instructions to that message.
+- **Custom providers** — add any Chat Completions server, hosted or on your machine, with `/provider add`; all of its models appear in `/models`.
 
 ## Installation
 
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ Alan currently supports:
 
 Use the `/login` command to sign in to any of the available providers.
 
-For OpenRouter, you can pin a custom provider for the selected model with `/model-providers`, followed by the provider name (no quotes):
+Any other Chat Completions server can be added with `/provider add` (see [Custom providers](#custom-providers)).
+
+For OpenRouter, you can pin an upstream provider for the selected model with `/model-providers`, followed by the provider name (no quotes):
 
 - `/model-providers deepseek`
 - `/model-providers xiaomi/fp8`
@@ -92,6 +94,9 @@ For OpenRouter, you can pin a custom provider for the selected model with `/mode
 | `/profile` | Open the profile picker to switch profiles (`Ctrl+P`, or `Cmd+Option+P` where the terminal passes it through) |
 | `/profile save <name>` | Save current model/provider, reasoning, and web settings as a new profile |
 | `/profile delete` | Pick a saved profile to delete |
+| `/provider add` | Add a Chat Completions provider: name, URL and optional API key |
+| `/provider edit` | Change a provider's URL or API key |
+| `/provider remove` | Remove a provider and its API key |
 | `/plan` | Toggle plan mode (also `Shift+Tab`) |
 | `/review` | Toggle review mode (also `Shift+Tab`) |
 | `/normal` | Turn off plan and review mode |
@@ -105,8 +110,7 @@ For OpenRouter, you can pin a custom provider for the selected model with `/mode
 | `/tool-free` | Allow all tool calls without asking |
 | `/tool-slip` | Approve a command family once, allow its siblings |
 | `/tool-strict` | Allow only exact commands already approved |
-| `/local` | Manage local models (add, remove, edit) |
-| `/model-providers <name>` | Pin a custom provider for the current OpenRouter model |
+| `/model-providers <name>` | Pin an upstream provider for the current OpenRouter model |
 | `/help` | List available commands |
 | `/quit` | Exit Alan |
 
@@ -148,24 +152,22 @@ Alan starts in strict policy and remembers the policy you pick across runs. Swit
   - `/tool-free`
   - `/tool-strict`
 
-## Local models
+## Custom providers
 
-Alan supports OpenAI-compatible local models.
+Any server that speaks the Chat Completions API can be a provider: hosted APIs such as Groq, xAI or Mistral, or a model server on your machine such as Ollama or LM Studio.
 
-```bash
-/local add
-```
+`/provider add` asks for a name (not one a built-in provider already uses), the base URL (the part before `/chat/completions`, e.g. `https://api.groq.com/openai/v1` or `http://localhost:11434/v1`) and an API key if the server needs one. Alan calls `<url>/models` to check the URL and key, and saves the provider only when that call works. Every model the server lists then appears in `/models`, including ones it adds later.
 
-This opens an overlay with fields for URL, API, API Key, and Model ID. Alan queries the server's `/models` endpoint and offers the detected models in a searchable picker. Use `/local remove` and `/local edit` to manage your local models. No API key or `/login` is needed for local models.
+The key is stored in `auth.json` with the other providers' keys, so `/login` can change it too. `/provider edit` changes the URL or key; the name is fixed. `/provider remove` deletes the provider and its key. If one of its models is in use, Alan first asks which model to switch to.
 
 ## Configuration and data locations
 
 Alan stores everything under `~/.alan/` by default:
 
 - `settings.json` — your current settings and active-profile marker.
 - `profiles.json` — saved named model/reasoning/web settings profiles.
-- `auth.json` — provider credentials saved by `/login`.
-- `local_models.json` — local models added with `/local`.
+- `auth.json` — provider credentials saved by `/login` and `/provider`.
+- `providers.json` — providers added with `/provider add`.
 - `projects/` — per-project permission grants.
 - `sessions/` — conversation history (append-only JSONL, one file per session).
 - `skills/` — personal skills, available in every project.
@@ -180,7 +182,7 @@ Settings variables override `settings.json` for that run without changing it. St
 | Variable | Effect |
 | --- | --- |
 | `ALAN_HOME` | Parent of the data directory: `ALAN_HOME=/tmp/x` puts everything in `/tmp/x/.alan`. |
-| `ALAN_PROVIDER` | Provider id: `openrouter`, `deepseek`, `zai`, or `local`. |
+| `ALAN_PROVIDER` | Provider id: `openrouter`, `deepseek`, `zai`, `chatgpt`, or a name added with `/provider add`. |
 | `ALAN_MODEL` | Model id for that provider, e.g. `ALAN_MODEL=openai/gpt-4o-mini alan`. |
 | `ALAN_PROFILE` | Select a saved profile by name for this run without changing `settings.json`. |
 | `ALAN_REASONING_EFFORT` | `none`, `minimal`, `low`, `medium`, `high`, `xhigh`, or `max`. |
@@ -247,4 +249,4 @@ cargo run -p alan
 ## Requirements
 
 - Rust 1.88 or newer (only for building from source)
-- An API key for your chosen provider (not needed for local models)
+- An API key for your chosen provider, if it needs one
diff --git a/crates/alan/src/core/command.rs b/crates/alan/src/core/command.rs
@@ -32,9 +32,8 @@ pub enum SlashCommand {
     ToolFree,
     ToolSlip,
     ToolStrict,
-    // Manage local models (add, remove, edit).
-    Local,
     Profile,
+    Provider,
     Quit,
 }
 
@@ -87,8 +86,8 @@ impl SlashCommand {
                 | Self::ModelProviders
                 | Self::SummarizeNew
                 | Self::Rename
-                | Self::Local
                 | Self::Profile
+                | Self::Provider
         )
     }
 
@@ -107,13 +106,13 @@ impl SlashCommand {
                 "fork the whole session into a new file and print a command to open it"
             }
             Self::Help => "list the available commands",
-            Self::ModelProviders => "pick a provider from openrouter for the selected model",
+            Self::ModelProviders => "openrouter only: pick which upstream serves this model",
             Self::Rename => "rename the current session",
             Self::ToolFree => "allow all tool calls without asking",
             Self::ToolSlip => "approve a command family once, allow its siblings",
             Self::ToolStrict => "allow only exact commands already approved",
-            Self::Local => "manage local models (add, remove, edit)",
             Self::Profile => "save and switch named model profiles",
+            Self::Provider => "add, edit or remove your own Chat Completions server",
             Self::Quit => "abort and quit",
         }
     }
@@ -347,7 +346,6 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!SlashCommand::Normal.takes_args());
         assert!(!SlashCommand::Help.takes_args());
         // Argument-taking commands.
-        assert!(SlashCommand::Local.takes_args());
         assert!(SlashCommand::Effort.takes_args());
         assert!(SlashCommand::ModelProviders.takes_args());
         assert!(SlashCommand::SummarizeNew.takes_args());
@@ -369,31 +367,13 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn parses_local_command() {
-        assert_eq!(SlashCommand::parse("/local"), Some(SlashCommand::Local));
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn parses_local_subcommands() {
-        assert_eq!(
-            SlashCommand::parse_with_args("/local add"),
-            Some((SlashCommand::Local, "add"))
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            SlashCommand::parse_with_args("/local remove"),
-            Some((SlashCommand::Local, "remove"))
-        );
-        assert_eq!(
-            SlashCommand::parse_with_args("/local edit"),
-            Some((SlashCommand::Local, "edit"))
-        );
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn parses_local_with_empty_args() {
-        assert_eq!(
-            SlashCommand::parse_with_args("/local"),
-            Some((SlashCommand::Local, ""))
-        );
+    fn parses_provider_subcommands() {
+        for sub in ["add", "edit", "remove"] {
+            assert_eq!(
+                SlashCommand::parse_with_args(&format!("/provider {sub}")),
+                Some((SlashCommand::Provider, sub))
+            );
+        }
+        assert!(SlashCommand::Provider.takes_args());
     }
 }