Configuration

JCode loads configuration from a single JSON file in your JCode home directory, with optional environment variable and CLI overrides.

Where config lives

By default, JCode uses ~/.jcode as its home directory. The configuration file is:

~/.jcode/config.json

You can change the home directory by setting JCODE_HOME or passing --home to jcode daemon start.

Precedence

JCode merges configuration in this order:

Defaults
config.json
Environment variables
CLI flags

Lists append across sources (for example, hostnames and cors.allowedOrigins).

Example

Minimal example that configures listening address, hostnames, and MCP:

{
  "$schema": "https://jcode.vpnla.pro/schemas/jcode.config.v1.json",
  "version": 1,
  "daemon": {
    "listen": "127.0.0.1:6767",
    "hostnames": ["localhost", ".localhost"],
    "mcp": { "enabled": true }
  }
}

daemon.hostnames is the primary field. The old daemon.allowedHosts name still works as a deprecated alias for backward compatibility.

Agent providers

Agent providers, both the first-class ones JCode ships with and custom entries you add under agents.providers, are documented on their own page.

See Providers for the mental model and Supported providers for the full list of agents JCode can launch. For pointing Claude at Anthropic-compatible endpoints (Z.AI, Alibaba/Qwen), multiple profiles, custom binaries, ACP agents, and the additionalModels merge behavior, see Custom providers. The full field reference lives on GitHub at docs/custom-providers.md.

Worktrees

New worktrees are created under $JCODE_HOME/worktrees by default. To place new worktrees somewhere else, set worktrees.root:

{
  "worktrees": {
    "root": "/mnt/fast/jcode-worktrees"
  }
}

Relative paths are resolved against JCODE_HOME. Existing worktrees remain where they are; changing this setting only changes where JCode creates and discovers JCode-managed worktrees going forward.

Voice

Voice is configured through features.dictation and features.voiceMode, with provider credentials under providers.

For voice philosophy, architecture, and complete local/OpenAI setup examples, see Voice docs.

Bundled web UI

The daemon can serve the browser web client from the same HTTP server. This is enabled in the official Docker image and disabled by default for normal CLI and desktop-managed daemons.

Enable it from the CLI:

jcode daemon start --web-ui

Or set the environment variable:

JCODE_WEB_UI_ENABLED=true jcode daemon start

Or persist it in config.json:

{
  "features": {
    "webUi": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

When enabled, open the daemon HTTP origin, for example http://localhost:6767/, to load the web app. Static UI files load without daemon auth; API and WebSocket requests still require the configured password.

Logging

Daemon logging uses separate console and file sinks by default:

Console: info and above
File ($JCODE_HOME/daemon.log): trace and above
File rotation: 10m max file size, 2 retained files total (active + 1 rotated)

{
  "log": {
    "console": {
      "level": "info",
      "format": "pretty"
    },
    "file": {
      "level": "trace",
      "path": "daemon.log",
      "rotate": {
        "maxSize": "10m",
        "maxFiles": 2
      }
    }
  }
}

Legacy fields log.level and log.format are still supported and map to the new destination settings.

Password authentication

You can require a password to connect to the daemon. When set, all HTTP and WebSocket clients must authenticate. Only the /api/health liveness endpoint is exempt, so that process supervisors and load balancers can probe without credentials.

The easiest way to set a password is with the CLI:

jcode daemon set-password

This prompts for a password, writes the bcrypt hash to config.json, and tells you to restart the daemon.

Alternatively, set the JCODE_PASSWORD environment variable (plaintext, hashed automatically at startup):

JCODE_PASSWORD=my-secret jcode daemon start

Or write the hash directly in config.json:

{
  "daemon": {
    "auth": {
      "password": "$2b$12$..."
    }
  }
}

After setting a password, restart the daemon for the change to take effect.

Connecting with a password

The CLI picks up a password from, in order:

The password query parameter on a tcp:// host URI:

jcode --host "tcp://192.168.1.10:6767?password=my-secret" ls

The JCODE_PASSWORD environment variable, used as a fallback when the host carries no embedded password (works for localhost:6767, bare host:port, or tcp:// hosts without a password= query):
```
JCODE_PASSWORD=my-secret jcode ls
JCODE_PASSWORD=my-secret jcode --host 192.168.1.10:6767 ls
```

A password= in the URI always wins over the env var, so you can keep JCODE_PASSWORD set globally and still target a different daemon by spelling its password into the URI.

In the mobile app, enter the password in the direct connection setup screen.

Common env vars

JCODE_HOME, set JCode home directory
JCODE_PASSWORD, on the daemon, the password to require (plaintext, hashed at startup); on the CLI, the password used to connect when the host URI doesn't include one
JCODE_LISTEN, override daemon.listen
JCODE_HOSTNAMES, override/extend daemon.hostnames
JCODE_ALLOWED_HOSTS, deprecated alias for JCODE_HOSTNAMES
JCODE_WEB_UI_ENABLED, enable or disable the daemon-served web UI
JCODE_WEB_UI_DIST_DIR, override the daemon web UI build directory
JCODE_TRUSTED_PROXIES, configure trusted reverse proxy ranges for X-Forwarded-* headers
JCODE_LOG_CONSOLE_LEVEL, override log.console.level
JCODE_LOG_FILE_LEVEL, override log.file.level
JCODE_LOG_FILE_PATH, override log.file.path
JCODE_LOG_FILE_ROTATE_SIZE, override log.file.rotate.maxSize
JCODE_LOG_FILE_ROTATE_COUNT, override log.file.rotate.maxFiles
JCODE_LOG, JCODE_LOG_FORMAT, legacy log overrides (still supported)
OPENAI_API_KEY, override OpenAI provider key
OPENAI_STT_API_KEY, OPENAI_STT_BASE_URL, OpenAI speech-to-text endpoint (dictation + voice mode STT)
OPENAI_TTS_API_KEY, OPENAI_TTS_BASE_URL, OpenAI text-to-speech endpoint (voice mode TTS)
JCODE_VOICE_LLM_PROVIDER, override voice LLM provider (claude, codex, opencode)
JCODE_DICTATION_STT_PROVIDER, JCODE_VOICE_STT_PROVIDER, JCODE_VOICE_TTS_PROVIDER, override voice provider selection (local or openai)
JCODE_LOCAL_MODELS_DIR, control local model directory
JCODE_DICTATION_LOCAL_STT_MODEL, override local dictation STT model
JCODE_VOICE_LOCAL_STT_MODEL, JCODE_VOICE_LOCAL_TTS_MODEL, override local voice STT/TTS models
JCODE_DICTATION_LANGUAGE, JCODE_VOICE_LANGUAGE, override dictation and voice STT language
JCODE_VOICE_LOCAL_TTS_SPEAKER_ID, JCODE_VOICE_LOCAL_TTS_SPEED, optional local voice TTS tuning

Schema

For editor autocomplete/validation, set $schema to:

https://jcode.vpnla.pro/schemas/jcode.config.v1.json

#Configuration

#Where config lives

#Precedence

#Example

#Agent providers

#Worktrees

#Voice

#Bundled web UI

#Logging

#Password authentication

#Connecting with a password

#Common env vars

#Schema