How do I connect my coding tool to Dartmouth Chat API?

Overview

Your CLI coding agent or preferred IDE (integrated development environment) may have extensions that will allow it to work directly with Dartmouth Chat through the API. This connection can be used to ask questions of Dartmouth Chat within your CLI coding agent or VS Code to create and improve your code.

Get your API Key

To connect these coding agents to Dartmouth Chat, you will need your Dartmouth Chat API Key.
To get your API Key, log into Dartmouth Chat and navigate as follows: Profile Picture(in the lower left-hand corner) > Settings > Account > API Key

Connecting from Visual Studio (VS) Code: Roo Code

Set up Roo Code (Extension)
- Search for and install Roo Code as an Extension within VS Code
- On the left-hand activity bar, click on the Roo Code (kangaroo) icon
- Click on Settings and enter the following:
  - API Provider: OpenAI Compatible
  - Base URL: https://chat.dartmouth.edu/api
  - API Key: Enter your API key here (from above)
  - Model: For best results, pick a Claude or GPT Model

Connecting from CLI Coding Agent: Claude Code

Install Claude Code
- Follow the instructions to install this tool.
- If this is a fresh install, run the below commands from the terminal (adding your Dartmouth Chat API Key and changing the shell as needed); otherwise, adapt them to your needs:

Mac OS:

Add the Dartmouth Chat API Key to KeyChain:

security add-generic-password -s "dartmouth-chat-api-key" -a ${USER} -w
Paste in the Dartmouth Chat API Key and hit return 
Paste in the Dartmouth Chat API Key and hit return 

mkdir -p ~/.claude &&

Mac OS:

cat << 'EOF' >> ~/.claude/settings.json
{

  "apiKeyHelper": "security find-generic-password -s \"dartmouth-chat-api-key\" -w",

  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://chat.dartmouth.edu/api",
    "ANTHROPIC_MODEL": "anthropic.claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "DISABLE_NON_ESSENTIAL_MODEL_CALLS": "1",
    "API_TIMEOUT_MS": "3000000",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC": "1",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_BETAS": "1"
  }

}

EOF

For VSCode use: After completing the above steps, install the Claude Code Extension and in the Claude Code Extension settings set the default model to “anthropic.claude-sonnet-4-6”

For terminal use: In the directory of your choosing run the command claude

Connecting from CLI Coding Agent: OpenCode

Install OpenCode
- Follow the instructions to install this tool.
- If this is a fresh install, run the below commands from the terminal (adding your Dartmouth Chat API Key and changing the shell as needed); otherwise, adapt them to your needs:

mkdir -p ~/.config/opencode && cat << 'EOF' > ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "*": "ask",
    "edit": "allow"
  },
  "provider": {
    "Dartmouth": {
      "npm": "@ai-sdk/openai-compatible",
      "name": "Dartmouth Chat",
      "options": {
        "baseURL": "https://chat.dartmouth.edu/api",
        "apiKey": "your_api_key_goes_here",
        "timeout": 600000,
        "chunkTimeout": 300000
      },
      "models": {
        "openai.gpt-oss-120b": {
          "name": "GPT-OSS 120b",
          "attachment": true,
          "reasoning": true,
          "tool_call": true
        },
        "qwen.qwen3-vl-32b-instruct-fp8": {
          "name": "Qwen3-VL 32b",
          "attachment": true,
          "tool_call": true
        },
        "anthropic.claude-haiku-4-5-20251001": {
          "name": "Claude Haiku 4.5 2025-10-01",
          "attachment": true,
          "reasoning": true,
          "tool_call": true
        },
        "anthropic.claude-sonnet-4-6": {
          "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.6",
          "attachment": true,
          "reasoning": true,
          "tool_call": true
        },
        "anthropic.claude-opus-4-6": {
          "name": "Claude Opus 4.6",
          "attachment": true,
          "tool_call": true
        },
        "mistral.devstral-2512": {
          "name": "Mistral Devstral 2",
          "attachment": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
EOF

In the directory of your choosing run the command opencode

Use ctrl-p to change your model and select from the Dartmouth Chat models

Connecting from CLI Coding Agent: Mistral Vibe

Install Mistral Vibe
- Follow the instructions to install this tool.
- If this is a fresh install, run the below commands from the terminal (adding your Dartmouth Chat API Key and changing the shell as needed); otherwise, adapt them to your needs:

mkdir ~/.vibe && cat << EOF > ~/.vibe/config.toml
auto_compact_threshold = 200000

[[providers]]
name = "Dartmouth Chat"
api_base = "https://chat.dartmouth.edu/api"
api_style = "openai"
backend = "generic"

[[models]]
name = "anthropic.claude-sonnet-4-6"
provider = "Dartmouth Chat"
alias = "sonnet-4.6"
temperature = 1
input_price = 3000.0
output_price = 15000.0

[[models]]
name = "anthropic.claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"
provider = "Dartmouth Chat"
alias = "haiku-4.5"
temperature = 1
input_price = 1000.0
output_price = 5000.0

[[models]]
name = "mistral.mistral-large-2512"
provider = "Dartmouth Chat"
alias = "mistral-large"
temperature = 0.3
input_price = 500.0
output_price = 1500.0

[[models]]
name = "mistral.devstral-2512"
provider = "Dartmouth Chat"
alias = "devstral"
temperature = 0.2
input_price = 400.0
output_price = 2000.0

[[models]]
name = "openai.gpt-oss-120b"
provider = "Dartmouth Chat"
alias = "gpt-oss"
temperature = 0.5
input_price = 0.0
output_price = 0.0

[ui]
theme = "monokai"

EOF

cat << 'EOF' > ~/.vibe/.env/
MISTRAL_API_KEY=your_dartmouth_chat_api_key

EOF

In the directory of your choosing run the command vibe

You can choose a model (or models) from the list of Model IDs that can be found at this endpoint: https://chat.dartmouth.edu/api/models. You can also mouse-over the model names in the Dartmouth Chat interface to find their ID.

Didn’t find what you needed? Please reach out to research.computing@dartmouth.edu.

How do I use the Dartmouth Chat API?

How do I set up a credit group?

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