Configuration

PanCode uses a 6-layer configuration system where each layer overrides the one below it. Configuration is conversational by default: ask the orchestrator to change settings rather than editing files manually.

Configuration Resolution Order

Priority from highest to lowest:

Runtime overrides: Changes made via /settings, conversational PanConfigure tools, or keyboard shortcuts during a session
Environment variables: PANCODE_* variables from your shell or .env file
Project config: .pancode/settings.json in the current project directory
Global config: ~/.pancode/settings.json for user-wide preferences
Preset values: Applied from panpresets.yaml when --preset is used
Defaults: Hard-coded values from the PanCode source

Configuration Fields

The PanCodeConfig object contains all runtime configuration:

Field	Type	Default	Description
`profile`	string	`"standard"`	Config profile name
`domains`	string[]	9 domains	Enabled PanCode domains
`safety`	SafetyLevel	`"auto-edit"`	Safety enforcement level
`reasoningPreference`	string	`"medium"`	Reasoning/thinking level
`theme`	string	`"dark"`	TUI theme name
`prompt`	string	`"list files..."`	Default prompt
`provider`	string or null	null	Provider override
`model`	string or null	null	Model override (provider/model-id)
`preferredProvider`	string or null	null	Preferred provider for resolution
`preferredModel`	string or null	null	Preferred model for resolution
`tools`	string	`"read,bash,grep,find,ls"`	Default tool set
`timeoutMs`	number	120000	Default timeout in milliseconds

Safety Levels

Level	Description
`suggest`	Read-only. Model suggests changes but cannot write files.
`auto-edit`	File reads and edits allowed. Destructive actions gated.
`full-auto`	All operations allowed without confirmation.

Reasoning Preferences

Level	Description
`off`	No reasoning/thinking
`minimal`	Minimal internal reasoning
`low`	Light reasoning
`medium`	Balanced (default)
`high`	Extended reasoning
`xhigh`	Maximum reasoning depth

Default Enabled Domains

safety, session, agents, prompts, dispatch,
observability, scheduling, panconfigure, ui

The intelligence domain is opt-in and requires PANCODE_INTELLIGENCE=enabled.

Preset System

Presets bundle model, reasoning, and safety settings into named configurations. They live in ~/.pancode/panpresets.yaml.

Built-in Presets

PanCode seeds four presets on first run:

Preset	Description	Model Source
`local`	Local inference via homelab engines	`PANCODE_MODEL` env var
`openai`	OpenAI (user fills in model IDs)	Not set by default
`openai-max`	OpenAI with high reasoning	Not set by default
`hybrid`	Local orchestrator, remote workers	`PANCODE_MODEL` + custom worker

Preset Schema

local:
  description: "Local inference via homelab engines"
  model: localhost-ollama/llama3.2       # Orchestrator model
  workerModel: dynamo-ollama/codellama   # Worker model override
  scoutModel: localhost-ollama/llama3.2  # Scout model override
  reasoning: medium                       # off|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh
  safety: auto-edit                       # suggest|auto-edit|full-auto

Using Presets

# At boot
pancode --preset local

# At runtime
/preset local
/preset          # List available presets

CLI flags (--model, --safety) take precedence over preset values.

Editing Presets

Edit ~/.pancode/panpresets.yaml directly. PanCode never overwrites this file after initial creation. Changes take effect on next boot or /preset application.

Settings Files

Global Settings: `~/.pancode/settings.json`

User-wide preferences persisted across all projects.

{
  "theme": "dark",
  "safetyMode": "auto-edit",
  "reasoningPreference": "medium",
  "preferredProvider": "localhost-ollama",
  "preferredModel": "localhost-ollama/llama3.2"
}

Project Settings: `.pancode/settings.json`

Per-project overrides. Same fields as global settings. Takes priority over global.

{
  "safetyMode": "full-auto",
  "preferredModel": "dynamo-lmstudio/qwen2.5-coder"
}

PanConfigure (Conversational Config)

PanCode provides two tools for the orchestrator to read and modify configuration through conversation:

`pan_read_config`

Available in all modes. Reads current configuration values with types, defaults, and descriptions.

You: "Show me the current configuration"
You: "What is the budget ceiling?"
You: "Read the dispatch config"

Optional domain filter: runtime, models, budget, dispatch, preset.

`pan_apply_config`

Applies configuration changes. Some parameters are admin-only and require Admin mode (Alt+A).

You: "Set the budget ceiling to $20"
You: "Change safety to full-auto"

Admin-only parameters include dispatch.timeout, dispatch.maxDepth, and dispatch.concurrency.

Environment Variables

Key environment variables for configuration:

Variable	Purpose
`PANCODE_MODEL`	Orchestrator model (provider/model-id)
`PANCODE_WORKER_MODEL`	Default worker model
`PANCODE_SCOUT_MODEL`	Scout model
`PANCODE_SAFETY`	Safety level
`PANCODE_REASONING`	Reasoning preference
`PANCODE_THEME`	TUI theme
`PANCODE_PROFILE`	Config profile
`PANCODE_BUDGET_CEILING`	Budget ceiling in dollars
`PANCODE_LOCAL_MACHINES`	Additional machines for discovery
`PANCODE_VERBOSE`	Enable verbose logging
`PANCODE_HOME`	Override base config directory

For the complete list, see the Environment Variables Reference.

`.env` File

PanCode reads a .env file from the project root at startup. Variables already set in the shell are not overwritten.

PANCODE_MODEL=localhost-ollama/llama3.2
PANCODE_WORKER_MODEL=dynamo-ollama/codellama
PANCODE_BUDGET_CEILING=25.00
PANCODE_LOCAL_MACHINES=mini=192.168.86.141,dynamo=192.168.86.143
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Runtime State vs. User Config

PanCode maintains a clear separation:

User config (preserved across resets):

~/.pancode/panpresets.yaml
~/.pancode/panagents.yaml
~/.pancode/settings.json
~/.pancode/agent-engine/auth.json

Runtime state (cleared by pancode reset or --fresh):

.pancode/runs.json, metrics.json, budget.json, tasks.json
.pancode/runtime/ (board.json, worker results)
~/.pancode/agent-engine/sessions/