Flags & config

Provider CLI flags, config file keys, environment variables, and on-disk paths.

The provider CLI resolves every setting in this order, highest first:

Command-line flag (for example malibu-cli serve --port 8081)
Environment variable (MACPROVIDER_*)
Config file (~/.config/macprovider/config.yaml)
Built-in default

malibu-cli is the Malibu-branded command the installer puts on your PATH. It is a symlink to the shipped binary, macprovider-cli, so both names take the same flags. Environment variables and paths keep the macprovider name, because that is the layout the provider ships with on disk.

The installer and the Malibu app write this config for you. Most providers never need to edit it. If you do change it, restart the provider afterwards (see Restart after a config change).

`serve` flags

serve is the default subcommand, and the launchd service runs macprovider-cli serve --config <path>. The table covers the flags you are most likely to need. Run malibu-cli help serve for the full list, including tuning and experimental options.

Flag	Env	Config key	Default	Purpose
`--config <path>`	`MACPROVIDER_CONFIG`	—	`~/.config/macprovider/config.yaml`	Config file location
`--model <id>`	`MACPROVIDER_MODEL`	`model`	set by autotune	Hugging Face MLX model id or local path to serve
`--port <n>`	`MACPROVIDER_PORT`	`port`	`8080`	Local HTTP port for loopback status and inference
`--coordinator <url>`	`MACPROVIDER_COORDINATOR_URL`	`coordinator_url`	written by the installer	Network WebSocket URL. Leave it unchanged unless Malibu support asks you to change it
`--provider-id <id>`	`MACPROVIDER_PROVIDER_ID`	`provider_id`	written by the installer	Stable provider identity used for admission
`--token-file <path>`	—	—	—	Read the provider token from an owner-only (`0600`) file
—	`MACPROVIDER_PROVIDER_TOKEN`	`provider_token`	—	Provider token value, when it is not held in the Keychain
`--credential-store <kind>`	`MACPROVIDER_CREDENTIAL_STORE`	`credential_store`	`keychain`	`keychain` or `protected_file` (headless installs use `protected_file`)
`--log-level <level>`	`MACPROVIDER_LOG_LEVEL`	—	`info`	`trace`, `debug`, `info`, `notice`, `warning`, `error`, `critical`
`--max-context <tokens>`	`MACPROVIDER_MAX_CONTEXT_OVERRIDE`	`max_context_override`	per RAM tier	Largest prompt accepted. Longer prompts get HTTP 413 `context_length_exceeded`
`--max-batch <n>`	`MACPROVIDER_MAX_CONCURRENCY_OVERRIDE`	`max_concurrency_override`	`1`	Maximum concurrent in-flight requests. Autotune may raise it
`--kv-bits <4\|8>`	`MACPROVIDER_KV_BITS`	`kv_bits`	unset (no KV quantization)	Quantize the KV cache to save memory
`--enable-receipts` / `--no-enable-receipts`	`MACPROVIDER_ENABLE_RECEIPTS`	`enable_receipts`	off in the binary; on in configs written by a fresh invite install	Sign responses with the provider receipt key
`--idle-prewarm` / `--no-idle-prewarm`	`MACPROVIDER_IDLE_PREWARM_ENABLED`	`idle_prewarm.enabled`	on	Keep Metal kernels warm between requests
`--no-join`	—	—	off	Run the local HTTP server only, without connecting to the network

When max_context_override is unset, the default max context depends on unified memory:

Unified memory	Default max context
8 GB	20,000 tokens
16 GB	50,000 tokens
32 GB	120,000 tokens
64 GB+	200,000 tokens

The CLI rejects --provider-token / --token on purpose, because other processes run by the same user can read process arguments. Use --token-file, the environment variable, or the 0600 config file instead.

Config file

The default path is ~/.config/macprovider/config.yaml, with file mode 0600. The installer merges in the keys it owns: model, provider_id, coordinator_url, port, enable_receipts, credential_store, and auto_update_enabled. It keeps any other keys you have set. When autotune applies a recommendation, it adds the model artifact binding and the tuned serve settings. A typical installer-written file looks like this. The values are illustrative:

model: mlx-community/Llama-3.2-3B-Instruct-4bit
provider_id: <your provider id>
coordinator_url: <written by the installer>
port: 8080
enable_receipts: true

These are the keys that are reasonable to change by hand:

Key	Type	Meaning
`port`	integer	Local HTTP port
`max_context_override`	integer	Prompt token cap
`max_concurrency_override`	integer	Concurrent request slots
`kv_bits`	4 or 8	KV-cache quantization
`auto_update_enabled`	boolean	Set `false` to opt out of autoupdate. Leave it on unless you manage updates yourself
`idle_prewarm`	map	`enabled`, `idle_threshold_seconds`, `tick_seconds`, `max_tokens`, `prompt`, `run_on_battery`

Do not hand-edit model to point at a model outside the signed catalog. To change models, use malibu-cli autotune --recommend --apply or malibu-cli models switch. Paid traffic requires the served weights to match a signed catalog artifact. See Model catalog.

Installer environment variables

install.sh takes only --dry-run and --help. Everything else is set through environment variables. bash install.sh --help lists most of them; it does not list MACPROVIDER_DONOR_MODE.

Env	Purpose
`MACPROVIDER_VERSION=vX.Y.Z`	Install a pinned release instead of GitHub Latest
`MACPROVIDER_NO_PROMPT=1`	Use defaults and skip interactive prompts
`MACPROVIDER_HEADLESS=1`	SSH-only fleet mode. Installs launchd system daemons. See Headless install
`MACPROVIDER_HEADLESS_USER=<user>`	Non-root account that owns provider data in headless mode
`MACPROVIDER_PORT=<n>`	Local HTTP port
`MACPROVIDER_DONOR_MODE=1`	Accept unpaid donor mode when no paid model clears on this Mac
`MACPROVIDER_NO_WATCHDOG=1`	Expert/debug only. Skips the companion watchdog
`MACPROVIDER_NO_LAUNCHD=1`	Expert/debug only. Skips both launchd services, so you have to run `malibu-cli serve` yourself

Paths

Path	Contents
`~/.local/bin/malibu-cli`	Symlink to `macprovider-cli` (the Malibu-branded command)
`~/.local/bin/macprovider-cli`	Canonical entrypoint, pointing into the install directory
`~/macprovider/`	Install directory: binary, MLX Metal library, bundled resources
`~/.config/macprovider/config.yaml`	Provider config (`0600`)
`~/.config/macprovider/provider_id`	Provider identity handle
`~/.config/macprovider/last-recommendation.json`	Last autotune recommendation
`~/.config/macprovider/autotune.sqlite`	Autotune run history
`~/Library/Application Support/macprovider/`	Install manifest, lifecycle state, verified model weights (`models/`), local stats
`~/Library/Logs/macprovider/`	`macprovider.out.log`, `macprovider.err.log`, watchdog log
`~/Library/LaunchAgents/live.malibu.provider.plist`	Provider launchd agent. Headless installs use `/Library/LaunchDaemons` instead
`~/Library/LaunchAgents/live.malibu.provider-watchdog.plist`	Watchdog launchd agent

By default the provider credential lives in the macOS Keychain. Headless installs keep it in an owner-only protected file. Logs can contain request metadata and local paths, so do not paste raw logs into public issues or chats. Share the output of malibu-cli status --advanced or malibu-cli doctor report --json instead.

Restart after a config change

launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/live.malibu.provider
malibu-cli status

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Flags & config

Flags & config

`serve` flags

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Installer environment variables

Paths

Restart after a config change

​Flags & config

​serve flags

​Config file

​Installer environment variables

​Paths

​Restart after a config change

​Related

Flags & config

`serve` flags

Config file

Installer environment variables

Paths

Restart after a config change

Related