refactor!: move LLM configuration from in-app settings to CLI/env vars

- Remove `api_endpoint` from Settings model and settings UI
- Add `--llm-endpoint` / `AETHERA_LLM_ENDPOINT` and `--llm-key` /
  `AETHERA_LLM_KEY` CLI flags (endpoint is required)
- Update client constructor to accept API key parameter
- Update tests and documentation to reflect new configuration approach

BREAKING CHANGE: LLM endpoint and key must now be provided via
`AETHERA_LLM_ENDPOINT` and `AETHERA_LLM_KEY` environment variables or
CLI flags instead of the Settings page.

backend/cmd/config.go

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ type cliParams struct {
 	DataDir      string
 	StaticDir    string
 	SettingsFile string
+	LLMEndpoint  string
+	LLMKey       string
 }
 
 // getEnvOrDefault returns the value of an environment variable or a default value
@@ -36,6 +38,11 @@ func getEnvIntOrDefault(key string, defaultValue int) int {
 }
 
 func (p *cliParams) Validate() error {
+	// Require LLM Configuration
+	if p.LLMEndpoint == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("LLM endpoint is required (set AETHERA_LLM_ENDPOINT)")
+	}
+
 	// Ensure Generated Directories
 	imgDir := path.Join(p.DataDir, "generated/images")
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(imgDir, 0755); err != nil {

backend/cmd/main.go

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ var (
 		ListenPort: getEnvIntOrDefault("PORT", 8080),
 		DataDir:    getEnvOrDefault("DATA_DIR", "./data"),
 		StaticDir:  getEnvOrDefault("STATIC_DIR", ""),
+		LLMEndpoint: getEnvOrDefault("LLM_ENDPOINT", ""),
+		LLMKey:     getEnvOrDefault("LLM_KEY", ""),
 	}
 	rootCmd = &cobra.Command{Use: "aethera"}
 )
@@ -26,6 +28,8 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&params.StaticDir, "static-dir", params.StaticDir, "Directory to serve static frontend files from instead of embedded assets (env: AETHERA_STATIC_DIR)")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&params.ListenAddr, "listen", params.ListenAddr, "Address to listen on (env: AETHERA_LISTEN)")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntVar(&params.ListenPort, "port", params.ListenPort, "Port to listen on (env: AETHERA_PORT)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&params.LLMEndpoint, "llm-endpoint", params.LLMEndpoint, "LLM API endpoint URL (env: AETHERA_LLM_ENDPOINT)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&params.LLMKey, "llm-key", params.LLMKey, "LLM API key (env: AETHERA_LLM_KEY)")
 }
 
 func main() {
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Start Server
 	rootCmd.Run = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		server.StartServer(fileStore, params.DataDir, params.StaticDir, params.ListenAddr, params.ListenPort)
+		server.StartServer(fileStore, params.DataDir, params.StaticDir, params.ListenAddr, params.ListenPort, params.LLMEndpoint, params.LLMKey)
 	}
 
 	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {

backend/internal/api/handlers.go

@@ -28,14 +28,18 @@ type API struct {
 	store             store.Store
 	client            *client.Client
 	dataDir           string
+	llmEndpoint       string
+	llmKey            string
 	generationManager *generationManager
 }
 
-func New(s store.Store, dataDir string, logger *logrus.Logger) *API {
+func New(s store.Store, dataDir string, logger *logrus.Logger, llmEndpoint, llmKey string) *API {
 	return &API{
 		store:             s,
 		dataDir:           dataDir,
 		logger:            logger.WithField("service", "api"),
+		llmEndpoint:       llmEndpoint,
+		llmKey:            llmKey,
 		generationManager: newGenerationManager(),
 	}
 }
@@ -68,24 +72,6 @@ func (a *API) PostSettings(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if apiEndpoint := newSettings.APIEndpoint; apiEndpoint != "" {
-		baseURL, err := url.Parse(apiEndpoint)
-		if err != nil {
-			errMsg := fmt.Sprintf("Invalid API Endpoint URL: %q", baseURL)
-			log.WithError(err).Error(errMsg)
-			http.Error(w, errMsg, http.StatusBadRequest)
-			return
-		}
-
-		testClient := client.NewClient(baseURL)
-		if _, err := testClient.GetModels(r.Context()); err != nil {
-			log.WithError(err).Error("failed to access configured API endpoint")
-			http.Error(w, "API endpoint inaccessible", http.StatusBadRequest)
-			return
-		}
-		a.client = nil
-	}
-
 	if err := a.store.SaveSettings(&newSettings); err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Error("failed to save settings")
 		http.Error(w, "Failed to save application settings", http.StatusInternalServerError)
@@ -516,20 +502,13 @@ func (a *API) getClient() (*client.Client, error) {
 		return a.client, nil
 	}
 
-	// Get Settings & Validate Endpoint
-	settings, err := a.store.GetSettings()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve application settings: %w", err)
-	} else if settings.APIEndpoint == "" {
-		return nil, errors.New("no API endpoint configured in settings")
-	}
-
-	baseURL, err := url.Parse(settings.APIEndpoint)
+	// Parse LLM Endpoint from Config
+	baseURL, err := url.Parse(a.llmEndpoint)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid API endpoint URL: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	a.client = client.NewClient(baseURL)
+	a.client = client.NewClient(baseURL, a.llmKey)
 	return a.client, nil
 }
 

backend/internal/client/client.go

@@ -288,8 +288,12 @@ func populateUsageTimings(msgStats *types.MessageStats, usage openai.CompletionU
 	return didChange
 }
 
-func NewClient(baseURL *url.URL) *Client {
-	oaiClient := openai.NewClient(option.WithBaseURL(baseURL.String()))
+func NewClient(baseURL *url.URL, apiKey string) *Client {
+	opts := []option.RequestOption{option.WithBaseURL(baseURL.String())}
+	if apiKey != "" {
+		opts = append(opts, option.WithAPIKey(apiKey))
+	}
+	oaiClient := openai.NewClient(opts...)
 	return &Client{oaiClient: &oaiClient}
 }
 

backend/internal/client/client_test.go

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func TestSendMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to parse base URL: %v", err)
 	}
-	client := NewClient(baseURL)
+	client := NewClient(baseURL, os.Getenv("AETHERA_LLM_KEY"))
 
 	// Create Context
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 120*time.Second)
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func TestSummarizeChat(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to parse base URL: %v", err)
 	}
-	client := NewClient(baseURL)
+	client := NewClient(baseURL, os.Getenv("AETHERA_LLM_KEY"))
 
 	// Create Context
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestSendMessageWithImage(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to parse base URL: %v", err)
 	}
-	client := NewClient(baseURL)
+	client := NewClient(baseURL, os.Getenv("AETHERA_LLM_KEY"))
 
 	// Create Context
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 120*time.Second)

backend/internal/server/server.go

@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ import (
 	"reichard.io/aethera/web"
 )
 
-func StartServer(settingsStore store.Store, dataDir, staticDir, listenAddress string, listenPort int) {
+func StartServer(settingsStore store.Store, dataDir, staticDir, listenAddress string, listenPort int, llmEndpoint, llmKey string) {
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 
 	// Create API Instance - use settingsStore as the unified store for both settings and chat
 	logger := logrus.New()
-	api := api.New(settingsStore, dataDir, logger)
+	api := api.New(settingsStore, dataDir, logger, llmEndpoint, llmKey)
 
 	// Serve Static Assets
 	if staticDir != "" {

backend/internal/store/memory_test.go

@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ func TestInMemoryStore_SaveSettings(t *testing.T) {
 	store := NewInMemoryStore()
 
 	settings := &Settings{
-		APIEndpoint:             "http://example.com",
 		ImageEditSelector:       ".image-edit",
 		ImageGenerationSelector: ".image-gen",
 		TextGenerationSelector:  ".text-gen",
@@ -161,7 +160,6 @@ func TestInMemoryStore_GetSettings(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Set some settings
 	settings = &Settings{
-		APIEndpoint:             "http://example.com",
 		ImageEditSelector:       ".image-edit",
 		ImageGenerationSelector: ".image-gen",
 		TextGenerationSelector:  ".text-gen",
@@ -172,5 +170,5 @@ func TestInMemoryStore_GetSettings(t *testing.T) {
 	// Get the settings
 	settings, err = store.GetSettings()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "http://example.com", settings.APIEndpoint)
+	assert.Equal(t, ".image-edit", settings.ImageEditSelector)
 }

backend/internal/store/storage.go

@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ var _ Store = (*FileStore)(nil)
 
 // Settings represents the application settings
 type Settings struct {
-	APIEndpoint             string `json:"api_endpoint,omitempty"`
 	ImageEditSelector       string `json:"image_edit_selector,omitempty"`
 	ImageGenerationSelector string `json:"image_generation_selector,omitempty"`
 	TextGenerationSelector  string `json:"text_generation_selector,omitempty"`

backend/internal/store/storage_test.go

@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ func TestFileStore_SaveSettings(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	settings := &Settings{
-		APIEndpoint:             "http://example.com",
 		ImageEditSelector:       ".image-edit",
 		ImageGenerationSelector: ".image-gen",
 		TextGenerationSelector:  ".text-gen",
@@ -237,7 +236,6 @@ func TestFileStore_GetSettings(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Set some settings
 	settings = &Settings{
-		APIEndpoint:             "http://example.com",
 		ImageEditSelector:       ".image-edit",
 		ImageGenerationSelector: ".image-gen",
 		TextGenerationSelector:  ".text-gen",
@@ -248,5 +246,5 @@ func TestFileStore_GetSettings(t *testing.T) {
 	// Get the settings
 	settings, err = store.GetSettings()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, "http://example.com", settings.APIEndpoint)
+	assert.Equal(t, ".image-edit", settings.ImageEditSelector)
 }