Pre-fix, the wizard rejected an empty api_key for every provider in
_SUPPORTED_PROVIDER_SETUPS — including lmstudio, ollama, and custom,
which run keyless on the vast majority of local installs. The agent's
LMSTUDIO_NOAUTH_PLACEHOLDER substitution at chat-time was the workaround
for the no-auth case, but the wizard side rejected the empty input first.
Users had to type random gibberish into the API key field to clear the
form — the third sub-bug from #1420 that the prior commit's PR description
explicitly punted to a follow-up.
Surfaced by Nathan during PR review: "I think it's too weird for users
to have to type a string into the API key field, right?" Yes — and the
probe (#1499) makes the cleanest fix strictly better: we accept empty
keys, and the probe gives instant feedback ("Connected. 2 model(s)
available." for keyless servers, "401" for auth-required servers).
Backend changes
---------------
* `api/onboarding.py` — `_SUPPORTED_PROVIDER_SETUPS` gains
`key_optional: True` for `lmstudio`, `ollama`, `custom`. Cloud
providers (openrouter, anthropic, openai, gemini, deepseek, …)
remain key_required.
* `apply_onboarding_setup` skips the "{env_var} is required" check
when `key_optional` is set AND no key is supplied. No write to .env
for the empty-key case (no `LM_API_KEY=*** placeholder lying in the
user's .env`).
* `_status_from_runtime` reports `provider_ready=True` for key_optional
providers based on `requires_base_url` alone, so the wizard doesn't
refire on the next page load just because there's no api_key. Cloud
providers still need a key for provider_ready=True.
* `_build_setup_catalog` exposes the `key_optional` flag to the frontend.
Frontend changes
----------------
* `static/onboarding.js` — new `_renderOnboardingApiKeyField()` helper.
For key_optional providers:
- Label: "API key (optional)"
- Placeholder: "Leave blank for keyless servers"
- Inline italic muted help: "Most LM Studio / Ollama / vLLM installs
run keyless — leave this blank if your server doesn't require
authentication. Use the Test connection button to verify."
For cloud providers: unchanged (label "API key", standard placeholder,
no help block).
* The api-key input also now triggers `_scheduleOnboardingProbe()` on
oninput, so changing the key re-runs the probe — handles "the server
rejected my empty key with 401, let me add one and retry."
* `static/i18n.js` — 3 new keys × 9 locales (canonical English in `en`,
English fallback with `// TODO: translate` markers in the other 8).
* `static/style.css` — `.onboarding-api-key-help` rule for the muted
italic helper paragraph.
Verified end-to-end on port 8789
--------------------------------
Spun up an isolated test server + a mock LM Studio at
`127.0.0.1:11234/v1/models`. Stepped through the wizard:
* Picked LM Studio → field label flipped to "API key (optional)",
placeholder showed "Leave blank for keyless servers", help text
rendered in italic muted gray below.
* Switched to Anthropic → label reverted to "API key", help text
disappeared. Visual hierarchy correct.
* Left api_key blank, set base_url to the mock, clicked Test connection
→ green "Connected. 2 model(s) available." banner. Probe-discovered
models populated the workspace-step dropdown.
* Continued through to the finish step. config.yaml written with
provider/model/base_url. **`.env` does NOT exist** — no placeholder
string written. `chat_ready: true`, `state: ready`.
* Vision tool confirmed the visual hierarchy: subtle italic help
reads as documentation, prominent green banner pops as status.
Tests
-----
`tests/test_issue1499_keyless_onboarding.py` — 16 tests in 3 classes:
TestKeyOptionalProviderSchema (5)
- lmstudio / ollama / custom declare key_optional=True
- openrouter / anthropic / openai do NOT (regression defense)
- setup catalog exposes the flag
TestKeylessOnboarding (6)
- lmstudio / ollama / custom: empty api_key accepted, no .env write
- openrouter / anthropic: empty api_key still rejected
- lmstudio with explicit key still writes .env (regression defense)
TestKeylessChatReady (5)
- lmstudio / ollama: provider_ready=True with no key
- custom: provider_ready=True with key+base_url, False without base_url
- openrouter: provider_ready=False with no key (regression defense)
- End-to-end get_onboarding_status reports chat_ready=True
Full suite: 3901 → 3917 passing (+16 from this commit; +22 cumulative
from the PR's earlier commit). 0 failures.
Closes#1499 (all three sub-bugs from #1420 now addressed)
8f4692b8cf
