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term-llm is an open-source, terminal-first AI runtime written in Go. It turns natural language into executable shell commands, runs persistent chats with tools and MCP servers, edits files with model assistance, and supports agents, skills, sessions, jobs, and local automation. Follow the steps below to connect term-llm with a model hosted on SambaCloud.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • A SambaCloud account and API key
  • A POSIX shell on macOS, Linux, or WSL
  • Go 1.22+ (only if you plan to build from source)

Setup

1

Install term-llm

Install term-llm using the official installation script:
Or install it with Go:
If term-llm --version returns command not found (common on macOS), add the install directory to your PATH:
To persist this change, append the same line to ~/.zshrc (default on macOS) or ~/.bashrc, then restart your terminal or run source ~/.zshrc.
2

Configure your SambaNova API key

Export your SambaCloud API key:
Alternatively, you can configure the API key directly in ~/.config/term-llm/config.yaml under providers.sambanova.api_key.
3

Configure SambaNova as the default provider

Set SambaNova as your default provider and configure its models:
These commands create ~/.config/term-llm/config.yaml if it doesn’t exist yet, and edit it in place. Tab-complete a model ID with term-llm config set providers.sambanova.model <TAB>.Or edit ~/.config/term-llm/config.yaml directly:
4

Start using SambaNova models

Run prompts using your configured provider.Ask a question:
Translate natural language into a shell command:
Start an interactive session:
To override the configured model for a single request:

Available models

List all chat-capable SambaNova models along with their context windows and pricing information:
term-llm includes a bundled pricing table synchronized with SambaNova’s public pricing information.

Video walkthrough

Follow the video below to install term-llm, configure SambaNova, and start using SambaCloud models.

Troubleshooting

If term-llm isn’t found after installation (common on macOS), add the install directory to your PATH:
To persist this change, append the same line to ~/.zshrc (default on macOS) or ~/.bashrc, then restart your terminal or run source ~/.zshrc. If SAMBANOVA_API_KEY isn’t being recognized, verify that it’s set and doesn’t include the literal angle brackets:
If the output is empty or incorrect, re-export your API key or generate a new one in the SambaCloud portal. If requests fail because the configured model isn’t available, list the current SambaNova models:
Then update the model: field in ~/.config/term-llm/config.yaml to one of the listed model IDs. If ~/.config/term-llm/config.yaml doesn’t exist, create the configuration directory first:

Additional resources