Configuration reference¶

Every binary reads a JSON config file (--config) and the environment; the environment wins. Nothing is required for a local run with the mock provider. A complete .env.example ships in the repository.

Kernel¶

Key	Environment	Default
`listen`	`KERNOS_LISTEN`	`127.0.0.1:7401`
`data_dir`	`KERNOS_DATA`	`./kernos-data`
`token`	`KERNOS_TOKEN`	unset (loopback only)
`lease_ttl_default`	`KERNOS_LEASE_TTL`	30
`lease_sweep_interval_ms`	`KERNOS_SWEEP_MS`	1000
`approval_sweep_interval_ms`	`KERNOS_APPROVAL_SWEEP_MS`	5000
`budget_soft_ratio`	`KERNOS_BUDGET_SOFT_RATIO`	0.8
`max_attempts_nondeterministic`	`KERNOS_MAX_ATTEMPTS`	5
`max_attempts_deterministic`	`KERNOS_MAX_DET_ATTEMPTS`	3
`log_format`	`KERNOS_LOG`	`text` or `json`

Data directory:

kernos-data/
  kernos.db                 SQLite, WAL mode
  directory.json            users, roles and managers for approvals (optional)
  keys/control-plane.key    Ed25519 private key, created on first start, mode 0600
  keys/control-plane.pub
  keys/trusted/*.pub        publisher keys whose bundle signatures are accepted

Gateway¶

Key	Environment	Default
`listen`	`KERNOS_GATEWAY_LISTEN`	`127.0.0.1:7402`
`data_dir`	`KERNOS_GATEWAY_DATA`	`./gateway-data`
`kernel_url`	`KERNOS_KERNEL_URL`	`http://127.0.0.1:7401`
`token`	`KERNOS_TOKEN`	unset
	`KERNOS_PUBLIC_KEY`	fetched from the kernel when unset
`canary.interval_seconds`	`KERNOS_CANARY_INTERVAL`	60
`canary.quarantine_after`	`KERNOS_CANARY_QUARANTINE_AFTER`	2
`canary.auto_release`	`KERNOS_CANARY_AUTO_RELEASE`	false
	`KERNOS_GATEWAY_TEST_TOOLS`	0 (never 1 in production)

Connector credentials are ${NAME} references inside gateway.json, substituted from the environment at load.

CLI¶

Environment	Meaning
`KERNOS_SERVER`	Default `--server` for the commands that talk to a kernel (`http://127.0.0.1:7401`)
`KERNOS_TOKEN`	Default `--token`
`KERNOS_DATA`	Data directory for the offline key commands

Worker¶

Environment	Default
`KERNOS_KERNEL_URL`	`http://127.0.0.1:7401`
`KERNOS_GATEWAY_URL`	`http://127.0.0.1:7402`
`KERNOS_TOKEN`	unset
`KERNOS_PROVIDER`	`mock` or `anthropic`
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	required for `anthropic`
`KERNOS_MODEL_DEEP` / `_STANDARD` / `_CHEAP`	the three Claude tiers
`KERNOS_PRICING_JSON`	path to a price table override
`KERNOS_MOCK_REFUSE`, `KERNOS_MOCK_CONFIDENCE`	test-only mock behaviour

Conventions¶

Identifiers are a type prefix and a ULID (run_, stp_, lse_, rem_, apr_, act_, bnd_, pol_, key_). Timestamps are RFC 3339 UTC with milliseconds. Durations are integer seconds in JSON and 30m, 4h, 2d in the policy language. Money is {"amount", "currency"}.