Freeride OpenCode

Configure OpenCode Zen free models with intelligent fallbacks to optimize costs while maintaining reliability.

⚠️ Important: To use this skill, you need two API keys:

1. OpenCode Zen API key - For OpenCode free models (MiniMax M2.1, Kimi K2.5, GLM 4.7, GPT 5 Nano)
2. OpenRouter API key - For OpenRouter free models (Trinity Large and other OpenRouter providers)

Configure both keys in your OpenCode/Zen settings before applying these configurations.

Quick Start

Apply optimal free model configuration with provider diversification:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "opencode/minimax-m2.1-free",
        "fallbacks": [
          "openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free",
          "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"
        ]
      },
      "heartbeat": {
        "model": "opencode/glm-4.7-free"
      },
      "subagents": {
        "model": "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"
      }
    }
  }
}

🔑 API Keys Required

This skill uses models from two different providers, so you need both API keys configured:

1. OpenCode Zen API Key

Required for:

• opencode/minimax-m2.1-free
• opencode/kimi-k2.5-free
• opencode/glm-4.7-free
• opencode/gpt-5-nano

Where to get: Sign up at OpenCode Zen and generate an API key.

2. OpenRouter API Key

Required for:

• openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free
• Any other OpenRouter free models you add

Where to get: Sign up at OpenRouter.ai and generate an API key.

Configuration

Add both keys to your OpenCode configuration:

{
  "providers": {
    "opencode": {
      "api_key": "YOUR_OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY"
    },
    "openrouter": {
      "api_key": "YOUR_OPENROUTER_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Fallback Behavior by Provider

• If OpenCode models fail → tries next OpenCode fallback or OpenRouter model
• If OpenRouter models fail → tries next OpenRouter or OpenCode fallback
• Configure both providers for maximum reliability

Model Selection Guide

See models.md for detailed model comparisons, capabilities, and provider information.

Task Type	Recommended Model	Rationale
Primary/General	MiniMax M2.1 Free	Best free model capability
Fallback 1	Trinity Large Free	Different provider (OpenRouter) for rate limit resilience
Fallback 2	Kimi K2.5 Free	General purpose, balance
Heartbeat	GLM 4.7 Free	Multilingual, cost-effective for frequent checks
Subtasks/Subagents	Kimi K2.5 Free	Balanced capability for secondary tasks

Free Models Available

Model	ID	Best For
MiniMax M2.1 Free	opencode/minimax-m2.1-free	Complex reasoning, coding (Primary)
Trinity Large Free	openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free	High-quality OpenRouter option (Fallback 1)
Kimi K2.5 Free	opencode/kimi-k2.5-free	General purpose, balance (Fallback 2)

Fallback Strategy

Provider Diversification (v1.2.0)

This version implements provider diversification to maximize resilience against rate limits and service disruptions:

"fallbacks": [
  "openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free",  // Different provider (OpenRouter)
  "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"                           // Same provider as primary (OpenCode)
]

Why Provider Diversification Matters:

• Rate limit isolation: If OpenCode experiences rate limits, OpenRouter models remain available (and vice versa)
• First fallback from different provider: Trinity Large on OpenRouter ensures continuity even if all OpenCode models are rate-limited
• Maximum resilience: By spreading across providers, you avoid a single point of failure

Fallback triggers:

• Rate limits exceeded
• Auth failures
• Timeouts
• Provider unavailability

Fallback Behavior by Provider

• If OpenCode models fail → tries OpenRouter fallback first (Trinity Large), then back to OpenCode (Kimi)
• If OpenRouter model fails → tries OpenCode fallback (Kimi)
• This cross-provider approach ensures at least one model is usually available

Per-Task Configuration

Heartbeat (Every 30 min)

"heartbeat": {
  "every": "30m",
  "model": "opencode/gpt-5-nano"
}

Use the cheapest model for frequent, lightweight checks.

Subtasks/Subagents

"subagents": {
  "model": "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"
}

Good balance for secondary tasks that need reasonable capability.

Complete Example

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "opencode/minimax-m2.1-free",
        "fallbacks": [
          "openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free",
          "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"
        ]
      },
      "models": {
        "opencode/minimax-m2.1-free": { "alias": "MiniMax M2.1" },
        "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free": { "alias": "Kimi K2.5" },
        "openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free": { "alias": "Trinity Large" }
      },
      "heartbeat": {
        "every": "30m",
        "model": "opencode/glm-4.7-free"
      },
      "subagents": {
        "model": "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"
      }
    }
  }
}

Applying Configuration

Use OpenClaw CLI:

openclaw config.patch --raw '{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "opencode/minimax-m2.1-free",
        "fallbacks": ["openrouter/arcee-ai/trinity-large-preview:free", "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"]
      },
      "heartbeat": { "model": "opencode/glm-4.7-free" },
      "subagents": { "model": "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free" }
    }
  }
}'

Best Practices

1. Provider diversification - Always have your first fallback from a different provider (e.g., OpenRouter) to avoid rate limits affecting all models
2. Keep fallbacks minimal - 2-3 well-chosen fallbacks are better than many
3. Match model to task - Don't use MiniMax for simple checks
4. Test fallback order - Put more capable models first, with provider diversification
5. Monitor usage - Track which models get used most

Troubleshooting

Authentication errors (401/403)?

• Check that you have both API keys configured:
  • OpenCode Zen API key for OpenCode models
  • OpenRouter API key for Trinity Large and OpenRouter models
• Verify keys are valid and have not expired

Rate limits still occurring?

• Add provider diversification (ensure first fallback is from different provider)
• Consider reducing heartbeat frequency

Responses too slow?

• Move GPT 5 Nano higher in fallback chain
• Use simpler model for subtasks

Model not available?

• Check model ID format: opencode/model-id-free or openrouter/provider/model:free
• Verify model is still free (check models.md)
• Ensure you have the correct API key for the provider

OpenRouter models not working?

• Verify OpenRouter API key is configured
• Check OpenRouter account has credits/access
• Some models may have additional access requirements

References

models.md

Complete reference of all free models with capabilities, providers, performance comparisons, and error handling.

templates.md

Ready-to-use configuration templates for different use cases (minimal, complete, cost-optimized, performance-optimized).

examples/usage.md

Practical examples showing how to use this skill in real scenarios.