> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.nvidia.com/nemoclaw/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.nvidia.com/nemoclaw/_mcp/server. # Switch Inference Models > Change the active inference model for a NemoClaw-managed sandbox. Change the active inference model for a NemoClaw-managed sandbox. OpenClaw and Hermes can update the running sandbox route without a restart. Deep Agents sandboxes should use the recreate path so the OpenShell route and `/sandbox/.deepagents/config.toml` stay aligned. Choose one of these paths: * Runtime switch: use `nemo-deepagents inference set` for OpenClaw and Hermes when the target provider is already registered on the sandbox. This updates the OpenShell route and synchronizes the running agent config without recreating the sandbox. * Fresh recreation: use `nemo-deepagents onboard --fresh --name --recreate-sandbox` for a consistent all-agent path. This is required for Deep Agents provider or model changes, and it also applies to any agent when you change build-time settings. * Recorded rebuild: use `nemo-deepagents rebuild` when you want to recreate the sandbox from the provider and model already recorded in the registry. That rebuild flow may use an internal resume handoff, but it does not choose a new provider or model. * Interrupted recovery: use `--resume` only to recover an interrupted onboarding session. ## Before You Start * Start from an existing NemoClaw sandbox created with `nemo-deepagents onboard`. * Keep the OpenShell CLI on your `PATH`, which NemoClaw uses internally. * For runtime switches, select a default sandbox or pass `--sandbox ` to each `nemo-deepagents inference set` command when more than one sandbox is registered. * For fresh recreation, pass the existing sandbox name when you want to replace that sandbox. * For side-by-side validation, pass a new sandbox name and switch the default after the new sandbox passes validation. * Keep the required provider credential available in your host shell before rerunning onboarding. If you run `nemo-deepagents inference set` before NemoClaw has a selected sandbox, the CLI exits with `No sandbox selected`. Run `nemo-deepagents onboard` first, then retry the switch. OpenShell currently exposes one inference route per gateway, not one route per sandbox. All registered sandboxes on the same gateway must use the same provider and model. Custom compatible routes must also use the same endpoint and API family. An OpenClaw native-Anthropic route and a Hermes OpenAI-frontend route therefore cannot share a gateway, even when their custom endpoint and model are otherwise identical. NemoClaw checks stopped sandboxes because they depend on that route when restarted. If a registered same-gateway sandbox lacks durable provider or model metadata, or a custom route lacks durable endpoint or API-family metadata, NemoClaw fails closed until you remove and re-onboard that sandbox with complete route metadata. When a route conflicts, onboarding, runtime switching, and connect-time repair exit non-zero before changing the gateway and name the affected sandboxes. Align the routes, remove the conflicting sandbox, or onboard it with another `NEMOCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT`. ## Switch to a Different Model For Deep Agents, use a fresh named recreation when you need to switch providers or models. The managed `dcode` runtime reads `/sandbox/.deepagents/config.toml`, which NemoClaw writes during onboarding and rebuilds. The recreate path keeps that file, the OpenShell route, and the host registry in sync while runtime switching for Deep Agents is still being hardened. The `--resume` flag is not a provider or model switch path for any variant. After completed onboarding, sessions are no longer resumable. During an interrupted resume, NemoClaw reuses the recorded provider and model. Pass the existing sandbox name when you want to replace that sandbox. ### Deep Agents Recreate Path Use the fresh recreate path for Deep Agents provider or model changes: ```bash nemo-deepagents onboard --fresh --name --recreate-sandbox ``` The wizard prompts for provider and model choices, backs up the existing sandbox state, recreates the named sandbox, and rewrites the managed `dcode` config for the new route. If you want to keep the current sandbox until the new route passes validation, create a side-by-side sandbox first: ```bash nemo-deepagents onboard --fresh --name nemo-deepagents use ``` ### API Family Sync For Deep Agents, NemoClaw keeps the managed runtime on Chat Completions with `use_responses_api = false`. `NEMOCLAW_PREFERRED_API=openai-responses` can affect compatible-endpoint onboarding probes for other variants, but it does not switch managed `dcode` to the Responses API. ## Cross-Provider Switching Cross-provider changes for Deep Agents should use sandbox recreation instead of `nemo-deepagents inference set`. The recreate flow validates the target provider, rewrites `/sandbox/.deepagents/config.toml`, preserves manifest-defined state, and rebuilds managed MCP projection state from the host registry. ```bash nemo-deepagents onboard --fresh --name --recreate-sandbox ``` ## Verify the Active Model Use `nemo-deepagents inference get` to print the provider and model the gateway is currently routing to. Run it before `nemo-deepagents inference set` to confirm the starting state, or after a switch to verify the new route. ```bash nemo-deepagents inference get ``` Expected output: ```text Provider: nvidia-prod Model: nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b ``` Pass `--json` for machine-readable output. ```bash nemo-deepagents inference get --json ``` Expected output: ```json { "provider": "nvidia-prod", "model": "nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b" } ``` The command exits non-zero with `OpenShell inference route is not configured.` when the gateway has no registered inference route. Run `nemo-deepagents onboard` to configure one. Run the status command when you also need sandbox, service, and messaging health: ```bash nemo-deepagents status ``` The status output includes the active provider, model, and endpoint with the rest of the sandbox state. ## Notes * The host keeps provider credentials. * The sandbox continues to use `inference.local`. * Use `nemo-deepagents onboard --fresh --name --recreate-sandbox` for provider, model, context window, max tokens, reasoning mode, timeout, or image-content changes. * The managed `dcode` runtime uses Chat Completions through `/sandbox/.deepagents/config.toml` with `use_responses_api = false`. * Local Ollama and local vLLM routes use local provider tokens rather than `OPENAI_API_KEY`. ## Related Topics * [Inference Options](inference-options) for the full list of providers available during onboarding.