> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://rapidreview.io/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Brain configuration > Every environment variable the brain, runner, and UI read — grouped by topic, with defaults from code. Every `MERV_*` name also accepts the legacy `RESEARCH_PLUGIN_*` spelling as a fallback (non-empty `MERV_*` wins; a legacy-sourced value logs one deprecation line). `SUPABASE_*` names are read as-is. Booleans: anything not in `0/false/no/off` is true, except `MERV_ALLOW_OPEN_CONTROL`, which is strict and fails the boot on any other value. ## Brain: mode, bind, secrets | Variable | Default | Notes | | ----------------------------------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `MERV_MODE` | `local` | `merv-control` forces `control` | | `MERV_HTTP_HOST` / `MERV_HTTP_PORT` | `127.0.0.1` / `8787` | | | `MERV_LOCAL_STATE_DIR` | local staging dir | Local mode's SQLite and blobs | | `MERV_ADMIN_TOKEN` | unset | **Required in hosted mode** — unset denies every `/api/admin/*` caller. Sent as `X-Admin-Token` | | `MERV_WAIT_SECRET` | unset | **Required in control mode; ≥ 32 bytes or the boot fails.** Signs `wait_url`s | | `MERV_WAIT_MAX_STREAMS` | `64` | Concurrent `wait_url` streams | | `MERV_TOOL_CALL_RETENTION_DAYS` | `30` | | | `MERV_RUNS_OBSERVER_CONCURRENCY` | `4` | | | `MERV_ACTIVITY_STDERR` | `false` | | ## Database | Variable | Default | Notes | | ------------- | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `MERV_DB_URL` | unset → SQLite | `postgres://` or `postgresql://` selects the Postgres store; any other scheme fails. Required in control mode. Pooler rules: [Deploy the brain](/docs/merv/self-host/deploy-the-brain) | ## Auth | Variable | Default | Notes | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `SUPABASE_URL`, `SUPABASE_JWT_SECRET` | unset | Together build the verifier; both required when auth is on | | `SUPABASE_SERVICE_KEY` | unset | Enables `rr_sk_` key lookups and add-member-by-email | | `SUPABASE_ANON_KEY` | unset | Published via `/api/meta` for UI sign-in | | `MERV_REQUIRE_AUTH` | `false` (`1` in the reference stack) | | | `MERV_ALLOW_OPEN_CONTROL` | `false` | Must be `1` alongside `MERV_REQUIRE_AUTH=0` to run an open brain; strict parse | | `MERV_OAUTH_RESOURCE_URI` | unset | Protected-resource URI advertised to clients | | `MERV_OAUTH_CLIENT_TTL_DAYS` / `MERV_OAUTH_MAX_CLIENTS` | `30` / `500` | Dynamic-client registrations | | `MERV_ALLOWED_ORIGINS` | empty | Comma-separated CORS origins (no paths) | | `MERV_CONTROL_RESTRICT_CORS` | `true` | | | `MERV_UI_BASE_URL` | unset | Where the UI lives (may include a path) | ## Blobs and object storage | Variable | Default | Notes | | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `MERV_BLOB_BUCKET` | unset → local dir | Submitted-byte blob store; required in control mode with the `AWS_*` credentials | | `MERV_BLOB_DIR` | default root | Local blob directory | | `MERV_STORAGE_PROVIDER` | unset (off) | Heavy object storage; only `s3` accepted | | `MERV_STORAGE_BUCKET` | — | Required when provider is `s3` | | `MERV_STORAGE_ENDPOINT_URL`, `MERV_STORAGE_REGION` | unset | | | `MERV_STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, `MERV_STORAGE_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | fall back to `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID` / `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | | | `MERV_STORAGE_MAX_UPLOAD_BYTES` | 50 GiB | Deployment ceiling; projects can lower it | | `MERV_MGMT_KEY_PATH` | — | **Required in control mode**: brain management private key | | `MERV_MGMT_PUBLIC_KEY` | adjacent `.pub` | | ## Sandboxes | Variable | Default | Notes | | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `MERV_EXECUTION_BACKEND` | `lambda_labs` | One provider | | `MERV_EXECUTION_BACKENDS` | unset | Comma-separated fleet; overrides the single selection | | `MERV_REQUIRE_SANDBOX_BACKEND` | `false` | Refuse to start if the provider is unhealthy | | `MERV_PLATFORM_PROVIDERS` | per-provider default (only Lambda on) | Which providers the platform itself offers | | `MERV_SANDBOX_REAPER` / `MERV_SANDBOX_REAPER_INTERVAL` | `true` / `30` s | Expiry reaper | | `MERV_SANDBOX_IDLE_SECONDS` | `3600` | Blank disables idle reaping | | `MERV_SANDBOX_STALE_PROVISION_DEADLINE` | `600` s | | | `MERV_SANDBOX_REQUEST_WAIT` / `MERV_SANDBOX_STALE` | `45` s / `900` s | | | `MERV_SANDBOX_ACTIVITY_SAMPLING` | `true` | | | `MERV_BUDGET_GRACE_SECONDS` | `3600` | | | `HF_TOKEN` | unset | Pushed to sandboxes post-boot (also as `HUGGING_FACE_HUB_TOKEN`) | | Provider credentials | — | See [Sandbox providers](/docs/merv/reference/sandbox-providers). Modal reads `MODAL_TOKEN_ID` / `MODAL_TOKEN_SECRET` directly | Inside a sandbox the bootstrap sets `MERV_EXPERIMENT_DIR`, `RP_EXPERIMENT_DIR`, `RP_DATASET_DIR`, `RP_WORKDIR`, `RP_SESSION_DIR`, `RP_EXPERIMENT_ID`, `RP_SANDBOX_ID`. ## MLflow (off by default) `MERV_MLFLOW_MODE` (`managed` | `external`), `MERV_MLFLOW_TRACKING_URI`, `MERV_MLFLOW_SERVER_URI`, `MERV_MLFLOW_DASHBOARD_URL`, `MERV_MLFLOW_AGENT_KEY`, `MERV_MLFLOW_SUSPENDED` (global kill switch). Agents receive `MLFLOW_TRACKING_URI`, `MLFLOW_TRACKING_USERNAME=rp-agent`, `MLFLOW_TRACKING_PASSWORD`, `MLFLOW_EXPERIMENT_NAME` (`merv//`). ## Client, runner, UI | Variable | Default | Notes | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | `MERV_CONTROL_URL` | machine config → `https://experiments.rapidreview.io` | Which brain a machine targets | | `MERV_CLIENT_CONFIG` | `~/.merv/client.json` | Machine config path | | `MERV_MCP_KEY` | unset | Static key for headless clients and scripted runners only | | `MERV_AGENT_SESSION_KEY` | set by the runner | Short-lived per-child credential | | `MERV_RUNNER_BIN_DIR`, `MERV_RUNNER_HOME`, `MERV_RUNNER_PYTHON`, `MERV_RUNNER_BASE_URL` | `~/.merv/bin`, `~/.merv/runner`, newest `python3.x`, `https://rapidreview.io/merv/runner` | Installer knobs | | `VITE_API_BASE`, `VITE_API_TOKEN`, `RSUI_API`, `PORT` | same-origin, none, `http://127.0.0.1:8787`, `5173` | UI dev server | | `MERV_PYTHON`, `CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA` | unset | Which interpreter the `bin/` launchers use |