freeride-opencode

Freeride OpenCode

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

Quick Start

Apply optimal free model configuration:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "opencode/minimax-m2.1-free",
        "fallbacks": [
          "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free",
          "opencode/glm-4.7-free",
          "opencode/gpt-5-nano"
        ]
      },
      "heartbeat": {
        "model": "opencode/gpt-5-nano"
      },
      "subagents": {
        "model": "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free"
      }
    }
  }
}

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
Subtasks	Kimi K2.5 Free	Balanced cost/performance
Heartbeat	GPT 5 Nano	Fastest and cheapest
Cron Jobs	Depends on complexity

Free Models Available

Model	ID	Best For
MiniMax M2.1 Free	opencode/minimax-m2.1-free	Complex reasoning, coding
Kimi K2.5 Free	opencode/kimi-k2.5-free	General purpose, balance
GLM 4.7 Free	opencode/glm-4.7-free	Multilingual, fallback
GPT 5 Nano	opencode/gpt-5-nano	Simple tasks, high frequency

Fallback Strategy

Configure fallbacks in priority order:

"fallbacks": [
  "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free",    // Second best capability
  "opencode/glm-4.7-free",       // Alternative provider
  "opencode/gpt-5-nano"          // Fallback of last resort
]

Fallback triggers:

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

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": [
          "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free",
          "opencode/glm-4.7-free",
          "opencode/gpt-5-nano"
        ]
      },
      "models": {
        "opencode/minimax-m2.1-free": { "alias": "MiniMax M2.1" },
        "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free": { "alias": "Kimi K2.5" },
        "opencode/glm-4.7-free": {},
        "opencode/gpt-5-nano": {}
      },
      "heartbeat": {
        "every": "30m",
        "model": "opencode/gpt-5-nano"
      },
      "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": ["opencode/kimi-k2.5-free", "opencode/glm-4.7-free", "opencode/gpt-5-nano"]
      },
      "heartbeat": { "model": "opencode/gpt-5-nano" },
      "subagents": { "model": "opencode/kimi-k2.5-free" }
    }
  }
}'

Best Practices

1. Always have fallbacks - Configure at least 2-3 fallback models
2. Mix providers - Reduces single-provider risk
3. Match model to task - Don't use MiniMax for simple checks
4. Test fallback order - Put more capable models first
5. Monitor usage - Track which models get used most

Troubleshooting

Rate limits still occurring?

• Add more fallback models
• 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
• Verify model is still free (check models.md)

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.