How to Run Claude Opus 5 & GPT-5.6 Sol Free with Aerolink

The local CLIs need an Aerolink API key to authenticate with the gateway. In the dashboard, open API Keys, select Create New API Key, and give the key a recognizable name such as codex-laptop or claude-desktop if labels are supported.

Copy the key when it is shown and store it in a password manager. Many services display the complete value only once.

Follow these key-safety rules:

• Never paste the real key into a public tutorial, screenshot, Git repository, issue, or chat message.
• Do not save it directly inside a project file that could be committed.
• Prefer a different key for each computer when the provider supports multiple keys.
• Revoke and replace the key immediately if it appears in a screenshot or terminal recording.

Keep the key ready for the environment-variable steps below. The placeholder YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY must be replaced locally; never publish the resulting command with the real value.

Both tools are installed through npm, so first install a current Node.js LTS release from https://nodejs.org. Open a new terminal after installation and verify that Node.js and npm are available:

node --version
npm --version

Install Claude Code if you want to use the Claude route:

npm install --global @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude --version

Install Codex CLI if you want to use the GPT-5.6 Sol route:

npm install --global @openai/codex@latest
codex --version

You may install either CLI or both. If the shell reports that claude or codex is not recognized, close and reopen the terminal so the updated npm global path is loaded. On systems with a custom Node installation, run npm config get prefix and ensure that prefix's executable directory is on your PATH.

Claude Code normally stores user settings in ~/.claude/settings.json on macOS and Linux or %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json on Windows. Create the directory if it does not exist, then back up an existing settings file before editing it.

Add the Aerolink values below and replace YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY with the key from your dashboard:

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY",
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://capi.aerolink.lat/",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC": "1"
  },
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [],
    "deny": []
  },
  "apiKeyHelper": "echo 'YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY'"
}

Save the file and validate that it is valid JSON. A missing comma, an extra trailing comma, or smart quotation marks copied from a formatted document will prevent the settings from loading. If Aerolink publishes a different base URL in its dashboard, use the provider's current value instead of the example above.

Because this file contains the gateway key, do not commit it or include it in support screenshots. Restrict access to your user account and rotate the key if the file is exposed.

Codex supports custom providers and can read their keys from environment variables. This is safer than deleting your entire .codex directory or placing the secret directly in config.toml.

On Windows PowerShell, create the directory without removing any existing configuration, then set a user-level environment variable:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.codex" | Out-Null
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("AEROLINK_API_KEY", "YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY", "User")
$env:AEROLINK_API_KEY = "YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY"

The final line makes the key available in the current PowerShell session. Future terminals load the user-level value automatically. On macOS or Linux, add the following to your shell profile, such as ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc, and then open a new terminal:

export AEROLINK_API_KEY="YOUR_AEROLINK_API_KEY"

If ~/.codex/auth.json or config.toml already exists, leave it in place and make a backup before editing. This gateway setup uses the custom provider's env_key, so you do not need to overwrite Codex's normal auth.json login cache.

Open ~/.codex/config.toml on macOS or Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.codex\config.toml on Windows. Merge the following settings with any configuration you already use:

model_provider = "aerolink"
model = "gpt-5.6-sol"
model_reasoning_effort = "high"
sandbox_mode = "workspace-write"

[model_providers.aerolink]
name = "Aerolink"
base_url = "https://cgapi.aerolink.lat"
env_key = "AEROLINK_API_KEY"
wire_api = "responses"

The env_key entry tells Codex which local environment variable contains the gateway key; it does not contain the secret itself. The responses wire protocol is the supported protocol for a custom Codex provider. workspace-write lets Codex edit the active project while retaining a filesystem boundary, instead of granting unrestricted or elevated access.

Save the file, reopen the terminal if necessary, and run codex. Use /status inside Codex to inspect the active model and permissions. If the CLI reports an authentication error, confirm that AEROLINK_API_KEY is available in the same terminal. A model-not-found or endpoint error usually means the provider changed its model name or base URL; compare both values with the current Aerolink dashboard.

Your tools are now ready for a controlled test. Start in a small project that does not contain secrets or important uncommitted work.

For Claude Code, change to the project directory and launch:

claude

For Codex CLI, use:

codex

Begin with a read-only request such as asking the tool to explain the project structure. Confirm the selected model and provider before allowing file changes. Then try a small, reversible task and review the diff before accepting it.

If the command fails, check these items in order:

1. node --version, claude --version, or codex --version works.
2. The Aerolink key is active and has not been copied with extra spaces.
3. The environment variable is visible in the terminal where the CLI starts.
4. The JSON or TOML file is valid and uses plain quotation marks.
5. The model name and gateway URL match Aerolink's current documentation.
6. The dashboard still shows available credit or requests.

Monitor the dashboard during use. Free allowances are controlled by the gateway and may be reduced, paused, or exhausted. Keep backups and version control enabled, and never give an AI coding tool unrestricted access to credentials, production databases, or files outside the intended workspace.