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Configuration

kenn-forge reads ~/.kenn/forge/config.toml. Set KENN_FORGE_HOME to move both config and app data. Most users only need repositories, credentials, and optional modes.

Use Settings for routine changes. Edit TOML for provider hosts and advanced options. Restart kenn-forge after changing startup settings.

Repositories

A GitHub repository on github.com needs only its owner and name:

[[repos]]
owner = "team"
name = "service"

You can paste a common HTTPS or SSH repository URL into owner or name. kenn-forge normalizes it.

Set the provider and host for other services or self-hosted instances:

[[platforms]]
type = "gitlab"
host = "gitlab.example.com"
token_env = "GITLAB_EXAMPLE_TOKEN"

[[repos]]
platform = "gitlab"
platform_host = "gitlab.example.com"
owner = "group/subgroup"
name = "project"
repo_path = "group/subgroup/project"

Repository identity includes platform, platform_host, owner, and name. Keep repo_path when the provider uses nested namespaces or canonical casing.

Credentials

Credentials are scoped by provider and host:

github_token_env = "KENN_FORGE_GITHUB_TOKEN"

[[platforms]]
type = "forgejo"
host = "forge.example.com"
token_env = "FORGE_EXAMPLE_TOKEN"

[[repos]]
platform = "forgejo"
platform_host = "forge.example.com"
owner = "team"
name = "private-service"
token_file = "~/.kenn/forge/tokens/private-service"

An exact repository token_file or token_env takes priority over broader credentials. Empty files and variables are skipped. Token files are read on each request, so replacing a file atomically rotates that credential.

For GitHub, kenn-forge can run gh auth token --hostname HOST. The unscoped fallback applies only to github.com. Authenticate another host with:

gh auth login --hostname HOST

Public-host defaults are:

  • GitHub github.com: KENN_FORGE_GITHUB_TOKEN, then the GitHub CLI.
  • GitLab gitlab.com: no implicit variable. Configure a token source.
  • Forgejo codeberg.org: KENN_FORGE_FORGEJO_TOKEN.
  • Gitea gitea.com: KENN_FORGE_GITEA_TOKEN.

Grant read access for monitoring. Add write access only for comments, reviews, state changes, edits, or merges.

GitHub credentials by owner

Map fine-grained PATs to owners when one token cannot read every repository:

[[github_owner_tokens]]
owner = "org-a"
token_env = "KENN_FORGE_GITHUB_TOKEN_ORG_A"

[[github_owner_tokens]]
owner = "org-b"
token_file = "~/.kenn/forge/tokens/org-b"

Owner mappings are configured in TOML only.

GitHub selects credentials by host and owner. Exact repository credentials win. A covered GitHub App handles reads. Owner PATs handle uncovered reads and user-attributed writes. Host credentials and the GitHub CLI follow.

PATs for the same GitHub user share one rate limit and sync budget. Different users and App installations have separate budgets. Restart after routing an owner to a PAT from a different GitHub user.

GitHub App reads

Use the companion CLI to keep sync reads off your personal rate limit:

kenn-forge-github-app create
kenn-forge-github-app install
kenn-forge-github-app list

The CLI writes [[github_apps]] entries. Mutations still use a user PAT. After changing selected repository access on GitHub, run kenn-forge-github-app install again and restart kenn-forge.

Selected repository access is a startup routing snapshot. New grants use the PAT route until refresh. Revoked App access can return 404, and kenn-forge does not retry that response with a PAT because 404 can also mean missing or private.

Activity defaults

[activity]
view_mode = "threaded"
time_range = "7d"
hide_closed = false
hide_bots = false
collapse_threads = true
default_branch_retention_days = 90
default_branch_max_commits = 5000

These values set the initial Activity view and local default-branch retention.

App modes

[modes]
activity = true
repos = true
kata = false
docs = false
pulls = true
issues = true
reviews = true
workspaces = true

Set a mode to false to hide it. Kata and Docs start hidden because they need external or local sources.

Workspace agents

kenn-forge detects built-in agents on PATH. Add or override an agent with:

[[agents]]
key = "review"
label = "Review Agent"
command = ["review-agent", "--fast"]

You can also edit agents under Settings → Agents.

Docs folders

Register local Markdown folders from the CLI:

kenn-forge docs add-folder --name Notes ~/notes
kenn-forge docs list-folders
kenn-forge docs remove-folder notes

The equivalent config is:

[[doc_folders]]
id = "notes"
name = "Notes"
path = "/Users/you/notes"
daemon = "kata-main"

daemon is optional. Set it when task links in this folder always belong to one Kata daemon.

Server and storage

sync_interval = "5m"
host = "127.0.0.1"
port = 8091
base_path = "/"
  • sync_interval controls provider refreshes.
  • host and port set the listener.
  • base_path adds a URL prefix behind a reverse proxy.
  • data_dir moves app data while leaving config under KENN_FORGE_HOME.

For a trusted reverse proxy or a larger SSE replay window:

allowed_hosts = ["forge.example.com", "proxy.example.com:8091"]
trust_reverse_proxy = true
sse_buffer_size = 256

allowed_hosts accepts exact host and port values. A trusted proxy must present accepted direct and forwarded hosts. sse_buffer_size defaults to 256 and accepts 16 through 16384.

Pull request stacks

[pull_requests]
prefer_github_native_stacks = true
allow_mid_stack_merges = false

Native GitHub stack data improves read-only detection when complete. Branch relationships remain the fallback. kenn-forge does not create or reorder stacks. Mid-stack merges stay blocked by default.

Telemetry

kenn-forge sends limited anonymous telemetry by default: daemon activity, app view names, version, commit, OS and architecture, and an anonymous install ID. It does not send repository names, item content, tokens, usernames, hostnames, or paths.

Disable telemetry with:

TELEMETRY_ENABLED=0 kenn-forge