Configuration and ports

Nerve program-level configuration has one resolution order:

1. command-line option;
2. environment variable;
3. saved value in <NERVE_HOME>/config.json;
4. product default.

The effective value and its source are visible under Settings → System. A control is disabled when an environment variable or command-line option owns it; unset that override and restart before editing it in the UI. An explicit boolean 0 or false overrides a saved true just as 1 or true overrides false.

Defaults are NERVE_HOME=~/.nerve, host 127.0.0.1, HTTP port 3747, remote access off, and mobile HTTPS port 3748.

Settings → System

The System page persists safe application configuration for:

• bind host, HTTP/HTTPS ports, remote access, and mobile HTTPS;
• application logging and performance diagnostics;
• log policy, owned-daemon startup timeout, and heap cap;
• automatic or manually overridden model, tool-batch, and process concurrency;
• Linux Electron Ozone platform and font rendering.

Enabling Allow remote connections also changes a loopback bind host to 0.0.0.0, so the next daemon launch can accept LAN clients. Disabling it restores 127.0.0.1 when the host is a wildcard. You can still enter a specific interface address in the advanced host field.

Resource concurrency defaults to automatic. At daemon startup, Nerve uses effective CPU capacity and total memory to choose separate limits; normal developer machines with at least 12 GiB RAM admit ten primary model runs, while tool batches, and subprocesses retain independent safety limits. The System page shows detected, recommended, and effective values. GPU capacity is intentionally not treated as generic concurrency because local-model memory requirements are model-specific.

The page distinguishes active and saved values. Network, diagnostics enablement, heap, and resource-limit changes need a daemon restart. Timeout and Electron rendering changes need the desktop app to restart. The page can restart an owned local daemon; browser clients and remote or adopted daemons show manual guidance instead.

Desktop flags

--local
--connect <http(s) URL>
--token <token>
--host <host>
--port <1-65535>
--https-port <1-65535>
--allow-remote
--mobile-https

Remote URL and token select monitor-only mode. Local bind flags configure an owned daemon and lock the corresponding Settings controls for that launch.

Environment

Common overrides include:

• NERVE_HOME
• NERVE_HOST, NERVE_PORT, NERVE_HTTPS_PORT
• NERVE_ALLOW_REMOTE, NERVE_MOBILE_HTTPS
• NERVE_LOGGING_ENABLED, NERVE_PERFORMANCE_DIAGNOSTICS
• NERVE_DAEMON_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS, NERVE_DAEMON_MAX_OLD_SPACE_MB
• NERVE_MAX_CONCURRENT_MODEL_RUNS, NERVE_MAX_PARALLEL_TOOLS_PER_RUN
• NERVE_MAX_ACTIVE_PROCESSES

Owned daemons use a 4096 MB old-space limit by default. Legacy saved values or environment overrides below the supported 512 MB minimum are raised to 512 MB before launch.

• NERVE_ELECTRON_OZONE_PLATFORM, NERVE_ELECTRON_FONT_RENDER_HINTING

NERVE_HOME, remote tokens, generated performance session IDs, web asset/build routing, and proxy/toolchain variables are launch context rather than saved UI preferences. Secret values are never returned in the configuration snapshot.

See the complete CLI/environment reference.