feat(model): add sign up nudge for venice

Author: OisinKyne

cmd/obol/buy.go

@@ -194,12 +194,18 @@ func runBuyInferenceProvider(cfg *config.Config, cmd *cli.Command, prof model.Pr
 		}
 	}
 
-	// openurl: send the operator to the provider's key page before we
-	// prompt for the key (skipped when a key is already in hand or non-TTY).
-	if apiKey == "" && prof.SignupURL != "" && u.IsTTY() && !u.IsJSON() {
-		u.Infof("Opening %s to create an API key …", prof.SignupURL)
-		if err := openBrowser(prof.SignupURL); err != nil {
-			u.Dim(fmt.Sprintf("(couldn't open a browser — visit %s)", prof.SignupURL))
+	// openurl: send the operator to the provider's onboarding page before
+	// we prompt for the key (skipped when a key is already in hand or
+	// non-TTY). Prefer JoinURL (the new-user landing page, possibly
+	// referral-tagged) when set; fall back to SignupURL (keys dashboard).
+	onboardURL := prof.JoinURL
+	if onboardURL == "" {
+		onboardURL = prof.SignupURL
+	}
+	if apiKey == "" && onboardURL != "" && u.IsTTY() && !u.IsJSON() {
+		u.Infof("Opening %s to sign up / create an API key …", onboardURL)
+		if err := openBrowser(onboardURL); err != nil {
+			u.Dim(fmt.Sprintf("(couldn't open a browser — visit %s)", onboardURL))
 		}
 	}
 

cmd/obol/model.go

@@ -97,16 +97,24 @@ func modelSetupCommand(cfg *config.Config) *cli.Command {
 				providers, _ := model.GetAvailableProviders(cfg)
 
 				options := make([]string, len(providers))
+				// Default to Venice — the friendliest BYOK on-ramp (cheap,
+				// no credit card to start, referral link in the JoinURL).
+				// Falls back to index 0 if Venice is ever removed from the
+				// registry.
+				defaultIdx := 0
 				for i, p := range providers {
 					label := fmt.Sprintf("%s (%s)", p.Name, p.ID)
 					if det, ok := creds[p.ID]; ok {
 						label += " — detected: " + det.source
 					}
+					if p.ID == "venice" {
+						defaultIdx = i
+					}
 
 					options[i] = label
 				}
 
-				idx, err := u.Select("Select a provider:", options, 0)
+				idx, err := u.Select("Select a provider:", options, defaultIdx)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -194,6 +202,9 @@ func setupOllama(cfg *config.Config, u *ui.UI, models []string) error {
 
 func setupCloudProvider(cfg *config.Config, u *ui.UI, prof model.ProviderInfo, apiKey string, models []string, free bool) error {
 	if apiKey == "" {
+		if prof.JoinURL != "" {
+			u.Dim(fmt.Sprintf("New to %s? Sign up: %s", prof.Name, prof.JoinURL))
+		}
 		if prof.SignupURL != "" {
 			u.Dim(fmt.Sprintf("Get a %s API key: %s", prof.Name, prof.SignupURL))
 		}

internal/model/model.go

@@ -69,8 +69,13 @@ type ProviderInfo struct {
 	Mode       apiMode  // how model_list entries are shaped
 	BaseURL    string   // OpenAI-compatible base_url (modeOpenAICompatible only)
 	Default    string   // default chat model when --model is omitted ("" = ask/require)
-	SignupURL  string   // where to obtain an API key (shown as a hint)
-	Free       []string // curated zero-marginal-cost model ids (seeded by --free)
+	SignupURL  string   // where to obtain an API key (assumes existing account)
+	JoinURL    string   // optional landing page for users without an account yet
+	// (may carry a referral tag). When set, `obol buy inference <provider>`
+	// opens this in preference to SignupURL, and `obol model setup`'s
+	// missing-key Dim hint surfaces it as a "new to X? sign up" line above
+	// the keys-dashboard hint.
+	Free []string // curated zero-marginal-cost model ids (seeded by --free)
 }
 
 // IsBYOK reports whether the provider is a BYOK OpenAI-compatible
@@ -103,7 +108,9 @@ var knownProviders = []ProviderInfo{
 	// model from the live /v1/models list or --model.
 	{
 		ID: "venice", Name: "Venice", EnvVar: "VENICE_API_KEY", Mode: modeOpenAICompatible,
-		BaseURL: "https://api.venice.ai/api/v1", SignupURL: "https://venice.ai/settings/api",
+		BaseURL:   "https://api.venice.ai/api/v1",
+		SignupURL: "https://venice.ai/settings/api",
+		JoinURL:   "https://venice.ai/chat?ref=ZynMuD",
 	},
 	{
 		ID: "openrouter", Name: "OpenRouter", EnvVar: "OPENROUTER_API_KEY", Mode: modeOpenAICompatible,