# Configuration

This page covers where ToriiDB reads settings from: the data directory argument and the environment variables.

## Configuration Surfaces

| Surface | How it is set | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Data directory | `dir` argument to `store.New` or `daemon.New` | Yes |
| OpenAI API key | `apiKey` argument, `OPENAI_API_KEY`, or OS keychain | Only for vector operations |
| Embedding dimension | `TORIIDB_EMBED_DIM` | No |

There is no config file. The Go code never loads `.env`; the repository Makefile does `include .env` + `export` for its own targets.

## Data Directory

```go
torii, err := store.New("/var/lib/myapp/toriidb")
d, err := daemon.New("/var/lib/myapp/toriidb")
```

- An empty path returns an error; the directory is created when missing.
- `db_0` through `db_15` subdirectories and their files are created lazily on first write.
- For `daemon.New`, the directory is resolved to an absolute, symlink-free path, and that path alone determines the socket. `./data`, `/abs/data/`, and a symlink to it all share one daemon.

The process needs permission to create files, `fsync` them, rename them, and `fsync` the directory.

## Environment Variables

| Variable | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| `OPENAI_API_KEY` | none | Enables embeddings (see lookup order above) |
| `TORIIDB_EMBED_DIM` | `256` | Requested embedding dimension; values `<= 0` fall back to `256` |

The embedding dimension is part of the cache key and must match the returned vector length. Changing it on an existing dataset leaves old vectors with a different length, and search skips them.

## Related Pages

- [API Key](/configuration-api-key)
- [Fixed Limits](/configuration-limits)
- [Mode Resolution](/socket-daemon)