Can Hive run without a cloud account?
Yes. Run Ollama locally and choose local models. Cloud providers and LiteLLM are optional.
Where does Hive store data?
Under ~/.hive by default, or the directory set by HIVE_HOME. The SQLite database defaults to ~/.hive/hive.db.
What is the difference between Staff and agents?
A Staff profile is a durable specialist identity: role, personality, prompt, skills, tools, memory, model preference, and performance history. An agent is a runtime worker you chat with or execute. A Staff profile can create or synchronize an agent and can be selected for Colony roles.
What is the difference between Colony and a pipeline?
A Colony coordinates role-based specialists through a recipe, shared blackboard, and explicit handoffs. A pipeline passes outputs through a predetermined sequence or parallel graph. Use Colony when judgment and role ownership matter; use a pipeline when the processing path is repeatable.
Can I create custom Staff members?
Yes. Custom profiles can represent any ongoing role. Recipe-backed preset profiles are seeded automatically and cannot be deleted, but their prompts and tools can be customized or reset.
Can different Staff members use different models?
Yes. Each profile can have a preferred model. A Colony launch model plan may override that preference for a specific run.
Does Hive support OpenAI, Anthropic, and Gemini?
Yes, using your own API keys. Hive also supports Ollama and an optional LiteLLM gateway.
Does Hive support MCP?
Yes. Connect stdio or HTTP MCP servers and assign them explicitly to agents or Staff profiles.
Do sandboxed agents have internet access?
Not by default. Docker sandbox networking defaults to none. Set HIVE_SANDBOX_NETWORK=bridge only when required and after reviewing the security implications.
Can I access Hive remotely?
Hive binds to 127.0.0.1 by default. Remote exposure is possible but requires deliberate network configuration, TLS, strict origins, authentication, and a trusted reverse proxy. A tunnel does not replace those controls.
Are Windows installers available?
Not currently. macOS and Linux artifacts are published. Windows packaging can be built locally but public installers wait on signing.
How are secrets stored?
Hive can store masked provider settings locally or resolve env:NAME references at runtime. For stronger isolation, keep provider keys in a LiteLLM gateway.
How do I back up Hive?
Hive creates protected online SQLite backups under ~/.hive/backups every 24 hours and retains seven by default. See Backups and recovery.
How do I report a problem without leaking private data?
Download the redacted report from Settings → Advanced → Maintenance actions. It omits prompts, stored rows, paths, URLs, headers, and credentials.