docs: add guidance for OpenAI-compatible cloud providers

docs/inference/configure.md

@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ The configuration consists of two values:
 | Provider record | The credential backend OpenShell uses to authenticate with the upstream model host. |
 | Model ID | The model to use for generation requests. |
 
-## Step 1: Create a Provider
+For a list of tested providers and their base URLs, refer to [Supported Inference Providers](../sandboxes/manage-providers.md#supported-inference-providers).
+
+## Create a Provider
 
 Create a provider that holds the backend credentials you want OpenShell to use.
 
@@ -51,7 +53,23 @@ This reads `NVIDIA_API_KEY` from your environment.
 
 ::::
 
-::::{tab-item} Local / self-hosted endpoint
+::::{tab-item} OpenAI-compatible Provider
+
+Any cloud provider that exposes an OpenAI-compatible API works with the `openai` provider type. You need three values from the provider: the base URL, an API key, and a model name.
+
+```console
+$ openshell provider create \
+    --name my-cloud-provider \
+    --type openai \
+    --credential OPENAI_API_KEY=<your_api_key> \
+    --config OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://api.example.com/v1
+```
+
+Replace the base URL and API key with the values from your provider. For supported providers out of the box, refer to [Supported Inference Providers](../sandboxes/manage-providers.md#supported-inference-providers). For other providers, refer to your provider's documentation for the correct base URL, available models, and API key setup.
+
+::::
+
+::::{tab-item} Local Endpoint
 
 ```console
 $ openshell provider create \
@@ -77,7 +95,7 @@ This reads `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` from your environment.
 
 :::::
 
-## Step 2: Set Inference Routing
+## Set Inference Routing
 
 Point `inference.local` at that provider and choose the model to use:
 
@@ -87,7 +105,7 @@ $ openshell inference set \
     --model nvidia/nemotron-3-nano-30b-a3b
 ```
 
-## Step 3: Verify the Active Config
+## Verify the Active Config
 
 Confirm that the provider and model are set correctly:
 
@@ -100,7 +118,7 @@ Gateway inference:
   Version: 1
 ```
 
-## Step 4: Update Part of the Config
+## Update Part of the Config
 
 Use `update` when you want to change only one field:
 
@@ -114,7 +132,7 @@ Or switch providers without repeating the current model:
 $ openshell inference update --provider openai-prod
 ```
 
-## Use It from a Sandbox
+## Use the Local Endpoint from a Sandbox
 
 After inference is configured, code inside any sandbox can call `https://inference.local` directly:
 

docs/inference/index.md

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ If code calls an external inference host directly, that traffic is evaluated onl
 |---|---|
 | Credentials | No sandbox API keys needed. Credentials come from the configured provider record. |
 | Configuration | One provider and one model define sandbox inference for the active gateway. Every sandbox on that gateway sees the same `inference.local` backend. |
-| Provider support | OpenAI, Anthropic, and NVIDIA providers all work through the same endpoint. |
+| Provider support | NVIDIA, any OpenAI-compatible provider, and Anthropic all work through the same endpoint. |
 | Hot-refresh | OpenShell picks up provider credential changes and inference updates without recreating sandboxes. Changes propagate within about 5 seconds by default. |
 
 ## Supported API Patterns

docs/sandboxes/manage-providers.md

@@ -132,17 +132,34 @@ The following provider types are supported.
 |---|---|---|
 | `claude` | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, `CLAUDE_API_KEY` | Claude Code, Anthropic API |
 | `codex` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | OpenAI Codex |
-| `opencode` | `OPENCODE_API_KEY`, `OPENROUTER_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_API_KEY` | opencode tool |
+| `generic` | User-defined | Any service with custom credentials |
 | `github` | `GITHUB_TOKEN`, `GH_TOKEN` | GitHub API, `gh` CLI — refer to {doc}`/tutorials/github-sandbox` |
 | `gitlab` | `GITLAB_TOKEN`, `GLAB_TOKEN`, `CI_JOB_TOKEN` | GitLab API, `glab` CLI |
 | `nvidia` | `NVIDIA_API_KEY` | NVIDIA API Catalog |
-| `generic` | User-defined | Any service with custom credentials |
+| `openai` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Set `--config OPENAI_BASE_URL` to point to the provider. Refer to {doc}`/inference/configure`. |
+| `opencode` | `OPENCODE_API_KEY`, `OPENROUTER_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_API_KEY` | opencode tool |
 
 :::{tip}
 Use the `generic` type for any service not listed above. You define the
 environment variable names and values yourself with `--credential`.
 :::
 
+## Supported Inference Providers
+
+The following providers have been tested with `inference.local`. Any provider that exposes an OpenAI-compatible API works with the `openai` type. Set `--config OPENAI_BASE_URL` to the provider's base URL and `--credential OPENAI_API_KEY` to your API key.
+
+| Provider | Name | Type | Base URL | API Key Variable |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| NVIDIA API Catalog | `nvidia-prod` | `nvidia` | `https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1` | `NVIDIA_API_KEY` |
+| Anthropic | `anthropic-prod` | `anthropic` | `https://api.anthropic.com` | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` |
+| Baseten | `baseten` | `openai` | `https://inference.baseten.co/v1` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
+| Bitdeer AI | `bitdeer` | `openai` | `https://api-inference.bitdeer.ai/v1` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
+| Deepinfra | `deepinfra` | `openai` | `https://api.deepinfra.com/v1/openai` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
+| Ollama (local) | `ollama` | `openai` | `http://host.openshell.internal:11434/v1` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
+| LM Studio (local) | `lmstudio` | `openai` | `http://host.openshell.internal:1234/v1` | `OPENAI_API_KEY` |
+
+Refer to your provider's documentation for the correct base URL, available models, and API key setup. To configure inference routing, refer to {doc}`/inference/configure`.
+
 ## Next Steps
 
 Explore related topics: