Getting Started with Cline in VS Code Using an OpenAI-Compatible Provider

Getting Started with Cline in VS Code Using an OpenAI-Compatible Provider

When you use an AI coding agent inside VS Code, the hard part is often not the prompt—it is getting the provider settings right so the agent can chat, read files, and call tools reliably.

What you can do

Cline is a VS Code coding agent, and Ace Data Cloud can be configured in Cline through the OpenAI Compatible provider option. The setup is intentionally small: you provide a base URL, an API key, and the model ID made available by your Coding Plan.

Once configured, you can use Cline for everyday builder workflows:

  • Start a new task from the Cline panel inside VS Code.
  • Send a minimal verification prompt such as Reply only OK.
  • Ask Cline to read a test file and confirm that the selected model supports tool calling.
  • Review call records later in Ace Data Cloud usage history if you need to debug behavior.

How it works

Cline's provider configuration has an OpenAI Compatible mode. Instead of using a provider-specific integration, you point Cline at the Ace Data Cloud API base URL:

https://api.acedata.cloud/v1

Then you paste the API key from an available Ace Data Cloud application and set the Model ID to the model ID currently provided by your Coding Plan. The source guide also notes that Custom Headers and Set Azure API version should be left blank, while Use Azure Identity Authentication should be disabled.

The result is a normal Cline workflow from the user's point of view: Cline sends model requests through an OpenAI-compatible interface, and your Ace Data Cloud application handles the configured model access.

Step 1: Get the API key

Open the Ace Data Cloud application list, enter an available application, and copy the API key. Treat this key like any other credential: do not paste it into source control, screenshots, public issue trackers, or shared prompts.

You do not need to add custom headers for the Cline setup described in the document. The key belongs in the API Key field of Cline's provider configuration.

Step 2: Configure Cline in VS Code

Install and open Cline in VS Code. In the Cline panel, use the settings button to enter the provider configuration. Use the following values:

{
  "apiProvider": "OpenAI Compatible",
  "baseUrl": "https://api.acedata.cloud/v1",
  "apiKey": "<your Ace Data Cloud API key>",
  "modelId": "<model ID provided by your Coding Plan>",
  "customHeaders": "",
  "azureApiVersion": "",
  "useAzureIdentityAuthentication": false
}

This JSON is not a file you have to paste somewhere; it is a compact representation of the form values from the setup guide. In the Cline UI, enter the same values into the corresponding fields.

For a first pass, keep the remaining model capability settings at their defaults. The guide recommends adjusting those later only when you actually need images or a larger context window, and only according to the selected model's real capabilities.

Step 3: Verify chat and tool calling separately

After saving the provider settings, create a new Cline task and send:

Reply only OK

This checks the simplest possible path: Cline can reach the provider, authenticate, and receive a response. If that works, run a second test by asking Cline to read a small test file in your workspace. That second test matters because a model that can chat is not automatically a model that can operate on files through tool calling.

If you need to inspect what happened after the test, use the Ace Data Cloud usage history page. It is a useful place to confirm that calls are being recorded and to compare failed attempts while you tune the configuration.

Common failure modes

The setup guide calls out three practical debugging signals:

  • 401 usually means the API key is incorrect.
  • 404 usually means the Base URL or Model ID is incorrect.
  • If chat works but file operations do not, check whether the selected model supports tool calling.

That last point is easy to miss. A coding-agent setup is not only a text-completion setup. If you want Cline to inspect files, propose edits, or work across a repository, tool calling support is part of the model selection decision.

A practical builder workflow

For a clean first session, use a disposable branch and a small file. Configure the provider, run Reply only OK, then ask Cline to read the file and summarize it. If both tests pass, move to a real task such as explaining a module, drafting a refactor plan, or generating a small patch.

Keeping the first task small gives you a better signal. If authentication, base URL, model ID, and tool calling are all working, the later failures are more likely to be normal agent-task issues rather than provider configuration problems.

Closing notes

The main thing to remember is that the configuration is deliberately boring: OpenAI Compatible, https://api.acedata.cloud/v1, your application API key, and the correct Model ID. Verify chat first, verify file access second, then build from there.

Read the source setup guide here: Cline for VS Code Setup Guide.

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