OpenAI Python SDK

Radium exposes an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API. If your application already uses the OpenAI Python SDK, you only need to change the API key, base URL, and model name.

Before you start

You need Python 3.10 or newer, a Radium API key, and a terminal or PowerShell window.

1. Create a project and install the SDK

mkdir radium-openai-python && cd radium-openai-python
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install openai

mkdir radium-openai-python; cd radium-openai-python
py -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install openai

2. Set your Radium credentials

export RADIUM_API_KEY="your-radium-api-key"
export RADIUM_MODEL="hal-1.0"

$env:RADIUM_API_KEY = "your-radium-api-key"
$env:RADIUM_MODEL = "hal-1.0"

Keep the key on the server. Do not paste it into main.py, commit it, or expose it in browser code.

3. Create main.py

import os
from openai import OpenAI

api_key = os.getenv("RADIUM_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise SystemExit("Set RADIUM_API_KEY before running this program.")

model = os.getenv("RADIUM_MODEL", "hal-1.0")
client = OpenAI(
    api_key=api_key,
    base_url="https://api.radium.cloud/v1",
    timeout=90,
    max_retries=0,
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model=model,
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": "Follow the user's instruction exactly."},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Reply with exactly: Radium connected."},
    ],
    max_tokens=512,
    temperature=0,
)

content = response.choices[0].message.content
if not content or not content.strip():
    raise RuntimeError("Radium returned no visible text.")
print(f"RADIUM_RESPONSE: {content.strip()}")

The base URL must include /v1. Do not append /chat/completions; the SDK adds that path.

4. Run it

python main.py

Expected output:

RADIUM_RESPONSE: Radium connected.

Choose a model

Set RADIUM_MODEL to any validated model before running the program:

export RADIUM_MODEL="hal-1.0"  # or: clarke-1.0, tycho-1.0
python main.py

Migrate an existing OpenAI client

# Before:
client = OpenAI(api_key=os.environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"])

# After:
client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["RADIUM_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.radium.cloud/v1",
)

Keep your existing messages and response parsing. Replace the old model ID with hal-1.0, clarke-1.0, or tycho-1.0.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
`401` or `403`	Verify that `RADIUM_API_KEY` is set in the same terminal running Python
`404`	Verify the base URL and use one of the model IDs listed above
Empty output	Keep `max_tokens` at 512 or higher so model reasoning does not consume the visible response allowance
`ModuleNotFoundError`	Activate `.venv` and rerun the installation command

Validation

These instructions were verified with Python 3.12.7 and openai==2.54.0 on August 20, 2026. You do not need that exact package version.

Text generation and a complete function-calling loop passed with hal-1.0, clarke-1.0, and tycho-1.0.

Getting started

Models

Switching

Core concepts

Tools

Guides

Enterprise

OpenAI Python SDK

OpenAI Python SDK

Before you start

1. Create a project and install the SDK

2. Set your Radium credentials

3. Create main.py

4. Run it

Choose a model

Migrate an existing OpenAI client

Troubleshooting

Validation

Next steps

API quickstart

Tool calling

​OpenAI Python SDK

​Before you start

​1. Create a project and install the SDK

​2. Set your Radium credentials

​3. Create main.py

​4. Run it

​Choose a model

​Migrate an existing OpenAI client

​Troubleshooting

​Validation

​Next steps

API quickstart

Tool calling

OpenAI Python SDK

Before you start

1. Create a project and install the SDK

2. Set your Radium credentials

3. Create main.py

4. Run it

Choose a model

Migrate an existing OpenAI client

Troubleshooting

Validation

Next steps