cortex-setup

Cortex Code Setup

Install Snowflake CLI (snow) and Cortex Code CLI (cortex) using the appropriate installer for the current OS.

When to use

• Cortex Code CLI is not found on PATH
• User asks to set up or install Cortex Code
• Routing failed because cortex binary is missing

Steps

1. Detect operating system

import platform
print(platform.system())  # "Windows", "Darwin", or "Linux"

2. Check current state

Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell):

where cortex 2>nul && cortex --version || echo "cortex not installed"
where snow 2>nul && snow --version || echo "snow not installed"

macOS / Linux:

which cortex 2>/dev/null && cortex --version || echo "cortex not installed"
which snow 2>/dev/null && snow --version || echo "snow not installed"

3. Install Cortex Code CLI

The installer is bundled with the snowflake-ai-kit repo. Find and run it:

Step 3a — Find the installer:

macOS / Linux:

find ~ -maxdepth 4 -name "install.sh" -path "*/snowflake-ai-kit/*" 2>/dev/null | head -1

Windows (PowerShell):

Get-ChildItem -Path $HOME -Recurse -Depth 4 -Filter "install.ps1" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where-Object { $_.FullName -match "snowflake-ai-kit" } | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty FullName

Step 3b — Run the installer:

If found (macOS/Linux):

bash /path/to/snowflake-ai-kit/install.sh

If found (Windows — look for install.ps1 in the same directory):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File /path/to/snowflake-ai-kit/install.ps1

If NOT found, ask the user to clone the repo first:

git clone https://github.com/Snowflake-Labs/snowflake-ai-kit.git
bash snowflake-ai-kit/install.sh

The installer handles Snowflake CLI, Cortex Code CLI, and connection verification.

4. Verify installation

Windows:

where cortex && cortex --version
where snow && snow --version

macOS / Linux:

which cortex && cortex --version
which snow && snow --version

Both commands should return version numbers.

5. Set up Snowflake connection

Check if a connection exists:

snow connection list

If no connections exist, prompt the user to create one:

snow connection add

This is interactive — the user will need to provide their Snowflake account URL, username, and authentication method.

6. Confirm routing works

After setup, the cortex-router skill should work. Tell the user to try their original Snowflake prompt again.

Notes

• Cortex Code CLI installer requires an active internet connection
• On macOS, Homebrew may be used as a fallback for Snow CLI
• Do NOT suggest pip install snowflake-cortex-code or similar — that package does not exist
• On Windows, if bash is not available, use the PowerShell (install.ps1) or npx method