deploy_anthropic

Anthropic SDK Deployment Checklist

Use this flow to experience Cortex as a real product on macOS. Cortex talks to Claude exclusively through the Anthropic SDK; pick one of three transports.

1. Install and configure

cd /path/to/cortex-repo
python3.11 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e "./cortex[dev]"
export PYTHONPATH="$PWD"
cp cortex/.env.example .env
python -m cortex.scripts.seed_config --root .

Set the provider in .env. Pick one option below.

Option A — AWS Bedrock (default)

CORTEX_LLM__PROVIDER=bedrock
CORTEX_LLM__BEDROCK__AWS_REGION=us-east-2
CORTEX_LLM__USE_KEYCHAIN=true   # default

Store the bearer token in macOS Keychain (one-time):

security add-generic-password -s cortex.bedrock -a bearer_token -w YOUR_TOKEN

The daemon reads the token from Keychain at startup and exports it as AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK for the SDK; the secret never lands in the .env or the .app bundle.

Option B — Google Vertex AI

CORTEX_LLM__PROVIDER=vertex
gcloud auth application-default login

The SDK reads the standard Application Default Credentials.

Option C — Direct Anthropic API

CORTEX_LLM__PROVIDER=direct
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

Model tiers (all providers)

CORTEX_LLM__MODEL_DEFAULT=claude-sonnet-4-6
CORTEX_LLM__MODEL_FAST=claude-haiku-4-5
CORTEX_LLM__MODEL_DEEP=claude-opus-4-7
CORTEX_LLM__FALLBACK_MODE=rule_based   # default — deterministic plan if all else fails

cortex/libs/llm/anthropic_client.resolve_anthropic_model_id maps each logical id to the provider-specific identifier (Bedrock inference profile, Vertex revision, or direct API name).

2. Calibrate

cortex-calibrate --duration 120

This writes the active baseline to storage/baselines/default.json.

3. Install clients

VS Code:

cd cortex/apps/vscode_extension
npm install
npm run compile

Chrome:

cd cortex/apps/browser_extension
pnpm install
pnpm build

Load the browser extension from chrome://extensions.

4. Start Cortex

Option A — Desktop App (recommended): Open Cortex.app from /Applications (installed via DMG). The app starts the daemon and dashboard automatically.

Option B — Terminal (developer setup):

Terminal 1:

cortex-dev

Terminal 2:

python -m cortex.apps.desktop_shell.main

5. Experience the product

For coding recovery:

• open VS Code with a real assignment or debugging task
• keep the VS Code extension connected
• let Cortex see diagnostics and terminal output

For research recovery:

• keep Chrome open with docs, PDFs, and paper tabs
• let the browser extension classify the active research context

When overwhelm is detected, Cortex can:

• fold unrelated code
• hide non-active research tabs
• show a focused overlay with 1-3 next steps
• restore the workspace when you dismiss, snooze, or recover

6. Package a macOS app

cd cortex
./scripts/build_macos_app.sh

Use code signing and DMG packaging for distribution after local verification. Bedrock bearer tokens, Anthropic API keys, and Vertex ADC files are NOT bundled — every user supplies their own credentials during onboarding (BYOK).