codewhale/docs/CLASSROOM_INSTALL.md

CodeWhale Classroom / Lab Install Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for IT admins deploying CodeWhale on lab or classroom machines running Windows.

Audience: IT staff, teaching assistants, lab managers. Prereq: Each target machine runs Windows 10 (1809+) or Windows 11.

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Pre-install checklist (run once per machine)

#	Task	Done?
1	Confirm Windows version: winver → 10 build 17763+ or 11	☐
2	Ensure the user account is a standard user (not a local admin). The installer does not require elevation.	☐
3	Verify outbound HTTPS (port 443) is open to api.openai.com (or whichever LLM provider the course uses).	☐
4	Obtain the installer: download CodeWhaleSetup.exe from a v0.8.50+ release or from your department mirror.	☐
5	Verify SHA-256 hash against codewhale-artifacts-sha256.txt before deploying.	☐
6	Note that the public installer is currently unsigned and may trigger Windows SmartScreen unless your organization signs it before deployment.	☐

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Installation

Option A — Silent install (recommended for imaging / SCCM / Intune)

# Run as the target user or via a per-user deployment tool
CodeWhaleSetup.exe /S

The silent installer:

• Installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CodeWhale\bin
• Adds the bin directory to the current user PATH
• Registers in Windows "Apps & Features" for uninstall

Option B — Interactive install

1. Double-click CodeWhaleSetup.exe.
2. Accept the license.
3. Choose the install directory (default is fine for most setups).
4. Click Install.

Option C — Manual fallback (no installer)

If the NSIS installer is blocked by group policy, install manually:

# 1. Create directory
$binDir = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\CodeWhale\bin"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $binDir

# 2. Download binaries (adjust URL to your mirror or release tag)
$tag = (Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://api.github.com/repos/Hmbown/CodeWhale/releases/latest").tag_name
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/Hmbown/CodeWhale/releases/download/$tag/codewhale-windows-x64.exe"     -OutFile "$binDir\codewhale.exe"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/Hmbown/CodeWhale/releases/download/$tag/codewhale-tui-windows-x64.exe" -OutFile "$binDir\codewhale-tui.exe"

# 3. Add to user PATH (persistent)
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
$pathParts = @($currentPath -split ";" | Where-Object { $_ })
if ($pathParts -notcontains $binDir) {
    $newPath = (@($pathParts) + $binDir) -join ";"
    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $newPath, "User")
}

# 4. Refresh current session PATH
$env:Path = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User") + ";" + [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine")

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Post-install verification

Run these on each machine (or spot-check a sample):

#	Command	Expected output	Done?
1	codewhale --version	Prints version string	☐
2	codewhale doctor	All checks pass	☐
3	codewhale-tui --version	Prints version string	☐

If codewhale is not found, the user may need to open a new terminal window for PATH changes to take effect.

Lab validation checklist

Run this once on a clean lab machine, and again on a machine that already has a previous CodeWhale install:

#	Scenario	Expected result	Done?
1	Install with no existing CodeWhale PATH entry	Adds exactly %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CodeWhale\bin	☐
2	Install twice	PATH is not duplicated	☐
3	Install with a neighboring PATH entry such as C:\Tools\CodeWhale\bin-extra	Neighboring entry is preserved	☐
4	Upgrade by installing a newer CodeWhaleSetup.exe over an older one	Apps & Features version and both --version outputs match the new build	☐
5	Silent uninstall with Uninstall.exe /S	Files, uninstall registry entry, and only the exact installer PATH entry are removed	☐

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API key provisioning

Each student needs an API key. Options:

Method	Pros	Cons
Per-student key	Individual usage tracking	More key management
Shared lab key	Simple to deploy	Harder to audit; rate limits shared

Deploying a shared key via environment variable

# Set for current user (persists across reboots)
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("OPENAI_API_KEY", "sk-...", "User")

Or create a config.toml in %APPDATA%\codewhale\:

[provider]
api_key = "sk-..."
base_url = "https://api.openai.com/v1"

Deploying per-student keys with Intune / GPO

Use a Group Policy Preference or Intune PowerShell script to set the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable per user. The variable name depends on your LLM provider — see CONFIGURATION.md.

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Uninstall

Silent uninstall

& "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\CodeWhale\Uninstall.exe" /S

Manual uninstall (if installer was not used)

$binDir = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\CodeWhale\bin"
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force (Split-Path $binDir)

# Remove from PATH
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
$newPath = ($currentPath -split ";" | Where-Object { $_ -and ($_ -ne $binDir) }) -join ";"
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $newPath, "User")

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
codewhale not found after install	Open a new terminal. If still missing, check PATH: echo $env:Path
MISSING_COMPANION_BINARY	Ensure both codewhale.exe and codewhale-tui.exe are in the same directory
TLS handshake errors	Check proxy settings or use the CNB mirror (see INSTALL.md)
Antivirus quarantines binaries	Add the install directory to AV exclusions
codewhale doctor fails API check	Verify OPENAI_API_KEY is set or config.toml exists

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Imaging / Golden Image Notes

If building a golden image (WIM/FFU):

1. Install CodeWhale using Option A (silent) or Option C (manual).
2. Do not set API keys in the image — these are per-user/per-student.
3. The install directory (%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CodeWhale\bin) is per-user, so it will be present for the user who installed it. For other users on the same machine, run the installer again or use Option C.
4. Alternatively, install to a shared location like C:\Tools\CodeWhale\bin and add it to the machine PATH:

   [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$env:Path;C:\Tools\CodeWhale\bin", "Machine")
   

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Quick Reference: All file paths

Item	Default location
Binaries	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CodeWhale\bin\
User config	%APPDATA%\codewhale\config.toml
Uninstaller	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CodeWhale\Uninstall.exe
PATH entry	HKCU\Environment\Path (current user)

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Last updated: 2026-06-02