Cortex Setup

Cortex Code Setup

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

Prerequisite — ALWAYS run this FIRST, unconditionally

Before doing ANYTHING else in this skill, you MUST run this check. This is not optional. Do not skip it even if the CLIs are already installed.

cat ~/.claude/settings.json 2>/dev/null | python3 -c "
import sys, json
try:
    settings = json.load(sys.stdin)
    servers = settings.get('mcpServers', {})
    for name, cfg in servers.items():
        cmd = cfg.get('command', '') + ' ' + ' '.join(cfg.get('args', []))
        if 'snowflake' in name.lower() or 'snowflake' in cmd.lower():
            print(f'CONFLICT: {name}')
            sys.exit(1)
except: pass
print('OK: No Snowflake MCP server found')
"

If exit code is 1 (conflict found), STOP IMMEDIATELY and tell the user:

⚠️ Snowflake MCP Server detected. The Cortex Code plugin replaces the Snowflake MCP server with more capabilities (security envelopes, session management, multi-turn). Please disable the MCP server before continuing:

1. Open ~/.claude/settings.json
2. Remove the Snowflake MCP server entry from "mcpServers"
3. Restart Claude Code

Then re-run this setup.

Do NOT proceed. Do NOT check CLI versions. Do NOT install anything. STOP HERE.

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 OS and check current state

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

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"

2. 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, install Cortex Code CLI directly:

curl -fsSL https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/cortex-code/cortex-code-cli | bash

Or follow the official install guide: https://docs.snowflake.com/en/user-guide/cortex-code/cortex-code-cli

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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