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API Keys ​

Some Alex muscles connect to external AI services for image generation, presentation creation, and cloud operations. Here's how to configure them.

Environment Variables ​

API keys are stored as environment variables, never committed to source control.

Setting Up .env Files ​

Create a .env file in your project root (it's automatically gitignored):

bash
# .env
REPLICATE_API_TOKEN=r8_your_token_here
GAMMA_API_KEY=sk-gamma-your_key_here

The replicate-core.cjs muscle loads .env automatically via dotenv. Other muscles read directly from environment variables.

Shell Profile (Persistent) ​

For keys you use across all projects, add them to your shell profile:

macOS / Linux (add to ~/.zprofile or ~/.zshrc):

bash
export REPLICATE_API_TOKEN="r8_your_token_here"
export GAMMA_API_KEY="sk-gamma-your_key_here"

Then reload: source ~/.zprofile

Windows (add to your PowerShell profile at $PROFILE):

powershell
$env:REPLICATE_API_TOKEN = "r8_your_token_here"
$env:GAMMA_API_KEY = "sk-gamma-your_key_here"

Or set them permanently via System Properties > Environment Variables.

Services ​

Replicate ​

What it does: AI image and video generation (Flux, Ideogram, nano-banana-pro models)

Used by: replicate-core.cjs → character generation, README banners, brand assets

Get your token:

  1. Go to replicate.com
  2. Sign in with GitHub
  3. Go to Account → API Tokens
  4. Copy the token (starts with r8_)

Cost: Pay-per-prediction. Most image generations cost $0.01--$0.05.

Gamma ​

What it does: Converts markdown to professional presentations

Used by: gamma-generator.cjs

Get your key:

  1. Go to gamma.app
  2. Sign in and go to Settings → API
  3. Generate an API key

Cost: Free tier available, paid plans for higher volume.

Azure (Optional) ​

What it does: Cloud deployment, Azure OpenAI, Cosmos DB, Static Web Apps, etc.

Used by: Azure MCP server, deployment scripts

Setup:

macOS ​

bash
brew install azure-cli
az login
az account set --subscription "Your Subscription Name"

Windows ​

powershell
winget install Microsoft.AzureCLI
az login
az account set --subscription "Your Subscription Name"

No API key needed. Azure CLI handles authentication via browser login.

GitHub ​

What it does: Repository management, pull requests, GitHub Copilot

Used by: Git operations, GitHub MCP tools, Copilot

Setup:

macOS ​

bash
brew install gh
gh auth login

Windows ​

powershell
winget install GitHub.cli
gh auth login

Git authentication is handled via SSH keys or HTTPS credential helper:

macOS (SSH Setup) ​

bash
# Generate SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

# Add to ssh-agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Copy public key to clipboard
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
# Then add to GitHub > Settings > SSH Keys

Windows (SSH Setup) ​

powershell
# Generate SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

# Start ssh-agent
Get-Service ssh-agent | Set-Service -StartupType Automatic -PassThru | Start-Service
ssh-add $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519

# Copy public key to clipboard
Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub | Set-Clipboard
# Then add to GitHub > Settings > SSH Keys

Security Best Practices ​

  • Never commit .env files or API keys to repositories
  • Always add .env to your .gitignore
  • Rotate tokens if you suspect they've been exposed
  • Use minimum scopes when creating tokens
  • Prefer per-project .env over shell-wide exports for project-specific keys

Verifying Your Setup ​

macOS / Linux (bash/zsh):

bash
echo "=== API Key Check ==="
if [ -n "$REPLICATE_API_TOKEN" ]; then
    echo "✅ REPLICATE_API_TOKEN: Set (${#REPLICATE_API_TOKEN} chars)"
else
    echo "⬜ REPLICATE_API_TOKEN: Not set (optional)"
fi

if [ -n "$GAMMA_API_KEY" ]; then
    echo "✅ GAMMA_API_KEY: Set (${#GAMMA_API_KEY} chars)"
else
    echo "⬜ GAMMA_API_KEY: Not set (optional)"
fi

if command -v az &>/dev/null; then
    echo "✅ Azure CLI: $(az version --query '"azure-cli"' -o tsv)"
else
    echo "⬜ Azure CLI: Not installed (optional)"
fi

if command -v gh &>/dev/null; then
    echo "✅ GitHub CLI: $(gh --version | head -1)"
else
    echo "⬜ GitHub CLI: Not installed (optional)"
fi

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell
Write-Host "=== API Key Check ==="
if ($env:REPLICATE_API_TOKEN) {
    Write-Host "✅ REPLICATE_API_TOKEN: Set ($($env:REPLICATE_API_TOKEN.Length) chars)"
} else {
    Write-Host "⬜ REPLICATE_API_TOKEN: Not set (optional)"
}

if ($env:GAMMA_API_KEY) {
    Write-Host "✅ GAMMA_API_KEY: Set ($($env:GAMMA_API_KEY.Length) chars)"
} else {
    Write-Host "⬜ GAMMA_API_KEY: Not set (optional)"
}

if (Get-Command az -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
    Write-Host "✅ Azure CLI: $(az version --query '"azure-cli"' -o tsv)"
} else {
    Write-Host "⬜ Azure CLI: Not installed (optional)"
}

if (Get-Command gh -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
    Write-Host "✅ GitHub CLI: $(gh --version | Select-Object -First 1)"
} else {
    Write-Host "⬜ GitHub CLI: Not installed (optional)"
}