# Session Analysis: rollout-2026-01-28T15-57-48-019c0553-4120-7df2-9113-388657117471.jsonl

**Date**: 2026-01-28 | **Duration**: 725s | **Turns**: 11 | **Model**: gpt-5
**Type**: bug-fix | **Outcome**: resolved | **Specificity**: 5/5 | **Struggle**: 6/10

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## Journey

Following the previous session where wandb was installed, the developer now attempted to log into wandb from their GPU VM. The `wandb login --relogin` command pointed to `http://localhost:8080` (a self-hosted W&B server configuration) but the link wouldn't open in a browser from the remote VM. The session evolved through multiple phases:

1. Initial login link failure — the developer reported the link didn't open
2. Environment variable configuration — the developer shared their wandb env vars (hardcoded API key, incorrect var names like `WANDB_RUN_NAME` instead of `WANDB_NAME`)
3. Wanting to view charts in browser — the developer clarified their goal
4. `wandb whoami` command failure — the developer hit a nonexistent CLI subcommand
5. The assistant patched `col/src/driver.py` to fix env vars, remove the hardcoded API key, and use proper Python datetime formatting
6. Persistent `localhost:8080` base URL issue — even after `unset WANDB_BASE_URL`, the saved config kept redirecting

## Prompting Assessment (4/5)

**What worked:**
The developer consistently pasted exact terminal output, giving the assistant precise context for each problem encountered.

> "link doesnt open"

Simple but effective — combined with the pasted terminal output showing `http://localhost:8080/authorize`, this gave the assistant everything needed.

**What was vague or could improve:**
The developer never clarified whether they were using hosted wandb.ai or a self-hosted server, which the assistant asked about multiple times. This created a back-and-forth that extended the session.

> "i want my charts to see in browser in wandb"

This states the goal but doesn't answer the hosted-vs-self-hosted question that the assistant had already asked.

## Outcome: resolved

**Evidence:**
> "Your CLI is still using a saved base_url pointing to localhost. Two quick ways to fix for hosted W&B:\n\nOption A (override for this shell)\n- export WANDB_BASE_URL=https://api.wandb.ai\n- wandb login --relogin"

The assistant provided the definitive fix for the persistent localhost issue and the developer's `driver.py` was patched with correct env var usage.

## Struggle Points

The session had significant friction around the hosted-vs-self-hosted ambiguity. The assistant asked the developer to clarify 3 times, and the developer kept providing new terminal output instead of answering directly. The session also revealed a security issue: the developer had hardcoded API keys (wandb, OpenAI, MySQL) directly in `driver.py`.

> "os.environ['WANDB_API_KEY']=\"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\"\nos.environ['WANDB_ENABLED']=\"1\"\nos.environ['WANDB_PROJECT']=\"cold-ranker\"\nos.environ['WANDB_RUN_NAME']=f\"debug-$(date +%F-%H%M)\""

## Aha Insight

The developer mixed shell syntax (`$(date +%F-%H%M)`) inside a Python f-string, which would have produced a literal `$(date +%F-%H%M)` string instead of an actual timestamp. This reveals a gap in understanding where Python and shell boundaries lie — a common issue when working across terminal and code simultaneously. The wandb run name visible in the training output confirms this: `Syncing run debug-$(date +%F-%H%M)` — the shell expansion never happened.

**Evidence:**
> "Syncing run debug-$(date +%F-%H%M)"

The run name in the training output shows the literal unexpanded shell syntax, proving the f-string didn't do what the developer intended.

## Coach Tip

When an AI assistant asks you a clarifying question (like "hosted vs self-hosted?"), answer it directly before pasting more terminal output. In this session, answering that one question early would have cut the session from 12 minutes to about 3 minutes. Also, never hardcode API keys in source files — use environment variables or `.env` files excluded from version control.
