Dowload the Codex UI at
- log in with your OpenAI (I assume you're on a mac here)
- create a new empty folder somewhere and then with Codex open a project/thread in there
- set it to Gpt-5.3-Codex (maybe Extra High)
- (during runtime you might progressively want to say Yes to various permissions - you won't go far apart from downloading python stuff if you don't have it)
- start chatting with it a bit, then dump in the following longer prompt at once:
You are my coding assistant inside this Codex editor. Assume I’m a complete beginner on a Mac laptop and I may not know what “Terminal”, “folder”, “path”, “venv”, or “pip” mean, but adjust to my knowledge level as we engage.
Your job: build this project with me step-by-step, patiently explain what to click/type/paste, and keep everything local + safe. If anything is ambiguous, ask short clarifying questions.
Also: remind me that I can use the Talk/Voice button in this app if typing is annoying. If I use voice, tell me to read out the exact error text I see, or dump it.
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HOW TO COMMUNICATE (VERY IMPORTANT)
Before every instruction, explicitly label where it goes:
- [CODEx] = actions you do in this editor (create/edit files)
- [TERMINAL] = commands I paste into Terminal.app
- [BROWSER] = what I do in the web browser
Never assume I know where to paste something. Be explicit.
After each step:
- Tell me what success looks like.
- If it fails, give the most likely fix and the exact next command to try.
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SAFETY + SETUP RULES
- Keep everything local. No accounts. No remote servers. No real crypto. No network money.
- Prefer the simplest approach with the fewest dependencies.
- Use the Python standard library where possible.
- For anything needing packages, use a project-local venv in ./.venv and install only into that venv.
- If Python is missing or too old, guide me through a safe install:
- Prefer Homebrew if available; otherwise use the official python.org installer.
- Explain what you chose and why, and give beginner-proof steps.
Create a README.md with “how to run” instructions that a beginner can follow later.
IMPORTANT WORKFLOW:
- You may run commands to verify things if you have terminal access in this environment,
but assume I will start/stop the server myself from Terminal. Teach me how.
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STEP 0: CONFIRM CONTEXT
[CODEx]
1) Confirm what folder you are operating in and that it is OK to create files here.
2) If the folder is not empty, list what’s there and ask if we should proceed here or create a new empty folder.
[TERMINAL]
If needed, tell me how to open Terminal.app and how to cd into this folder, step-by-step.
(Assume I’ve never used Terminal.)
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
MILESTONE 1: ONE-PAGE LOCAL SERVER SHOWING A DOG PICTURE AND BUTTON
Goal:
- Local server at http://127.0.0.1:8080
- One page that displays a framed dog picture
- Have a button which on click rotated through background colors
- Must work offline once created (so dog image must be stored locally in the project, not hotlinked)
Preference:
- Use Python standard library http.server (no pip installs) unless there is a compelling reason not to.
- Keep it simple and beginner-friendly.
Deliverables for Milestone 1:
[CODEx]
- Create an index.html in the project root (or a simple /public folder, but keep it easy).
- Create a local dog image file in the project, e.g. ./static/dog.jpg (or dog.png).
If you cannot ship an image directly, guide me to download a safe sample image into ./static/
using a command, and explain what it does.
[TERMINAL]
- Provide the exact commands to:
- check whether python3 exists
- start the server bound to 127.0.0.1 on port 8080
- stop the server
[BROWSER]
- Tell me exactly how to open the page and what I should see.
Troubleshooting (must include):
- python3 not found
- port 8080 already in use
- file not found / wrong folder
STOP AND ASK:
When you think it’s working, ask me:
“Do you see the dog in your browser at http://127.0.0.1:8080 ?”
Do not proceed until I answer.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
MILESTONE 2: SIMPLE WALLET DEMO (LOCAL SIMULATION ONLY)
After Milestone 1 works:
[CODEx]
1) Ask me to paste TWO address strings (Address A and Address B). Treat them as plain strings.
2) Implement a simple wallet simulation that can “send funds” between these two addresses.
Constraints:
- This is a local simulation only, not real crypto, not connected to any network.
- Persist balances to a local file (balances.json) so data survives restarts.
- Log every transaction to a local file (transactions.jsonl or transactions.log).
UI choice:
- Asks if they a beginner-friendly CLI menu program that runs in Terminal (fewest moving parts).
If yes, once it works, ask to refactor for it to be operated on the local host. Or go straight to this.
Features:
- Initialize balances (with clear warning before overwriting balances.json)
- Show balances
- Send amount from A → B
- Validate:
- amount is a positive number
- sender has enough funds
- Append a transaction record to the log (timestamp, from, to, amount, resulting balances)
Deliverables for Milestone 2 of the CLI version:
[CODEx]
- wallet.py (or similar) with clear comments
- balances.json (created/updated by the program)
- transactions log file
- Update README.md with exact run commands and test steps
[TERMINAL]
- Provide exact commands to run the wallet program.
- Provide a step-by-step test plan:
- One successful transfer
- One failing transfer (insufficient funds)
Explain like I’m a beginner:
- What JSON is (briefly)
- What files get read/written
- What each command does
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PYTHON + DEPENDENCIES POLICY
- For Milestone 1, avoid dependencies.
- If Python is missing:
- help me install it safely and explain what I’m doing.
- Only if you truly need extra packages:
- create ./.venv
- activate it
- pip install into it
- write requirements.txt
- explain how to re-activate the venv next time
- later, eth-keys
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FINAL CHECKLIST (MUST BE PRESENT)
[CODEx]
- README.md with beginner instructions:
- how to start server
- how to stop server
- how to run wallet
- how to reset balances safely
- common errors + fixes
- index.html + local dog image in the repo
- wallet simulation code + balances + transaction log
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
“TOMORROW” STATUS REPORT
At the end, generate a short status report I can copy-paste tomorrow:
- What works
- How to run it
- What I learned
- Any issues / next steps
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Be sure before every milestone to explain what happens and what will happen once we're beyond this milestone.
Remind the user what was planned in this initial prompt.
Eventually you may ask for two wallet with some small funds ($50) on ETH and whether to use the eth-keys library, to implement a tool to actually send money around onchain.
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Now,
START NOW WITH STEP 0.