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Installation & Setup

This guide will help you get the Advent of Code Python solution runner up and running.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.7 or higher
  • pip (Python package installer)
  • An Advent of Code account

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd AdventOfCodePython

2. Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set Up Session Cookie

To automatically fetch input and submit answers, you need your AOC session cookie:

  1. Get Your Session Cookie:

    • Log in to Advent of Code
    • Open your browser's developer tools (F12)
    • Go to the Network tab
    • Refresh the page
    • Find any request to adventofcode.com
    • In the request headers, find the Cookie header
    • Copy the value of session=<long_string>

  2. Save the Session Cookie:

    echo "your_session_cookie_here" > session_cookie.txt

    Important: Keep your session cookie private! Add session_cookie.txt to your .gitignore if sharing this code.

Verification

Test your setup by running a solution:

# This should work if you have a solution for 2025 day 1
python main.py 2025 1

If everything is set up correctly, you should see:

  • Input automatically fetched
  • Solution executed with timing
  • Results displayed with performance comparison

Configuration

Optional: Colorized Output

For the best experience, install colorama for colorized terminal output:

pip install colorama

Database Location

The performance tracking database (aoc_tracking.db) will be created automatically in the project root when you first run a solution.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Module not found" errors:

  • Make sure you installed dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt
  • Check that you're using the correct Python version

"Session cookie invalid" errors:

  • Verify your session cookie is correct and not expired
  • Session cookies expire after about a month - you may need to get a new one

"Input file not found" errors:

  • Make sure your session cookie is set up correctly
  • The system should automatically fetch input files on first run

Permission errors:

  • Make sure you have write permissions in the project directory
  • The system needs to create/modify files for tracking and input storage

Getting Help

If you're still having issues:

  1. Check that all files are in the correct locations
  2. Verify your Python version: python --version
  3. Try running with verbose output (if available)
  4. Check the GitHub issues for similar problems

Next Steps

Once everything is working: