🔐 Disable/Control AI features in Phoenix Code with deployment scripts for Windows, macOS, and Linux — made for schools and enterprise setups.

AI Control Extension in Phoenix Code

When AI is disabled

AI is enabled for selected user, but disabled for others

Overview

Phoenix Code AI Control provides system administrators and users with tools to manage AI functionality in educational and enterprise environments. This repository contains:

• Installation scripts for Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Browser detection for AI availability

Installation

System Requirements

• Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+, or Ubuntu/Debian-based Linux
• Administrative access for system-wide installation
• Phoenix Code Desktop or Browser version

Installing Configuration Scripts

Configure AI controls by running the appropriate script for your platform:

Note: The following scripts configure system-wide settings and do not require Phoenix Code to be installed on the administrator's machine.

Download and run the appropriate script for your platform Download from this link.

• For Windows: setup_phoenix_ai_control_win.bat
• For macOS: setup_phoenix_ai_control_mac.sh
• For Linux: setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh

Windows Installation

1. Download the Windows Batch script:
   • setup_phoenix_ai_control_win.bat
2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Press Win+X and select "Command Prompt (Admin)"
   • Navigate to the download location using cd command
3. Execute with parameters, for example:

   setup_phoenix_ai_control_win.bat --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu --disableAI
   

   Note: The --managedByEmail parameter is optional but recommended

macOS Installation

1. Download the macOS script
2. Open Terminal and navigate to your download location
3. Run: chmod +x setup_phoenix_ai_control_mac.sh
4. Execute with parameters:

   sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_mac.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu --disableAI
   

   Note: The --managedByEmail parameter is optional but recommended

Linux Installation

1. Download the Linux script
2. Open Terminal and navigate to your download location
3. Run: chmod +x setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh
4. Execute with parameters:

   sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu --disableAI
   

   Note: The --managedByEmail parameter is optional but recommended

Installation Script CLI Options

All installation scripts support the same command-line options:

Disabling and Enabling AI

Here are quick examples for disabling and enabling AI on different platforms:

Disabling AI

To disable AI for all users:

# Windows - in cmd(run as administrator)
setup_phoenix_ai_control_win.bat --disableAI --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

# macOS - Terminal
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_mac.sh --disableAI --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

# Linux - Bash
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --disableAI --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

Enabling AI

To enable AI for all users:

# Windows - in cmd(run as administrator)
setup_phoenix_ai_control_win.bat --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

# macOS - Terminal
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_mac.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

# Linux - Bash
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

Additional Examples

# Enable AI without administrative contact
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh

# Enable AI for specific users only (IMPORTANT: always use quotes for multiple users)
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --allowedUsers "alice,bob" --disableAI

# Complete setup with all options
sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu --allowedUsers "alice,bob" --disableAI

Note: Always replace school.admin@example.edu with an actual administrator email address. The scripts will detect and reject placeholder email addresses.

IMPORTANT: When specifying multiple users with --allowedUsers, always enclose the comma-separated list in quotes ("alice,bob") to prevent parsing errors on all platforms.

Configuration File Locations

The scripts create configuration files in the following system-wide locations:

• Windows: C:\Program Files\Phoenix AI Control\config.json
• macOS: /Library/Application Support/Phoenix AI Control/config.json
• Linux: /etc/phoenix-ai-control/config.json

These files contain your configuration, including the optional but recommended managedByEmail field, and are created with read-only permissions for regular users. Only administrators can modify these files.

Verifying AI Control Status

To verify the status of AI controls on end-user machines, the Phoenix Code AI Control extension must be installed:

Installing the Extension

1. Open Phoenix Code
2. Navigate to File → Extension Manager
3. Search for "Phoenix Code AI Control"
4. Click the Install button
5. Restart Phoenix Code when prompted

Checking Status in Desktop App

1. Open Phoenix Code
2. Navigate to View → AI Control Status
3. A dialog will appear showing your current configuration:
   • AI Status (Enabled/Disabled)
   • Platform information
   • Current user
   • Managed by (administrative contact)
   • List of allowed users (if configured)

Checking Status in Browser Version

1. Open Phoenix Code in your web browser
2. Install the extension (File → Extension Manager → "Phoenix Code AI Control")
3. Navigate to View → AI Control Status
4. The browser will check if ai.phcode.dev is accessible:
   • First shows "Checking if AI is disabled..."
   • Then displays whether AI is available or blocked
   • Provides information on firewall configuration

Configuration Options

Desktop Applications (Recommended Method)

For desktop installations of Phoenix Code, we strongly recommend using the installation scripts described above. This approach provides:

1. System-wide configuration via protected config files
2. Granular control with user-level permissions
3. Ability to selectively enable AI for specific users

Only administrative users can modify this configuration.

Network Blocking (For Browser Version at https://phcode.dev)

For schools using the browser version of Phoenix Code, network-level blocking is the recommended approach:

1. Block access to: ai.phcode.dev
2. Add this domain to your firewall or content filtering system

The browser version of Phoenix Code will automatically detect if the domain is unreachable and display appropriate status messages.

FAQ

When will AI be enabled in Phoenix Code?

Phoenix Code AI will be rolled out after May 20, 2025. Educational institutions should configure AI controls campus-wide before this date.

How do I know if AI control is working?

In both the desktop and browser versions, go to View → AI Control Status to see a detailed report.

Can I allow specific users to access AI features?

Yes, but only in the desktop version. Use the --allowedUsers parameter with a comma-separated list of usernames when running the installation script. These users will be able to access AI features even when disabled system-wide with the --disableAI flag.

Is AI control mandatory?

No, AI control is optional and meant for educational institutions or enterprises that need to regulate AI usage. By default, all users have access to AI features.

Will blocking AI affect other Phoenix Code features?

No, all other features of Phoenix Code will continue to work normally. Only the AI-powered features like code generation and explanations will be affected.

How can I update the AI control configuration?

Simply run the installation script again with the new parameters. The script will overwrite the existing configuration file with your new settings.

How do I re-enable AI after it has been disabled?

To re-enable AI that was previously disabled:

1. Run the installation script again without the --disableAI flag:

   # Windows - in cmd(run as administrator)
   setup_phoenix_ai_control_win.bat --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu
   
   # macOS
   sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_mac.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu
   
   # Linux
   sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --managedByEmail school.admin@example.edu

2. For browser version, remove any firewall rules blocking ai.phcode.dev

What's the difference between browser and desktop control?

• Browser Version: Only supports network-level blocking of ai.phcode.dev through your firewall
• Desktop Version: Provides comprehensive control through configuration files with user-specific permissions

Does this completely prevent AI usage?

• Desktop Version: Yes, the control is comprehensive when properly configured using the installation scripts
• Browser Version: Only if you implement network-level blocking of the ai.phcode.dev domain

How can I verify that the firewall is properly blocking AI access?

In the browser version, use the View → AI Control Status option which will attempt to connect to the AI service and report whether it's accessible or blocked.

Can I disable AI for some users but enable it for others?

Yes, use the --disableAI flag to disable AI globally, then use the --allowedUsers parameter to specify which users should still have access. Example:

sudo ./setup_phoenix_ai_control_linux.sh --disableAI --allowedUsers "teacher1,admin2"

Is there a way to monitor AI usage in my organization?

When you set the --managedByEmail parameter, this information is used for administration purposes. Future versions will provide a dashboard for administrators to monitor and manage AI usage across their organization.

Support

For more information about controlling AI in educational institutions, visit: https://docs.phcode.dev/docs/control-ai

For Developers

To contribute to this project:

1. Clone the repository
2. Make your changes
3. Test on all supported platforms
4. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License