diff --git a/.env.sample b/.env.sample
deleted file mode 100644
index 8627d06..0000000
--- a/.env.sample
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-export TEAM_ID=$(cs list workspaces | grep $WORKSPACE_ID | awk '{print $2}')
-export UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=/home/user/app/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
-export UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=/home/user/app/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
-export UV_CACHE_DIR=/home/user/app/.codesphere-internal/.uv
-export UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=/home/user/app/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 09138ab..c6558c4 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ codesphere-deploy:
     PLAN: 'Micro'
     ON_DEMAND: 'false'
     ENV: |
-      CS_TOKEN=$CODESPHERE_TOKEN
   environment:
     name: 'Preview Deployment Python MR_$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_IID'
     on_stop: codesphere-teardown
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bfcc8f0..76fe946 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # python-demo test
 
-before running any stage you will need to set up a 'CS_TOKEN' env var containing an Codesphere API key.
+This is a Python demo application with a Streamlit frontend and FastAPI backend.
 
 # open backend api docs
 
diff --git a/ci.dev.yml b/ci.DEV.yml
similarity index 69%
rename from ci.dev.yml
rename to ci.DEV.yml
index b82cf69..819a113 100644
--- a/ci.dev.yml
+++ b/ci.DEV.yml
@@ -1,23 +1,18 @@
 schemaVersion: v0.2
 prepare:
   steps:
-    - name: install Codesphere cli tool
-      command: mkdir -p $HOME/.local/bin && wget -qO-
-        'https://api.github.com/repos/codesphere-cloud/cs-go/releases/latest' |
-        grep linux_amd64 | grep browser_download_url | sed s/.*https/https/ |
-        sed s/\".*$// | xargs wget -O $HOME/.local/bin/cs && chmod +x
-        $HOME/.local/bin/cs
     - name: install uv standalone version
       command: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | env
         UV_INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/app" sh && chmod +x $HOME/app/uv
-    - name: copy template .env file
-      command: cp -n .env.sample .env
-    - name: "set ev vars "
-      command: . .env && cs set-env -w $WORKSPACE_ID -t $TEAM_ID --env-var
-        UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
-        --env-var UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
-        --env-var UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv --env-var
-        UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+    - name: create environment file
+      command: |
+        cat > ./env << 'EOF'
+        export PATH="$HOME/app:$PATH"
+        export UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
+        export UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
+        export UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv
+        export UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+        EOF
     - name: install frontend environment
       command: . ./env && cd frontend && { [ ! -d ".venv" ] && uv venv; uv sync; }
     - name: install backend environment
diff --git a/ci.prod.yml b/ci.PROD.yml
similarity index 62%
rename from ci.prod.yml
rename to ci.PROD.yml
index 2f51ae9..f6cf694 100644
--- a/ci.prod.yml
+++ b/ci.PROD.yml
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
 schemaVersion: v0.2
 prepare:
   steps:
-    - name: install Codesphere cli tool
-      command: mkdir -p $HOME/.local/bin && wget -qO-
-        'https://api.github.com/repos/codesphere-cloud/cs-go/releases/latest' |
-        grep linux_amd64 | grep browser_download_url | sed s/.*https/https/ |
-        sed s/\".*$// | xargs wget -O $HOME/.local/bin/cs && chmod +x
-        $HOME/.local/bin/cs
     - name: install uv standalone version
       command: nix-env -iA nixpkgs.uv
-    - name: "set ev vars "
-      command: . .env && cs set-env -w $WORKSPACE_ID -t $TEAM_ID --env-var
-        UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
-        --env-var UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
-        --env-var UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv --env-var
-        UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+    - name: create environment file
+      command: |
+        cat > ./env << 'EOF'
+        export UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
+        export UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
+        export UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv
+        export UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+        EOF
     - name: install frontend environment
       command: cd frontend && { [ ! -d ".venv" ] && uv venv; uv sync --no-dev; }
     - name: install backend environment
diff --git a/ci.Qa.yml b/ci.QA.yml
similarity index 63%
rename from ci.Qa.yml
rename to ci.QA.yml
index 3d0f976..f97da31 100644
--- a/ci.Qa.yml
+++ b/ci.QA.yml
@@ -1,22 +1,18 @@
 schemaVersion: v0.2
 prepare:
   steps:
-    - name: install Codesphere cli tool
-      command: mkdir -p $HOME/.local/bin && wget -qO-
-        'https://api.github.com/repos/codesphere-cloud/cs-go/releases/latest' |
-        grep linux_amd64 | grep browser_download_url | sed s/.*https/https/ |
-        sed s/\".*$// | xargs wget -O $HOME/.local/bin/cs && chmod +x
-        $HOME/.local/bin/cs
     - name: install uv standalone version
       command: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | env
         UV_INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/app" sh && chmod +x $HOME/app/uv
-    - command: cp -n .env.sample .env
-    - name: "set ev vars "
-      command: . .env && cs set-env -w $WORKSPACE_ID -t $TEAM_ID --env-var
-        UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
-        --env-var UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
-        --env-var UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv --env-var
-        UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+    - name: create environment file
+      command: |
+        cat > ./env << 'EOF'
+        export PATH="$HOME/app:$PATH"
+        export UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
+        export UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
+        export UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv
+        export UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+        EOF
     - name: install frontend environment
       command: . ./env && cd frontend && { [ ! -d ".venv" ] && uv venv; uv sync
         --no-dev; }
diff --git a/ci.yml b/ci.yml
index 80289cc..aa2e386 100644
--- a/ci.yml
+++ b/ci.yml
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 schemaVersion: v0.2
 prepare:
   steps:
-    - name: install Codesphere cli tool
-      command: mkdir -p $HOME/.local/bin && wget -qO-
-        'https://api.github.com/repos/codesphere-cloud/cs-go/releases/latest' |
-        grep linux_amd64 | grep browser_download_url | sed s/.*https/https/ |
-        sed s/\".*$// | xargs wget -O $HOME/.local/bin/cs && chmod +x
-        $HOME/.local/bin/cs
     - name: install uv standalone version
       command: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | env
         UV_INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/app" sh && chmod +x $HOME/app/uv
-    - command: cp -n .env.sample .env
+    - name: create environment file
+      command: |
+        cat > ./env << 'EOF'
+        export PATH="$HOME/app:$PATH"
+        export UV_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-install
+        export UV_PYTHON_BIN_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python-bin
+        export UV_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv
+        export UV_PYTHON_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/.codesphere-internal/.uv-python
+        EOF
     - name: install frontend environment
       command: . ./env && cd frontend && { [ ! -d ".venv" ] && uv venv; uv sync
         --no-dev; }