1.1 — Setting Up Your Workshop
Every builder needs a workshop. Before you can build anything, you need the right tools installed and working. This section covers exactly what to install and why each piece exists.
Tools to Install
Section titled “Tools to Install”| Tool | Why You Need It | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal | Already on your computer (Terminal on Mac, PowerShell on Windows) | Your text interface to the machine — how you run commands and talk to tools directly |
| VS Code | Free. Most popular IDE. Where you’ll read and navigate code. | Your workbench for seeing what’s inside your project — highlights errors, organizes files, shows everything clearly |
| Node.js | Many AI tools require it to run | A runtime that lets JavaScript (and tools built on it) run on your computer — not just in a browser |
| Git | Track changes, undo mistakes, save history | Installed via terminal. One command. The safety net that means you can never truly lose your work. |
| Claude Code | Your AI building partner | Installed via terminal: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code |
Package Managers: npm and Friends
Section titled “Package Managers: npm and Friends”Installing Claude Code uses npm — so you need to understand what that is.
npm (Node Package Manager) — a tool that downloads and installs software packages from the internet. When you type npm install, you’re telling npm to go get the thing and set it up. Like an app store for developer tools, but operated by typing commands.
Package manager — the general term for tools like npm. pip is Python’s package manager. They all do the same job: fetch and install software so you don’t have to do it manually.
The -g in npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code means “install globally” — meaning it’s available everywhere on your computer, not just inside one project folder.
Verify Each Tool Works
Section titled “Verify Each Tool Works”After installing, confirm each tool is actually working:
| Tool | Verification command | Expected output |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal | Open it | You see a prompt (a blinking cursor) |
| Node.js | node --version | Something like v22.0.0 |
| npm | npm --version | Something like 10.0.0 |
| Git | git --version | Something like git version 2.43.0 |
| Claude Code | claude --version | Version number |
If a command returns “command not found,” the install didn’t complete. Check the installation instructions for that tool and try again.
Next: 1.2 — Your First Conversation With AI | Phase overview: Phase 1