Setup Guide

Get your machine ready before Chapter 1. ~45–60 min (90 if new to the terminal). Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL).

You'll install: a code editor, Node, Python, Git, and Claude Code — then verify it all.

Fast path (one command)

Comfortable in a terminal? This installs everything + verifies:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vibe-code-tours/vibecode-setup/main/student-setup.sh | bash

Safe to re-run. At the end you want: Passed: 6, Failed: 0. Source and this guide live in the GitHub repo.

Windows: install WSL first (Step 0), then run that inside Ubuntu. The script doesn't do the editor (Step 5) or GitHub SSH (Step 6) — do those manually.

Step 0 — Windows only: install WSL

Native Windows isn't supported directly — you run everything inside WSL (real Linux inside Windows). In PowerShell (Admin):

wsl --install

Reboot, open Ubuntu from Start. Everything below runs there. macOS / Linux: skip this step.

Step 1 — Node.js (via nvm)

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
# CLOSE the terminal, open a NEW one, then:
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
nvm alias default node
node --version   # v22.x

#1 setup mistake: forgetting to close + reopen the terminal after installing nvm. Do it.

Step 2 — Python (via uv)

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
# restart terminal, then:
uv python install 3.12
python3 --version   # Python 3.12.x

Step 3 — Git

# Linux / WSL
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git
# macOS
xcode-select --install      # or: brew install git
git --version

Step 4 — Claude Code

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# if "command not found" -> close terminal, open new one
claude --version            # 2.x
claude                      # first run: opens your browser to log in

Logging in is a one-time step on first launch. Once you land in the chat, type your first message and press Enter — your “first contact”:

Say hello in one sentence.

A friendly reply means your install, network, and account all work.

If Path A fails (some networks block claude.ai), use the npm fallback:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude --version

Cost — Claude Code is paid only: Anthropic API (Sonnet ~$3/$15 per M tokens) or Claude Pro $20/mo. No free tier.

Step 5 — opencode CLI

opencode is an open-source, model-agnostic CLI agent (works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, local models). Installed alongside Claude Code so you have a working agent even when Claude is unreachable.

# Path A — official installer
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash
opencode --version

If the official installer fails, use the npm fallback:

# Path B — npm fallback
npm install -g opencode-ai
opencode --version

First run opens an interactive picker for provider/model. We will publish a config snippet for our shared endpoint when it is live — drop it into ~/.config/opencode/opencode.json.

Cost — opencode itself is free; you pay whatever model you point it at. Cheapest free path day 1: opencode + a Google AI Studio API key (free Gemini Flash-Lite quota ~1,500 req/day).

Step 6 — Connect to the Vibe proxy

Claude Code and opencode reach our shared proxy with your personal key. Get your key from the cohort bot (Telegram or Discord — send /mykey), then run the setup script: it downloads, applies your key, and points both tools at the proxy.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vibe-code-tours/vibecode-setup/main/api-setup.sh -o api-setup.sh
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vibe-code-tours/vibecode-setup/main/vibe-key.env.example -o vibe-key.env
# open vibe-key.env, paste VIBE_PROXY + VIBE_KEY from the bot, save, then:
source api-setup.sh

Done — both tools now route through the Vibe proxy. Start coding:

claude        # or:  opencode

source applies it to your current shell. To undo later and restore your personal Claude login: bash api-setup.sh --restore

Step 7 — Code editor

Pick one (both free, both VS Code-based, so the same extensions work in either):

• VS Code — the standard: code.visualstudio.com
• Antigravity IDE — Google's AI-first editor (VS Code fork): antigravity.google

Recommended extensions (install in either)

Forks like Antigravity may use the Open VSX registry — all the above are on both, so search-and-install works the same.

Step 8 — GitHub account + SSH

The riskiest step — don't skip the verification.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"   # Enter through prompts
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub                            # copy the .pub key
# GitHub -> Settings -> SSH and GPG keys -> New SSH key -> paste
ssh -T git@github.com                                # "Hi <username>!" = success

Never share the private key (~/.ssh/id_ed25519, the file without .pub).

Step 9 — Verify everything

Run the verifier (the fast-path script does this automatically):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vibe-code-tours/vibecode-setup/main/student-setup.sh | bash

Target: Passed: 6, Failed: 0.

Pricing + free-tier quotas: PRICING.md (cheat sheet)

Troubleshooting

Still stuck? Post the exact error in the cohort channel #setup-help. The exact error is easy to help; "it doesn't work" is not.

Optional — other AI coding tools (free / open-source)

Not required. Claude Code is our default, but the Tour is about the landscape — Chapter 7 explores alternatives. All free + open-source; each needs its own provider account (some free tiers).

Also worth knowing (not on our install list): Aider and llm — open-source CLIs that run local open models via Ollama, fully free + offline. We point to them in Chapter 7. Don't install everything day one — pick one, form an opinion.

What you'll have when done

• VS Code or Antigravity + extensions
• Node 22 + npm, Python 3.12 (via uv)
• Git + GitHub SSH connected
• Claude Code, running its first command
• All 6 verify checks green

That's the one-time tax. Pay it once, then never touch it again. See you in Chapter 1.

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