← All notes

Free forever · about 45–75 minutes

Set up once.
Start building.

Choose your track, install only what it needs, then run the checks. A version number means the tool is ready—no guessing.

01

Install only what you need.

Start small. You can add another runtime when you reach that track.

HTML + CSS

A browser and editor are enough to practise. Add Git to save versions and Node.js to run the supplied mastery checks.

Browser · editor · Git · Node.js

JavaScript

Add Node.js so the project checks can run in your terminal.

Browser · editor · Git · Node.js

Python

Add a current Python 3 runtime. The projects use only its standard library.

Editor · Git · Python 3

Claude Code

Add Node.js for the project checks, then Claude Code for the guided terminal work. Claude Code requires internet and an eligible paid or Console account.

Editor · Git · Node.js · Claude Code

Git + GitHub course

Git runs on your computer. GitHub is the optional online account used to share repositories, review changes and run project checks.

Editor · Git · GitHub account

Frontend Developer path

Begin with the browser and core languages. Add npm, Vite, React, Tailwind and testing packages only when their module begins.

Browser · editor · Git · GitHub · Node.js

02

Get the two core tools.

Use the official download pages. Avoid repackaged installers and “activation” downloads.

Recommended for every track

Git + GitHub

Git saves intentional snapshots on your computer. GitHub hosts those repositories online and adds pull requests, issues and automated checks. They work together, but they are not the same product.

  1. Windows: use Git for Windows and keep the recommended beginner defaults.
  2. macOS: use the official macOS options. Running xcode-select --install is also a supported Apple route.
  3. Ubuntu / Debian: run sudo apt update, then sudo apt install git.
  4. Open a new terminal and verify the command. Then set the name and email attached to future commits.
git --version
git config --global user.name "Your public name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global --list

Ready when: Git prints a version and your own name and email appear in the configuration list.

Create GitHub only when you are ready to share: use the official account guide, verify your email, choose a unique password, enable two-factor authentication and store the recovery codes somewhere private. You may use GitHub's no-reply email in Git if you do not want your address shown in commit history.

Signing in from Git: use GitHub CLI or Git Credential Manager over HTTPS. GitHub does not accept your account password for Git operations. Never save a token with the plaintext credential.helper store, paste it into a project, or commit it.

Read the free Git + GitHub course preview →

03

Install Python 3.

Use the command shown for your operating system. The notes work with a current supported Python 3 release.

Windows
  1. Download the official Python Install Manager from python.org/downloads or the Microsoft Store.
  2. Complete the installer, then open a new PowerShell window.
  3. Run python --version. The install manager will install the current stable runtime if one is not present.
python --version
python -m unittest --help
macOS
  1. Download the signed macOS installer from python.org.
  2. Keep the default options and finish the installer.
  3. Open a new Terminal window and verify the installed command.
python3 --version
python3 -m unittest --help
Ubuntu / Debian
  1. Check first—Python 3 is already installed on many Linux systems.
  2. If the command is missing, install the distribution packages below.
  3. Do not delete or replace the system Python.
python3 --version
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv
python3 --version
Optional but useful: isolate later packages with python3 -m venv .venv on macOS/Linux or python -m venv .venv on Windows. The first KODE Ń VIBE Python projects need no third-party package.

04

Install Node.js for project checks.

Node runs JavaScript outside the browser. Choose the LTS release, not an unofficial download.

  1. Open the official Node.js download page.
  2. Choose the current LTS release and the installer recommended for your operating system.
  3. Open a new terminal and run both checks.
node --version
npm --version

Ready when: both commands print version numbers. KODE Ń VIBE starter tests use built-in Node features and should not ask you to install random global packages.

05

Start the selected frontend toolchain.

Run these commands only after Git, Node and npm print versions. Do not install every library globally.

Selected build tool

Vite + React

  1. Open a terminal in the folder where you keep projects.
  2. Create the project with Vite's current React template.
  3. Install its locked dependencies, start the development server, then open the local URL Vite prints.
npm create vite@latest opportunity-board -- --template react
cd opportunity-board
npm install
npm run dev

Ready when: the Vite starter appears in your browser and the terminal shows no installation error.

Add at the matching module

Tailwind + project packages

Use a project's local dependencies so its package.json records what it needs. Tailwind's current Vite integration begins with:

npm install tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

React Router, TypeScript, Jest and Testing Library each arrive in their own lesson because installation without context creates a large folder without understanding. Follow the official module instructions and commit package.json plus its lockfile—not node_modules.

Safety check: read a package's official documentation and name before installing it. Never paste registry tokens into code.

Windows, macOS and Ubuntu use the same project commands once node --version and npm --version work. The operating-system-specific step is installing Node safely; the Vite project files are portable.

06

Install Claude Code—only if you need that track.

The installation instructions are free; using Claude Code requires internet and an eligible Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account.

Windows

Use the official WinGet package from PowerShell:

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode
claude --version
claude doctor
macOS with Homebrew

Use Anthropic's stable Homebrew cask:

brew install --cask claude-code
claude --version
claude doctor
Linux / WSL / macOS native

Anthropic's current native installer command is below. Read the official setup page before running a downloaded script.

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
claude --version
claude doctor
Account truth: the free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code. Do not buy anything just to complete the HTML, CSS, JavaScript or Python tracks; those tracks do not require it.

07

Run a project safely on your computer.

Serve only the project folder and bind the server to your own device.

Open a terminal in the project folder, then run the command for your operating system:

# macOS / Linux
python3 -m http.server 8000 --bind 127.0.0.1

# Windows
python -m http.server 8000 --bind 127.0.0.1

Open http://127.0.0.1:8000. Press Ctrl + C in the terminal to stop it.

What “bind” means: 127.0.0.1 keeps this practice server reachable only from your computer. It does not publish the project to the internet.

Final check

You are ready when the commands answer.

git --versionGit prints a version
python --version / python3 --versionPython learners see Python 3.x on Windows / macOS or Linux
node --versionHTML, CSS, JavaScript and Claude project checks see a version
claude --versionClaude learners see a version

You do not need every row—only the rows for your track. If one command says “not found”, reopen the terminal once, then return to that tool's official setup page.

Choose your note or path

Official instructions checked 13 August 2026: VS Code, Git, GitHub account, GitHub credentials, GitHub 2FA, Python setup, Node.js, Vite, Tailwind with Vite, React installation, Jest and Claude Code. Vendor steps can change; use the linked official page if its current instruction differs.