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0.2

The Install Check

Estimated time: 45 minTool: VS Code, Claude Desktop, Node.js, Git
After this drill, you can:

After this drill, VS Code, Claude Desktop, Node.js, and Git are installed and confirmed working on your machine.

Why this matters

Modules 4 and 5 require a working local development environment. Installing now — before you need it — means you won't hit a setup wall mid-module. Each tool has a specific role: VS Code is your editor, Claude Desktop is your AI companion with file system access, Node.js is the runtime Claude Code depends on, and Git is the foundation of every professional software workflow.

How to do it

  1. 1

    Install VS Code from code.visualstudio.com

    Download the correct version for your OS (Mac/Windows/Linux). Run the installer. Open VS Code after install to confirm it launches.

  2. 2

    Install Claude Desktop from claude.ai/download

    Requires your Anthropic account. Sign in after install. You should see a conversation window. Claude Desktop has access to your file system — this becomes important in Module 4.

  3. 3

    Install Node.js LTS from nodejs.org

    Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version. After install, open a terminal and run: node --version. You should see v20.x.x or higher.

  4. 4

    Install Git from git-scm.com (or via Homebrew on Mac: brew install git)

    After install, run: git --version in terminal. Configure your identity: git config --global user.name "Your Name" and git config --global user.email "you@email.com"

  5. 5

    Verify everything: open a terminal and run these four commands

    code --version | node --version | git --version | Then open Claude Desktop and send it a message. All four should succeed.

The prompt

PROMPT — First Claude Desktop VerificationModel: Claude Desktop
I just installed Claude Desktop. I want to make sure everything is working.

Please:
1. Tell me what operating system and version you can detect from our conversation context
2. Ask me to share the output of: node --version and git --version
3. Confirm whether those versions are sufficient for this course (need Node.js 20+ and Git 2.x+)

If anything is missing or outdated, give me the exact command to fix it.

Success criteria

  • ✓code --version returns a version number in your terminal
  • ✓node --version returns v20.x.x or higher
  • ✓git --version returns a version number
  • ✓Claude Desktop launches and you can send a message

Common mistakes

Installing Node.js without checking it's in PATH

→ After install, close and reopen your terminal. Run node --version. If it fails on Windows, re-run the Node installer and check the "Add to PATH" option.

Skipping Git configuration

→ Run both git config commands (user.name and user.email) now. Without them, Git commits will fail in Module 4.

Not testing Claude Desktop after install

→ Open Claude Desktop and send a message. If it prompts for login, sign in with your Anthropic account credentials.