Tool Installation Guide

Welcome to the AIASD Toolkit Setup!

Hey there, future AI-assisted software developer!

You are about to set up the tools that will install everything you'll need for the AI-Assisted Software Development environment. This guide will walk you through installing everything.

What You're Building

By the end of this guide, you'll have a complete AI-assisted software development environment that includes:

Essential Tools

  • Git - The version control system that many developers use to manage code changes and collaborate with others
  • GitHub Account - Your online code repository and portfolio
  • GitHub CLI - Command-line for working with GitHub without a browser
  • Visual Studio Code - A powerful, free code editor with tons of features and extensions

VS Code Extensions

  • GitHub Copilot Chat Extension - AI chat features powered by Copilot
  • Mermaid Preview - Mermaid diagram previewer for Visual Studio Code
  • multi-command - Used for a multi-step keybinding to preview markdown and open in a new window.

Your Journey Ahead

Time Investment: About 30-45 minutes for the essential tools
Difficulty: Beginner
Dependencies: Tools are installed in order so each one builds on the previous ones

Before We Start: Important Notes

For Windows Users

You'll see several installation options for most tools. Here's what they mean:

  • Direct Download: Download and run an installer (easiest for beginners)
  • Chocolatey: A package manager that lets you install software via commands (super convenient once set up)
  • Winget: Microsoft's built-in package manager (comes with Windows 10/11)

For Mac Users

  • Homebrew: The most popular package manager for Mac (like an app store for developers)
  • Direct Download: Traditional installer files

Pro Tips

  • Install tools in the exact order listed - they depend on each other!
  • Restart your terminal/command prompt after each installation
  • When in doubt, choose the “recommended” option for your platform

1. Git

Why do you need it?

The primary reason is to share files and collaborate with others. We'll spend a lot of time working together on code, and Git is the foundation that this collaboration is built on.

Official Resources

Windows Installation

Option A — Direct Download (Recommended for beginners)

  1. Go to https://git-scm.com/download/win
  2. The download should start automatically (it detects your Windows version)
  3. Run the downloaded installer
  4. Important setup choices (don't just click “Next” everywhere!):
    • ✅ Check “Git Bash Here” - this adds a right-click option to open Git terminal
    • ✅ Check “Git GUI Here” - visual interface if you want it
    • Default editor: Choose Visual Studio Code (we'll install it next!)
    • PATH environment: Choose “Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software”
    • Line ending conversions: Choose “Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style line endings”

Option B — Using Chocolatey

First, you need Chocolatey (a package manager):

# Run in PowerShell or CMD as Administrator
choco install git

Option C — Using Winget (Built into Windows 10/11)

# Run in PowerShell or Command Prompt
winget install --id Git.Git

macOS Installation

Option A — Using Homebrew (Recommended)

First, install Homebrew if you haven't already:

# Open Terminal and run:
brew install git

Option B — Direct Download

  1. Visit https://git-scm.com/download/mac
  2. Download the installer for your macOS version
  3. Run the installer and follow the prompts

Test Your Installation

Open a new terminal/command prompt and type:

git --version

You should see something like git version 2.41.0. The exact numbers don't matter - you just want to see it's installed!

Troubleshooting

“Command not found”:

  • Restart your terminal completely
  • On Windows, try Git Bash instead of Command Prompt
  • Check if the installation actually completed

Permission errors on Mac:

  • You might need to install Xcode Command Line Tools: xcode-select --install

Option C — Using Winget (Built into Windows 10/11)

2. Create Your GitHub Account

Why GitHub?

In the course we'll use GitHub for Issues and Pull Requests, in addition to GitHub's Copilot features.

Official Resources

Step-by-Step Account Creation

  1. Go to GitHub: https://github.com/signup

  2. Enter your email: You'll get important notifications here

  3. Create a strong password:

    • Mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
    • At least 8 characters long

  4. Choose your username:

    • This becomes part of your developer identity
    • Use your real name or a professional handle (avoid nicknames)

  5. Complete verification: GitHub will test if you're human (not a robot)

  6. Email preferences: Choose if you want product updates (you can change this later)

  7. Verify your email: Check your inbox and click the verification link

  8. You're in! Sign in at https://github.com/login

  • Add a profile picture: Makes you look more professional
  • Fill out your bio: Write a sentence about what you're learning
  • Set up two-factor authentication: Keeps your account secure
  • Star some repositories: Bookmark projects you find interesting

3. GitHub CLI - Terminal Superpowers

Why the GitHub CLI?

The GitHub CLI (Command Line Interface) lets you do GitHub things right from your terminal without opening a web browser. We'll use it to automate the creation of issues and PRs.

Official Resources

Windows Installation

Option A — Direct Download (Recommended for beginners)

  1. Visit https://github.com/cli/cli/releases/latest
  2. Look for the file ending in .msi (Windows Installer)
  3. Download and run it
  4. Follow the setup wizard (default options are fine)

Option B — Using Chocolatey

# Run in PowerShell as Administrator
choco install gh

Option C — Using Winget

# Run in PowerShell or Command Prompt
winget install --id GitHub.cli

macOS Installation

Option A — Using Homebrew (Recommended)

# Open Terminal and run:
brew install gh

Option B — Direct Download

  1. Visit https://cli.github.com/
  2. Download the macOS installer
  3. Run the installer and follow prompts

Test Your Installation

gh --version

You should see version information for GitHub CLI.

Authenticate with GitHub

After installation, you need to connect it to your GitHub account:

gh auth login

Follow the prompts:

  • Choose “GitHub.com”
  • Choose “HTTPS” for Git protocol
  • Authenticate via web browser (easiest)
  • Give it a descriptive name like “My Development Machine”

Try Your First Command

# Create a new repository (you'll be prompted for details)
gh repo create my-first-repo --public

# Or view your repositories
gh repo list

Troubleshooting

Authentication fails:

  • Make sure you're logged into GitHub in your browser
  • Try gh auth logout then gh auth login again

Command not found:

  • Restart your terminal
  • Check that installation completed successfully

4. Visual Studio Code

Why Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is where we will live for most of the course.

Official Resources

Windows Installation

Direct Download (Recommended)

  1. Visit https://code.visualstudio.com/
  2. Click “Download for Windows”
  3. Run the downloaded installer
  4. Important setup choices:
    • ✅ Check “Add ‘Open with Code’ action to Windows Explorer file context menu”
    • ✅ Check “Add ‘Open with Code’ action to Windows Explorer directory context menu”
    • ✅ Check “Register Code as an editor for supported file types”
    • ✅ Check “Add to PATH” (enables code command in terminal)

Using Package Managers:

# Chocolatey
choco install vscode

# Winget
winget install -e --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

macOS Installation

Direct Download (Recommended)

  1. Visit https://code.visualstudio.com/
  2. Click “Download for Mac”
  3. Open the downloaded ZIP file
  4. Drag “Visual Studio Code.app” to your Applications folder
  5. Enable command line:
    • Open VS Code
    • Press Cmd+Shift+P to open Command Palette
    • Type “Shell Command: Install ‘code’ command in PATH”
    • Select it and press Enter

Using Homebrew:

brew install --cask visual-studio-code

Verification

  1. Open VS Code from your applications
  2. Open a terminal and run: 
    code --version
  3. You should see version information

Essential First Steps

Once VS Code is installed:

  1. Install essential extensions (we'll do this automatically with Copilot next)

  2. Explore the interface:

    • Activity Bar (left side) - switch between views
    • Side Bar - file explorer, search, etc.
    • Editor Group - where your code goes
    • Panel (bottom) - terminal, problems, output
    • Status Bar (very bottom) - file info, git branch, etc.

  3. Learn key shortcuts:

    • Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) - Command Palette (your best friend!)
    • Ctrl+` (Windows) or Cmd+` (Mac) - Toggle integrated terminal
    • Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) - Quick file open

Useful Key binding

This key binding opens markdown files in a side-by-side preview and copies the editor to a new window for easier review. Add this to your keybindings.json file:

{
  "key": "ctrl+shift+alt+x",
  "command": "extension.multiCommand.execute",
  "args": {
    "sequence": [
      "markdown.showPreviewToSide",
      "workbench.action.copyEditorToNewWindow"
    ]
  },
  "when": "editorLangId == markdown || resourceExtname == .mdc"
}

To add this key binding:

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Press Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K Cmd+S (Mac) to open Key bindings
  3. Click the “Open Keybindings (JSON)” icon in the top right
  4. Add the above object to the array in keybindings.json

This requires the multiCommand extension and triggers when editing Markdown files (editorLangId == markdown) or files with the .mdc extension (Marp markdown files).

5. GitHub Copilot Extension

Why do you need it?

Copilot is the interface between you and the power of AI in your coding workflow. It helps you write code faster, learn new languages, and get unstuck when you're facing a problem. It's like having an expert programmer sitting next to you, ready to help at any moment.

Copilot helps by:

  • Writing code for you - describe what you want, and it writes it
  • Completing your thoughts - start typing and Copilot finishes the code
  • Explaining code - ask it to explain any code you don't understand
  • Debugging help - it can spot and fix common errors
  • Learning accelerator - see how an expert would solve problems

Note: GitHub Copilot is free for students and open-source contributors but requires a subscription for most users. There's a free trial available!

Why Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is where we will live for most of the course.

Get GitHub Copilot Access

For Students:

  1. Verify your student status at https://education.github.com/
  2. Apply for GitHub Student Developer Pack
  3. Once approved, Copilot is included free!

For Everyone Else:

  1. Go to https://github.com/features/copilot
  2. Click “Start free trial”
  3. Enter payment details (won't be charged during trial)
  4. You get 30 days free, then it's $10/month

Windows Installation

  1. Open VS Code (make sure it's running)

  2. Open Extensions view:

    • Click the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar (left side)
    • Or press Ctrl+Shift+X

  3. Search for GitHub Copilot:

    • Type “GitHub Copilot” in the search box
    • Look for the official one by “GitHub” (should be the first result)

  4. Install the extension:

    • Click “Install” button
    • It might install additional recommended extensions (that's good!)

  5. Sign in to GitHub:

    • You'll see a sign-in prompt
    • Click “Sign in to GitHub”
    • Authorize VS Code to access your GitHub account

macOS Installation

  1. Open VS Code

  2. Open Extensions view:

    • Press Cmd+Shift+X
    • Or click the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar

  3. Search and install:

    • Search for “GitHub Copilot”
    • Click “Install” on the official GitHub Copilot extension

  4. Authenticate:

    • Follow the prompts to sign in to GitHub
    • Authorize the connection

Verification

  1. Create a new file: Make a new file with a programming language extension (like test.js or test.py)

  2. Try a simple prompt:

    // Function to calculate the area of a circle

  3. Watch the magic: Copilot should suggest code! Press Tab to accept suggestions.

Learning to Use Copilot

Best Practices:

  • Write descriptive comments - Copilot reads them and generates relevant code
  • Start with function signatures - define what you want, let Copilot fill it in
  • Use natural language - describe what you want in plain English
  • Review suggestions - Copilot is smart but not perfect, always double-check code

Common Shortcuts:

  • Tab - Accept current suggestion
  • Alt+] (Windows) or Opt+] (Mac) - Next suggestion
  • Alt+[ (Windows) or Opt+[ (Mac) - Previous suggestion
  • Esc - Dismiss suggestions

Troubleshooting

Not seeing suggestions:

  • Check that you're signed into GitHub
  • Make sure your Copilot subscription is active
  • Try reloading VS Code (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)

Suggestions are poor quality:

  • Write more descriptive comments
  • Provide more context in your code
  • Try typing a bit more before expecting suggestions

6. GitHub Copilot CLI

Why the GitHub Copilot CLI?

In the course we use GH CLI to automate AI operations.

Copilot CLI helps with:

  • Complex git commands - no more googling git syntax
  • System administration - file operations, permissions, etc.
  • Tool usage - command syntax for any CLI tool
  • Script generation - create bash/PowerShell scripts with AI help

Official Resources

⚙️ Installation (All Platforms)

Prerequisites:

  • GitHub CLI (installed in step 3) ✅
  • Active GitHub Copilot subscription ✅

Install the extension:

# This works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
gh extension install github/gh-copilot

Authentication

If you haven't already authenticated GitHub CLI:

gh auth login

Verification

# Ask for help with a git command
gh copilot suggest "undo my last commit"

# Ask for explanations
gh copilot explain "git rebase -i HEAD~3"

How to Use Copilot CLI

Two main commands:

  1. gh copilot suggest - Get command suggestions

    gh copilot suggest "create a new git branch"
gh copilot suggest "find all JavaScript files modified in the last week"
gh copilot suggest "compress a folder into a zip file"

  2. gh copilot explain - Explain existing commands

    gh copilot explain "git cherry-pick HEAD~2"
gh copilot explain "docker run -it --rm ubuntu"

Pro Tips:

  • Use natural language - describe what you want to accomplish
  • Be specific about your operating system if commands differ
  • Review suggestions before running them (especially destructive operations!)

Mermaid Preview Extension

Why Mermaid Preview?

Mermaid is a powerful tool for creating diagrams and visualizations using simple text syntax. The Mermaid Preview extension allows you to see these diagrams rendered directly in Visual Studio Code, making it easier to visualize complex concepts and workflows without leaving your code editor.

Official Resources

Installation

  1. Open Visual Studio Code
  2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
  3. Search for “Mermaid Preview”
  4. Click “Install”
  5. Once installed, you can open a Mermaid file and use the preview feature to visualize your diagrams.

Usage

  1. Create a new file with the .mmd extension (e.g., diagram.mmd)
  2. Write your Mermaid syntax in the file. For example:
graph TD
    A[Start] --> B{Is it working?}
    B -- Yes --> C[Great!]
    B -- No --> D[Fix it]
    D --> B
  1. To preview the diagram, right-click in the editor and select “Preview Mermaid Diagram” or use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and search for “Mermaid: Preview Diagram”.

Troubleshooting

  • If the preview doesn't render, make sure your Mermaid syntax is correct (check the Mermaid documentation for reference).
  • Ensure that the extension is properly installed and enabled in VS Code.
  • If you encounter performance issues with large diagrams, try simplifying the diagram or breaking it into smaller parts.

multi-command Extension

Why multi-command?

The multi-command extension allows you to execute multiple commands in sequence with a single keybinding. This is particularly useful for automating repetitive tasks, such as opening a markdown preview and copying the editor to a new window for easier review.

Official Resources

Installation

  1. Open Visual Studio Code
  2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
  3. Search for “multi-command”
  4. Click “Install”

Configuration

To set up a multi-command keybinding, you need to add a configuration to your settings.json file. For example, to create a keybinding that opens a markdown preview and copies the editor to a new window, you can add the following configuration:

"multiCommand.commands": [
    {
        "command": "extension.multiCommand.execute",
        "sequence": [
            "markdown.showPreviewToSide",
            "workbench.action.copyEditorToNewWindow"
        ]
    }
]

Usage

  1. After adding the configuration, you can create a keybinding for this multi-command. For example, you can add the following to your keybindings.json file:
{
    "key": "ctrl+shift+alt+x",
    "command": "extension.multiCommand.execute",
    "when": "editorLangId == markdown || resourceExtname == .mdc"
}
  1. This keybinding will trigger the multi-command when you are editing a markdown file (.md or .mdc).

Troubleshooting

  • If the multi-command doesn't execute, ensure that both the multi-command extension is installed and that your settings.json and keybindings.json configurations are correct.
  • Make sure that the commands in the sequence are valid and available in your version of VS Code.
  • If you encounter issues with specific commands in the sequence, try testing them individually to identify any potential conflicts or errors.