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Lesson 02: IDE Installation

Get your workspace set up with Cursor or VS Code

What You'll Do

Choose between Cursor and VS Code
Download and install your IDE
Complete first-launch setup
Sign in with GitHub

Time: 10 minutes

What is an IDE?

IDE = Integrated Development Environment

Your workspace for creating specifications. Like Microsoft Word, but for design files.

Step 1: Choose Your IDE

Cursor (Recommended)

Why Cursor:

Built for AI assistance
Modern interface
Perfect for WDS
Download: https://cursor.sh

VS Code (Alternative)

Why VS Code:

Industry standard
More extensions
Works great with WDS too
Download: https://code.visualstudio.com

For beginners: Choose Cursor. It's designed for AI-augmented work.

Step 2: Install Cursor

2.1 Download

Go to https://cursor.sh
Click download button for your platform
Wait for download

2.2 Install

Windows:

Double-click the .exe file
Follow installer prompts
Use default settings
Click "Finish"

Mac:

Open the download
Drag Cursor to Applications folder
Open Applications folder
Double-click Cursor to launch

Linux:

Follow installation instructions for your distribution

Step 3: First Launch Setup

Open Cursor for the first time
Choose your theme (Light or Dark - you can change this later)

3.1 Setup Wizard

Cursor will ask you a few questions:

"Import settings from VS Code?" → Skip (unless you already use VS Code)
"Sign in with GitHub?" → Yes! (makes cloning easier)
"Install recommended extensions?" → Yes

✅ Checkpoint: Cursor is open and ready

Install VS Code (Alternative)

If you chose VS Code instead:

Download and Install

Go to https://code.visualstudio.com
Download for your platform
Follow same installation steps as Cursor above
Complete first-launch setup
Sign in with GitHub when prompted

Verify Installation

Open the Terminal

This is important for upcoming lessons!

Windows / Linux:

Press Ctrl + ` (backtick key, usually above Tab)

Mac:

Press Cmd + ` (backtick key)

You should see a terminal panel appear at the bottom!

✅ Checkpoint: Terminal opens successfully

Troubleshooting

Issue: Can't find download
Solution: Check your Downloads folder

Issue: Mac says "Cannot open - unidentified developer"
Solution: Right-click Cursor → Click "Open" → Click "Open" again

Issue: Terminal won't open
Solution: View menu → Terminal → New Terminal

Issue: GitHub sign-in fails
Solution: You can skip for now, we'll handle it later

What's Next?

Your IDE is ready! Now let's understand Git and how your IDE handles it automatically.

Continue to Lesson 03: Git Configuration →

Part of Module 02: Installation & Setup
← Back to Module Overview

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