NerdSystem Course
Getting Started0/5
  • 1.Welcome to Nerd System
  • 2.Setting Up Your Tools
  • 3.Your First Next.js Project
  • 4.Git and GitHub Essentials
  • 5.The AI-First Development Workflow
Claude Code Essentials0/3
  • 1.Introduction to Claude Code
  • 2.Prompting Strategies and Plan Mode
  • 3.Context, CLAUDE.md, and MCP
Advanced Claude Code0/4
  • 1.Agents, Sub-Agents, and Extended Thinking
  • 2.Hooks, Skills, and Slash Commands
  • 3.Iterative Building and Working with Existing Code
  • 4.Code Auditing with Claude Code
Infrastructure0/6
  • 1.Domains and DNS
  • 2.Servers and Hosting Explained
  • 3.Databases for App Developers
  • 4.Environment Variables and Configuration
  • 5.Deployment Pipelines with GitHub Actions
  • 6.Going Live — Domain to Deployment
Building with AI0/6
  • 1.Project Planning with AI
  • 2.Database Schema and Drizzle Setup
  • 3.API Routes and Server Actions
  • 4.Building the UI with Components
  • 5.Authentication and User Data
  • 6.Testing and Deploying Your App
Security0/5
  • 1.Security Fundamentals
  • 2.Authentication Deep Dive with Clerk
  • 3.Authorization — Protecting What Matters
  • 4.Secrets Management in Practice
  • 5.HTTPS, Headers, and Production Hardening
Business Operations0/5
  • 1.Setting Up Billing with Stripe
  • 2.Analytics and Monitoring
  • 3.Legal Basics — Privacy, Terms, Compliance
  • 4.Custom Domains, Email, and Professional Setup
  • 5.Launch Day — Zero to Real Users
Ship Kit0/6
  • 1.100+ Elite Prompts for AI Coding Assistants
  • 2.AI Coding Loop Escape Guide
  • 3.Project Management Workflows for AI Builds
  • 4.Common Pitfalls Encyclopedia
  • 5."AI Can't Do This" Cheat Sheet
  • 6.Tech Stack Decision Matrix
HomePricingHelp & Support
Terms·Privacy·Refund
NerdSystem Course
Getting Started0/5
  • 1.Welcome to Nerd System
  • 2.Setting Up Your Tools
  • 3.Your First Next.js Project
  • 4.Git and GitHub Essentials
  • 5.The AI-First Development Workflow
Claude Code Essentials0/3
  • 1.Introduction to Claude Code
  • 2.Prompting Strategies and Plan Mode
  • 3.Context, CLAUDE.md, and MCP
Advanced Claude Code0/4
  • 1.Agents, Sub-Agents, and Extended Thinking
  • 2.Hooks, Skills, and Slash Commands
  • 3.Iterative Building and Working with Existing Code
  • 4.Code Auditing with Claude Code
Infrastructure0/6
  • 1.Domains and DNS
  • 2.Servers and Hosting Explained
  • 3.Databases for App Developers
  • 4.Environment Variables and Configuration
  • 5.Deployment Pipelines with GitHub Actions
  • 6.Going Live — Domain to Deployment
Building with AI0/6
  • 1.Project Planning with AI
  • 2.Database Schema and Drizzle Setup
  • 3.API Routes and Server Actions
  • 4.Building the UI with Components
  • 5.Authentication and User Data
  • 6.Testing and Deploying Your App
Security0/5
  • 1.Security Fundamentals
  • 2.Authentication Deep Dive with Clerk
  • 3.Authorization — Protecting What Matters
  • 4.Secrets Management in Practice
  • 5.HTTPS, Headers, and Production Hardening
Business Operations0/5
  • 1.Setting Up Billing with Stripe
  • 2.Analytics and Monitoring
  • 3.Legal Basics — Privacy, Terms, Compliance
  • 4.Custom Domains, Email, and Professional Setup
  • 5.Launch Day — Zero to Real Users
Ship Kit0/6
  • 1.100+ Elite Prompts for AI Coding Assistants
  • 2.AI Coding Loop Escape Guide
  • 3.Project Management Workflows for AI Builds
  • 4.Common Pitfalls Encyclopedia
  • 5."AI Can't Do This" Cheat Sheet
  • 6.Tech Stack Decision Matrix
HomePricingHelp & Support
Terms·Privacy·Refund
Getting Started>Lesson 2 of 5

15 min read

Setting Up Your Tools

Install and configure everything you need for AI-assisted development.

Your Development Toolkit

Before we build anything, let's make sure you have the right tools installed and configured. This lesson walks you through setting up a professional development environment.

Already have some of these installed? Skip ahead to the ones you're missing. The checklist below will help you track what's done.

Required Tools

0 of 5 complete
Install Node.js

We'll use Node.js for our projects. Install the LTS version for your operating system:

# Option 1: Homebrew (recommended if you have it)
brew install node
 
# Option 2: nvm (lets you switch versions easily)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
nvm install --lts
# Verify the installation
node --version
# Should show v20.x or later
Install a Code Editor

VS Code is the most popular choice and works great with AI tools. Download it from code.visualstudio.com.

Install Claude Code

Claude Code is Anthropic's CLI tool for AI-assisted development. Use the native installer for your platform:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Native installations auto-update, so you'll always have the latest version.

Set Up Git

Git is essential for version control and deployment. First, install it for your OS:

# Git comes with Xcode Command Line Tools
xcode-select --install
 
# Or install via Homebrew
brew install git

Then configure your identity (same on all platforms):

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
Create a GitHub Account

If you don't have one already, sign up at github.com. We'll use GitHub for code hosting and automated deployments.

Authenticating Claude Code

The first time you run claude, you'll need to connect it to your Anthropic account. You'll see a prompt asking how you want to authenticate:

$ claude

Welcome to Claude Code! How would you like to authenticate?

❯ Anthropic Max (subscription — recommended)
API key (pay-per-use credits)

There are two options:

  • Anthropic Max plan (recommended for this course) — A subscription that includes Claude Code usage. If you already use Claude.ai with a Max plan, Claude Code is included — just sign in with the same account.
  • API credits — Pay-per-use pricing. You'll add credits to your Anthropic account and get charged based on token usage.

Select your preferred option and follow the browser-based sign-in flow. Once authenticated, Claude Code is ready to use.

If you already use Claude.ai with a Max plan, Claude Code is included — just sign in with the same account. See Anthropic's pricing page for plan details.

Recommended Project Structure

When you start a new project, here's a clean structure to follow:

File Structure
my-project/
├── src/
│   ├── app/          # Next.js pages & routes
│   ├── components/   # Reusable UI components
│   ├── lib/          # Utilities, database, helpers
│   └── types/        # TypeScript type definitions
├── public/           # Static assets
├── .env.local        # Environment variables (never commit!)
├── package.json
└── README.md

Never commit .env files or API keys to git. Always add .env* to your .gitignore file.

Verify Your Setup

Let's make sure everything is working:

$ node --version
v20.11.0

$ npm --version
10.2.4

$ git --version
git version 2.43.0

$ claude --version
Claude Code v1.0.0

Which file should NEVER be committed to git?

Troubleshooting common errors

nvm: command not found Restart your terminal after installing nvm. The install script adds lines to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc), but they only take effect in a new terminal session. If it still doesn't work, run source ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc on macOS).

node: command not found after installing Check your PATH — run echo $PATH and make sure the nvm or Node.js directory is listed. Try opening a brand new terminal window. If you installed Node via nvm, run nvm use --lts to activate it.

Permission denied when running npm install -g This usually means you're using a system-installed Node.js. The fix is to use nvm instead — it installs Node in your home directory where you have write permissions. If you must use the system Node, see the npm docs on fixing permissions instead of using sudo.

Next Steps

With your tools ready, we'll dive into Claude Code fundamentals in the next module. You'll learn how to effectively use AI to write code, manage context, and iterate on your projects.

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