Environment Setup Guide

This guide will help you install all the software needed for the Lansing Tech Studio workshops. Complete these steps before attending workshops to maximize hands-on time!

What You’ll Install

WSL2 with Ubuntu (Windows only) - Linux environment for Windows
Linux Environment (Chromebook only) - Developer tools access
Git - Version control for saving and sharing code
- GitHub Account - You will also need to create a GitHub account
VS Code - Code editor for all your programming
Node.js - Run JavaScript programs
Python 3 - For Python workshops (can be deferred)

Time estimate: 30-45 minutes
Required before: JavaScript Basics workshop (1/22/2026)
Best timing: if you try at least a few days before the workshop you can get help beforehand if needed

Prerequisites

Computer with administrator access
Stable internet connection
Parent’s permission

Section 1: Operating System Setup

Choose your platform below.

Windows Users: Installing WSL2 with Ubuntu

What is WSL2? Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 lets Windows run Linux tools natively. This gives you access to powerful developer tools.

Official Guide: Microsoft’s WSL Installation Guide

Quick Steps:

Open PowerShell as Administrator (right-click Start → Windows PowerShell (Admin))
Run this command:
```
wsl --install
```
Restart your computer when prompted
After restart, Ubuntu will open automatically
Create a username and password - Important!!!: remember these!

Verification:

Open “Ubuntu” from Start menu
You should see a terminal prompt

Troubleshooting:

If wsl --install fails, your Windows may need updates
WSL Troubleshooting Guide
Minimum requirement: Windows 10 version 2004 or higher

Chromebook Users: Enabling Linux

What is Linux on Chromebook? Chromebooks can run a Linux environment for developer tools.

Official Guide: Google’s Linux Setup for Chromebook

Quick Steps:

Open Settings
Navigate to Advanced → Developers
Find Linux development environment
Click Turn on
Follow the setup wizard (may take 10 minutes to download)

Verification:

Look for “Terminal” app in your app drawer
Open it - you should see a command prompt

Troubleshooting:

Not all Chromebooks support Linux - check compatibility
Requires at least 5GB of free space

Mac Users: Using Terminal

Good news! Mac has a Unix-based terminal built in.

How to Open Terminal:

Applications → Utilities → Terminal
Or use Spotlight: Press Cmd+Space, type “Terminal”, press Enter

Verification:

You should see a command prompt ending in $

Section 2: Setting Up Git

What is Git? Version control system - save your code history and collaborate with others.

Installation

Most modern systems will already have Git installed. Check by running:

git --version

If you see a version number, skip to the Configuration section below. If not, run the commands for your OS:

Ubuntu Linux / WSL: sudo apt install git

Mac: xcode-select --install

Configuration

After installation, configure Git with your information and set default branch name:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Verification:

git --version
git config --list

Section 3: GitHub Account Setup

What is GitHub? A website for hosting and sharing code using Git.

Quick note on password management

Using a password manager is highly recommended to securely store your passwords and SSH keys. Some popular options include Bitwarden and 1Password. Bitwarden offers a free tier that is quite robust and can be accessed across multiple devices. Teaching youth to use a password manager and avoiding password reuse is a valuable skill for maintaining good security practices. Students will need to have access to their GitHub account during the workshop, so ensuring they can log in easily is important.

Creating an Account

Go to https://github.com/
Click “Sign up”
Follow the prompts (free account is fine)
Verify your email

SSH Key Setup (Optional but Recommended)

Why? No need to enter password every time you push/pull.

Official Guide: GitHub SSH Setup

Quick Steps:

# Generate SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

# Press Enter to accept default location
# Enter a passphrase (optional but recommended; remember it!)

# Show your public key and copy it
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Then:

Go to GitHub Settings → SSH and GPG keys
Click “New SSH key”
Paste your public key
Save
Test: ssh -T git@github.com

Section 4: Cloning the Workshop Repository

Forking the Repo:

Go to the workshop repository URL: https://github.com/Lansing-Tech-Studio/workshops
Click “Fork” (upper right) to create your own copy
Choose your GitHub account

Cloning the Repo:

# Replace USERNAME with your GitHub username
git clone git@github.com:USERNAME/workshops.git
cd workshops

If you have trouble with SSH, use HTTPs instead:

# Replace USERNAME with your GitHub username
git clone https://github.com/USERNAME/workshops.git
cd workshops

Updating Your Fork (for returning students):

If you’ve already forked and cloned the repository for a previous workshop, you’ll want to get any updates before the next session:

Go to your fork on GitHub (github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/workshops)
If your fork is behind, you’ll see a message like “This branch is X commits behind”
Click the Sync fork button
Click Update branch
On your computer, open a terminal in your workshops folder and run:
```
git pull
```

Now you have the latest workshop materials!

Section 5: Installing VS Code

What is VS Code? Visual Studio Code is a free code editor made by Microsoft. It’s powerful, customizable, and used by millions of developers.

Downloads: https://code.visualstudio.com/download

All Platforms

Visit the downloads page
Choose your operating system
Run the installer
Follow installation prompts (default options are fine)

Windows (WSL) Specific

After installing VS Code on Windows, you need the WSL extension:

Open VS Code
Click the Extensions icon (left sidebar, looks like blocks)
Search for “WSL”
Install “WSL” by Microsoft
Restart VS Code

Opening VS Code from WSL:

# In Ubuntu terminal
code . # Opens current folder (the "dot" means current directory) in VS Code

Helpful Guide: VS Code with WSL

Recommended Extensions for Everyone

Install these VS Code extensions:

ESLint - Helps catch JavaScript errors
Prettier - Code formatter
Python (for Python workshops)

Verification:

Open VS Code
Create a test file
See syntax highlighting

Section 6: Installing Node.js

What is Node.js? Node.js lets you run JavaScript outside the browser. We’ll use it for JavaScript workshops.

Required Version: 18 or higher (preferably 24 or current Long Term Support (LTS))

Recommended: Using NVM (Node Version Manager)

Why NVM? Easily install, update, and switch between Node versions.

Official Guide: NVM Installation

Linux / Mac / WSL Installation

# Install NVM
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

# Close and reopen your terminal, then:
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
nvm alias default lts/*

Note that lts means “Long Term Support” version, and is a common nomenclature for many software projects. It’s usually best to use the latest LTS version for stability.

Verification:

node --version    # Should show v24.x.x or higher
npm --version     # Should show version number

Alternative: Direct Install

Downloads: https://nodejs.org/

Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version
Download installer for your OS
Run installer with default options
Restart terminal

Windows Note: If using WSL, install Node.js inside Ubuntu (not on Windows side).

Section 7: Installing Python 3

What is Python? Python is a programming language we’ll use in workshops 4 and 5.

Note: You can defer this until Python workshops if needed.

Linux / WSL

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python-is-python3

Mac

Mac comes with Python, but install Python 3 specifically:

Using Homebrew (recommended):

# Install Homebrew first if needed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Then install Python
brew install python3

Or download from: https://www.python.org/downloads/

Verification:

python3 --version    # Should show 3.8 or higher

Section 8: Final Verification

Test everything together to make sure it all works!

Open VS Code

code .

Create Test File

In VS Code:

Create new file: test.js
Add code:
```
console.log("Hello from Node!");
```
Save file

Run Test

In VS Code integrated terminal (View → Terminal):

# Test Node.js
node test.js

# Test other tools
node --version
python3 --version
git --version

Success Checklist

✅ VS Code opens and shows terminal
✅ node --version shows v18 or higher
✅ python3 --version shows 3.8 or higher
✅ git --version shows version
✅ git config --list shows your name and email (user.name and user.email)

Section 9: Troubleshooting & Help

Common Issues

“Command not found”

Tool might not be installed
Or not in PATH (environment variable)
Try restarting terminal or computer

Permission errors

Need administrator access
Use sudo on Linux/Mac (e.g., sudo apt install)

WSL not found (Windows)

Windows version may be too old
Requires Windows 10 version 2004 or newer
Run Windows Update

Node/Python wrong version

Uninstall old version first
Or use version manager (NVM for Node)

Getting Help

Documentation Links:

Day Before Workshop:

Arrive 10 minutes early for tech help
Bring this checklist completed

During Workshops:

Instructors available to help
Don’t hesitate to ask questions!

Section 10: Day Before Workshop Checklist

Complete this checklist 1-2 days before the workshop:

VS Code opens successfully
Can open terminal in VS Code (View → Terminal)
node --version shows v18+
python3 --version shows 3.8+ (can defer to Python workshop)
git --version shows version number
GitHub account created and verified
Git configured with your name and email
Workshop repo forked and cloned
Can create and run a test JavaScript file

All checked? You’re ready for the workshop!