Eight steps to set up the foundation every AI coding workflow assumes you already have. No prior experience required — just a terminal and 30 minutes of focus.
Head to github.com/signup in your browser. You'll need an email, a username, and a password. This is your public coding identity.
GitHub requires two-factor authentication for anyone contributing code. This isn't optional — it's the price of admission.
The terminal isn't scary — it's just a text-based way to talk to your computer. The skills you build here pay back forever.
wsl --install → restart → open UbuntuTest it works with two simple commands:
Git is the version control tool. GitHub is the website that hosts Git projects. Different things — both essential.
git --version → install developer tools if promptedsudo apt install gitThese two config commands stamp every change with your name. Skip them and your commits won't link to your GitHub profile.
SSH keys prove your computer is really you — without typing passwords every time. You create two keys:
Run ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com", press Enter to accept defaults, then add a passphrase (optional but more secure).
Copy your public key, paste it into GitHub, then test the connection.
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pubcat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub → copy outputTime to see how it all connects. We'll build a tiny "project notes" repo — just text, nothing scary.
git init -b maingit addgit commit -m "message"Each commit is a save point you can return to. Future-you will thank present-you for good commit messages.
Right now your code only lives on your computer. Time to put it on GitHub where it's backed up and shareable.
vibe-coding-notesRefresh GitHub in your browser. Your code is live. That's the loop: edit → add → commit → push. Every project from here uses this exact flow.