Setup guides
- Setup guides5 min read
Add an SSH key to GitHub
Step-by-step: check for an existing key, generate an Ed25519 key on Windows, macOS or Linux, add it to ssh-agent, paste the public key into GitHub, test the connection, switch a repository from HTTPS to SSH, use separate keys for work and personal accounts, sign commits with SSH, and fix permission denied errors.
- Setup guides5 min read
Create a bootable USB drive
Make a bootable USB stick for installing Windows or Linux, using the Media Creation Tool, Rufus or balenaEtcher, then boot a computer from it and get past Secure Boot and the boot menu.
- Setup guides6 min read
Dual boot Windows and Ubuntu
Install Ubuntu alongside Windows safely: backups and BitLocker, making space by shrinking the Windows partition, disabling Fast Startup, creating the USB, installing with "alongside Windows", choosing the system at boot with GRUB, fixing the clock, and removing Ubuntu later.
- Setup guides4 min read
Install Docker Desktop on Windows
Install Docker Desktop on Windows 10 or 11 with the WSL 2 backend, check it with your first container, and fix virtualisation, WSL and memory problems.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install GCC on Windows
Get a C and C++ compiler working on Windows: choosing between MSYS2 with MinGW-w64, WSL, and Microsoft's Visual C++ tools, installing GCC through MSYS2's UCRT64 environment, adding it to PATH, compiling and running your first C and C++ programs, debugging with GDB, setting up VS Code, and fixing common errors.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install Git on Windows
Install Git on Windows with the official installer or winget, choose the installer options that matter, set your name and email, set up an SSH key for GitHub, and fix line-ending and credential problems before they bite.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install Homebrew on macOS
Install Homebrew, the macOS package manager, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs: prerequisites, the install script, adding brew to your PATH, installing command-line tools and apps with casks, services, updating and cleaning up, Brewfiles for reproducible setups, and fixing common problems.
- Setup guides4 min read
Install Java on macOS
Install a Java JDK on a Mac with Homebrew or the Temurin installer, on Apple silicon or Intel, set JAVA_HOME with java_home, switch between versions, and fix the "Unable to locate a Java Runtime" message.
- Setup guides4 min read
Install Java on Ubuntu
Install a Java JDK on Ubuntu or Debian with apt, or the Eclipse Temurin repository for the newest LTS, switch between versions with update-alternatives, set JAVA_HOME properly, and fix the usual errors.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install kubectl
Install kubectl on Windows, macOS and Linux, check version compatibility, understand kubeconfig files, contexts and namespaces, connect to local clusters (kind, minikube, Docker Desktop) and cloud clusters (EKS, GKE, AKS), learn the everyday commands, add autocompletion and useful plugins, and fix common errors.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install Maven and Gradle
Install Apache Maven and Gradle on Windows, macOS and Linux, configure JAVA_HOME and PATH, verify the setup, create a first project with each, understand why project wrappers usually make global installs unnecessary, configure proxies and mirrors, and fix common errors.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install MySQL
Install MySQL on Windows, macOS, Ubuntu or Docker: choosing a version, running the installers, securing the installation, connecting with the mysql client and MySQL Workbench, creating a database and user for your application, connecting from code, and fixing common errors.
- Setup guides4 min read
Install Node.js with nvm
Install Node.js with a version manager instead of a one-off installer: nvm on macOS and Linux, nvm-windows on Windows, choosing an LTS, switching versions per project with .nvmrc, global packages, and fixing PATH and permission problems.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install PostgreSQL on Windows
Install PostgreSQL on Windows step by step with the official installer or winget, choose the right options, add psql to PATH, connect with psql and pgAdmin, create a database and user for your app, connect from Java, Python and Node.js, and fix the common problems.
- Setup guides4 min read
Install Python on Windows
Install Python on Windows 10 or 11 from python.org, the Microsoft Store or winget, tick the one box that matters, use the py launcher, avoid the Microsoft Store alias trap, and check pip works.
- Setup guides4 min read
Install the AWS CLI
Install version 2 of the AWS command-line tool on Windows, macOS or Linux, sign it in safely with IAM Identity Center or access keys, check it with your first commands, and use profiles for several accounts.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install the Azure CLI
Install and use the Azure CLI on Windows, macOS and Linux: installation options, signing in with az login, subscriptions and defaults, output formats and JMESPath queries, creating resources, service principals and managed identities for automation, extensions, and troubleshooting.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install the Google Cloud CLI
Install and use the Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) on Windows, macOS and Linux: installation and components, gcloud init and authentication, projects and configurations, application default credentials for code, formatting and filtering output, service accounts and impersonation, gsutil and gcloud storage, and troubleshooting.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install Ubuntu
Install Ubuntu Desktop from start to finish: choosing a version, checking your hardware, making the USB, trying it live, the installer's choices including disk encryption, first steps after installing, drivers, updates, essential developer tools, and keeping the system healthy.
- Setup guides5 min read
Install WSL 2 on Windows
Run a real Linux environment on Windows with WSL 2: one-command installation, choosing a distribution, first setup, moving files between Windows and Linux, VS Code integration, Docker Desktop with WSL, memory settings, and fixes for common problems.