Moment 1: The Toolbox - Terminal, Git and VS Code

Reading time: approx. 8 min

Welcome to the course where we transform your Ubuntu system into a powerful development workstation! Before we start writing code for specific languages like Python or JavaScript, we need to make sure our fundamental toolbox is in place. All building, whether it's a house or a program, requires a solid foundation and the right tools.

In this first moment we will introduce and install the three most essential pillars of almost all modern software development: The Terminal, to control our computer with precision, Git, to track and manage changes in our code, and Visual Studio Code, our advanced code editor. Understanding and mastering these three is the key to working efficiently.

What You Will Learn

After this moment you will:

• Understand the central role the Terminal plays for a developer.
• Know what Git is and why version control is a vital skill.
• Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code) and understand why it has become the industry standard.
• Configure Git with your name and email, a necessary first step.

1. The Terminal: Your Direct Line to the System

In the foundation course we introduced the terminal as an optional tool. In this course it is mandatory. The terminal is a developer's most fundamental and powerful tool. Why?

• Efficiency: Many tasks, like creating files, installing software or running a script, go infinitely faster through a text command than by clicking through menus.
• Control: You have complete and detailed control over what happens in your system.
• Industry Standard: All professional development environments and server environments are controlled via the command line.

You already have the terminal installed. Open it by pressing Super and searching for Terminal. You will spend a lot of time here.

2. Git: Your Safety Net and Collaboration Key

Have you ever worked with files like lesson_plan_v1.docx, lesson_plan_v2_final.docx, lesson_plan_v3_final_FINAL.docx? This is an attempt at version control. Git is the professional system that solves this problem, and much more.

• What is Git? Git is a distributed version control system. This means it keeps track of every single change you make in your code. You can at any time "rewind time" to a previous version, see exactly who changed what, and work on new features in "branches" without breaking the working code.
• Why is it important?
  • Safety: You never need to be afraid of experimenting and accidentally breaking something.
  • Collaboration: Git is the backbone of how development teams collaborate. Services like GitHub and GitLab are built on Git.
  • Requirement: Today, basic Git knowledge is an absolute requirement for almost all developer jobs.

Installing Git: Git is so fundamental that it is often already installed. Open the terminal and type:

git --version

If you get a version number (e.g. git version 2.34.1) you are done. Otherwise you install it with a simple command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

3. Visual Studio Code (VS Code): Your Advanced Code Editor

Forget simple text editors. A modern code editor is an intelligent tool that helps you write better and faster code. Visual Studio Code from Microsoft (believe it or not!) is free, built on open source and has become the undisputed standard in the industry.

• Why VS Code?
  • IntelliSense: It understands your code and gives you smart suggestions, autocompletion and error checking while you type.
  • Massive Ecosystem: There are thousands of free extensions to customize VS Code for whatever language or framework you work with.
  • Integrated Terminal: You can run a terminal directly inside VS Code, which makes your workflow seamless.

Installing VS Code: The easiest method is via the software store.

1. Open Ubuntu Software.
2. Search for "Visual Studio Code" or "code".
3. Find the official version (published by Microsoft) and click Install.

Exercise: Configure Your Environment

Now that everything is installed we need to do an important one-time configuration for Git. Git needs to know who you are, so that every "commit" (saved change) can be tagged with your name.

1. Open the Terminal.
2. Set your name. Replace "Your Name" with your actual name within the quotes.

   git config --global user.name "Your Name"
   

3. Set your email. Use the email you plan to use for e.g. GitHub.

   git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
   

4. Verify the settings. Run the following command to see that everything was saved correctly:

   git config --list
   

   You should see your name and email in the list.

Next Steps

Excellent! Your basic toolbox is now in place and configured. You have a powerful terminal, a version control system and a professional code editor.

In the next moment, The Python Environment: venv and pip, we will use these tools to set up a clean and isolated environment for developing in Python, one of the world's most popular programming languages.