How to Set Up Your Computer for Coding (Step-by-Step for Beginners)

Some beginners spend an entire weekend "setting up" before they write a single line of code. They install fifteen VS Code extensions, configure themes, customise their terminal prompt, and debate which font makes code look best. Then they are exhausted and never actually start coding.

Do not be that person. Setup is a five-step checklist, not a project. The goal is a working environment where you can write code, save files, and see the results. Everything else is decoration you can add later when you actually need it.

This article is the short funnel version. It gives you exactly what you need to get started and nothing more. If you want the full deep-dive with extension recommendations, advanced configuration, and troubleshooting for common issues, read our complete coding environment setup guide.

VS Code is a free code editor made by Microsoft. It is what the vast majority of professional developers use daily. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What to do:

1. Go to code.visualstudio.com
2. Download the installer for your operating system
3. Run the installer with the default settings
4. Open VS Code and make sure it launches

That is it for now. Do not install extensions yet. The default setup is enough to write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You can add extensions later when you know what you actually need.

Kenya-specific tip: If your internet is slow or expensive, the VS Code download is about 100MB. If that is a problem on your connection, go to a cyber cafe, download the installer to a flash drive, and install at home. The offline installer works perfectly. You do not need an internet connection to use VS Code after installation.

Git tracks changes to your code. Think of it as "undo history" that works across files and never disappears. Every professional developer uses Git. You will need it from week one.

What to do:

1. Go to git-scm.com and download the installer
2. Run the installer. Accept the defaults. Seriously, just click Next until it finishes.
3. Open your terminal and type: git --version
4. If you see a version number, Git is installed

After installing, set your identity so Git knows who is making changes:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"

Then create a free account at github.com. GitHub is where your code will live online. It is also what employers look at when they want to see your work.

Note for macOS users: Git comes pre-installed on most Macs. Open Terminal and type git --version. If it prompts you to install developer tools, say yes and you are done.

Node.js lets you run JavaScript outside of a web browser. You need it for most modern web development, and it also installs npm (Node Package Manager), which you will use to add libraries to your projects.

The recommended way: Install Node.js through nvm (Node Version Manager). This lets you switch between Node versions later without breaking anything.

On macOS or Linux:

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

Close and reopen your terminal, then:

nvm install --lts
node --version

On Windows: Download nvm-windows from the GitHub releases page (github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows/releases). Install it, then open a new command prompt and run:

nvm install lts
nvm use lts
node --version

The quick-and-dirty way: If nvm feels like too much right now, just go to nodejs.org and download the LTS version directly. It works. You can switch to nvm later when you need multiple versions.

Kenya-specific tip: The Node.js installer is about 30MB. The nvm install script itself is tiny, but downloading Node through nvm still needs a stable connection. If your internet is unreliable, download the .msi (Windows) or .pkg (macOS) installer from nodejs.org at a cyber cafe and install offline.

The terminal (also called command line or shell) looks intimidating, but you only need a handful of commands to get started. Here are the five that will carry you through your first few months:

• cd folder-name — move into a folder
• cd .. — move back one folder
• ls (macOS/Linux) or dir (Windows) — list files in the current folder
• mkdir folder-name — create a new folder
• code . — open the current folder in VS Code

That is genuinely all you need right now. You are not becoming a systems administrator. You are learning enough to navigate to your project folder and open it. The rest you will pick up naturally as you code.

Where to find your terminal:

• Windows: Search for "PowerShell" or "Command Prompt" in the Start menu. Or press Ctrl + ` inside VS Code to open the built-in terminal.
• macOS: Open "Terminal" from Applications > Utilities. Or press Cmd + ` inside VS Code.
• Linux: You probably already know. But if not, search for "Terminal" in your application menu.

Pro tip: VS Code has a built-in terminal. Press Ctrl + ` (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + ` (macOS) to open it. This means you can write code and run commands in the same window. Most developers work this way.

Beginners often see tutorials that tell them to install Docker, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Python, Ruby, multiple frameworks, and a dozen VS Code extensions before lesson one. Ignore all of that for now.

Do not install yet:

• Docker (you will not need containers for months)
• Databases like PostgreSQL or MongoDB (you will add these when your projects need them)
• Python (unless your learning path specifically starts with Python instead of JavaScript)
• Any CSS framework or JavaScript framework (React, Vue, etc. come later)
• More than 2 or 3 VS Code extensions (the defaults are fine)

Every tool you install before you need it is a tool that can break, need updating, or confuse you. Install things when your project requires them, not when a YouTube thumbnail tells you to.

Let us make sure everything works. Open your terminal and run each of these:

code --version
git --version
node --version
npm --version

If all four print a version number, your setup is complete. You are ready to code.

If something is not working, the most common fixes are: close and reopen your terminal (some installations need a fresh terminal session), restart your computer (yes, seriously), or check that the installer actually finished without errors.

Your computer is ready. The next question is what to learn and in what order. If you have not already, read what to do before you start coding. The short version: understand how the web works before writing code. It saves you months of confusion later.

If you want the complete setup guide with recommended VS Code extensions, Git workflow basics, and troubleshooting for common installation problems, read our full coding environment setup guide.

And if you are ready to start learning but want a structured path that covers the foundations most tutorials skip, create a free McTaba Academy account and preview the first few lessons. If the material clicks, Tech Foundations: Before You Code (KES 2,999) covers everything you need to understand before writing your first real project. It is designed for people who just finished setting up their computer and are wondering "now what?"