macOS Setup Guide

Before You Start

In this guide you'll be using the Terminal -- a built-in app on your Mac that lets you interact with your computer by typing text commands instead of clicking around. Developers use the Terminal to install software, run programs, and manage files. It might feel unfamiliar at first, but you'll only need to copy and paste a few commands and you'll be up and running.

How to open Terminal:

  1. Press Cmd+Space to open Spotlight Search
  2. Type Terminal and press Enter

A window will appear with a blinking cursor. This is where you'll type (or paste) the commands below.

Tip: To paste a command into Terminal, use Cmd+V.

Step 1: Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a tool that lets you install software from the Terminal with simple commands. We'll use it to install everything you need.

Paste this command into Terminal and press Enter:

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

A few things will happen:

  • It will ask for your Mac password. When you type it, nothing will appear on screen -- that's normal. Just type your password and press Enter.
  • The installation takes a few minutes. Let it finish completely.

Important (Apple Silicon Macs): When the install finishes, Homebrew will print a message that says "Run these commands in your terminal" (or similar). Instead of copying those, just paste this single command and press Enter:

(echo; echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"') >> ~/.zshrc && eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Then close Terminal and reopen it so the change takes effect.

What does this do? It tells your Mac where Homebrew was installed so it can find the brew command every time you open Terminal. You only need to do this once.

Verify Homebrew is installed:

brew --version

You should see something like Homebrew 4.x.x. If you see "command not found," revisit the step above.

Step 2: Install VS Code, Python, and Git

Now use Homebrew to install the three tools you need. Paste these commands into Terminal:

brew install --cask visual-studio-code
brew install python git

This will download and install:

  • Visual Studio Code -- the code editor we'll use in class
  • Python -- the programming language
  • Git -- the tool that lets you work with GitHub repositories

Each install may take a minute or two.

Step 3: Verify Everything Installed

Run each of these commands one at a time:

code --version

python3 --version

git --version

Each one should print a version number (for example, Python 3.13.1). If any command says "not found," see the Troubleshooting section at the bottom.

Note: On macOS, the Python command is python3 (not python). This is normal.

Step 4: Install the Python Extension in VS Code

VS Code needs one extension to work well with Python.

  1. Open Visual Studio Code (you can type code in Terminal, or find it in your Applications folder)
  2. Click the Extensions icon in the left sidebar -- it looks like four small squares
  3. In the search bar, type Python
  4. Find the one by Microsoft and click Install

Select the Python Interpreter

This tells VS Code which version of Python to use.

  1. Press Cmd+Shift+P to open the Command Palette (a search bar at the top of VS Code)
  2. Type Python: Select Interpreter and click on it
  3. Choose the Python version from the list (it will look something like Python 3.13.x)

Step 5: Configure Git

Git needs to know your name and email so it can label your work. Run these two commands in Terminal, replacing the placeholder values with your own information:

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

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

Use the same email that is associated with your GitHub account.

Troubleshooting

"code: command not found"

  1. Open VS Code from your Applications folder
  2. Press Cmd+Shift+P to open the Command Palette
  3. Type Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH and click on it
  4. Close Terminal and reopen it
  5. Try code --version again

"brew: command not found"

Homebrew installed, but Terminal doesn't know where to find it. This is common on newer Macs. Run the single command from the "Important (Apple Silicon Macs)" note in Step 1:

(echo; echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"') >> ~/.zshrc && eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Then close Terminal and reopen it. Try brew --version again.

"python3: command not found"

Try reinstalling Python through Homebrew:

brew install python

Then close and reopen Terminal and try python3 --version again.

VS Code can't find Python / no interpreter showing up

  1. Make sure you installed the Python extension (Step 4)
  2. Press Cmd+Shift+P, type Python: Select Interpreter, and pick a Python version
  3. If no versions appear, try restarting VS Code

When to Ask for Help

You've tried the troubleshooting steps above and something still isn't working? Ask for help! When you do, please include:

  • That you're on macOS
  • Which step you're stuck on
  • The exact error message (a screenshot is even better)