Dev Environment Setup

Tools: GitHub · Git · Node.js · Vercel · Supabase · Cursor IDE

Goal: Create accounts and install tools so you can develop, deploy, and collaborate using your GitHub identity.

✅ SECTION 1 — Create Your Core Account (GitHub)

All other tools will connect to GitHub, so start here.

Steps

• Go to https://github.com/ → click Sign up
• Create a username, email, password
• Verify your email (check your inbox and click the GitHub link)
• (Optional but helpful) Add a profile photo and full name
• Stay signed in — you’ll use GitHub to log into other tools

✅ SECTION 2 — Install Git (for local work)

macOS

• Open Terminal
• If you don’t have Homebrew, install it from brew.sh
• Run:

brew install git

Verify:

• [ ]

git --version

Windows

• Go to https://git-scm.com/download/win
• Run the installer → accept defaults
• Open Git Bash or PowerShell
• Verify:

git --version

Set Git Identity (same for both)

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

✅ SECTION 3 — Install Node.js (needed for CLI tools)

• Go to https://nodejs.org
• Download LTS version (not Current)
• Run the installer → accept defaults
• Verify:

node --version
npm --version

✅ SECTION 4 — Register & Connect Vercel (Hosting & Deployments)

• Go to https://vercel.com/signup
• Click Continue with GitHub
• Approve GitHub access (so Vercel can see your repos)
• In dashboard → New Project → Import Git Repository → choose your repo
• Click Deploy
• Once deployed, note your project URL

Optional CLI Setup

npm install -g vercel
vercel login

☐ Follow the login prompt in your browser

✅ SECTION 5 — Register & Connect Supabase (Database & Auth)

• Go to https://supabase.com
• Click Start your project / Sign in → Continue with GitHub
• Approve GitHub access
• In your dashboard → New Project → give it a name
• Choose free tier and wait for project creation

Optional CLI (mac)

brew install supabase/tap/supabase

Optional CLI (Windows)

npm install -g supabase

☐ Verify:

supabase --version

If you plan to run Supabase locally:

→ Install Docker Desktop from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

✅ SECTION 6 — Install Cursor IDE (AI-powered Code Editor)

• Go to https://cursor.com
• Click Download Cursor
• Install app (mac .dmg or Windows .exe)
• Open Cursor → Sign in with GitHub
• Approve GitHub access to enable repo features
• Create or open a new project folder

✅ SECTION 7 — Verify Everything Works

• Open Terminal or Git Bash
• Run these one by one:

git --version
node --version
npm --version
vercel --version
supabase --version

• Open Cursor → confirm you’re logged in
• Log into Vercel & Supabase → confirm they use your GitHub profile

✅ You’re ready to build!