Starting out coding with MacBook Pro

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Hey Freecodecamp Fams,

Calling out to you guys and rly appreciate your help in this.

As my next task in freecodecamp is to build a tribute page and I rly want to do it without using codepen which I know everyone else is doing it. I am a MacBook Pro user and I rly need some advice here as to what are the possible platforms if not ways to begin coding. I have not done coding of any form outside of freecodecamp. Need your help guys!

Bobby

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Just installing a text editor will do (VSCode is generally a good choice). But going forward, you will want something a lot more robust.

So, bit more advanced, but:

Google ‘setting up osx development environment’. I always used to use this guide, most of it still applies even though it’s a few years old, it normally turns up as the second or third result on Google. Some [a lot] of it will read as gibberish when you’re just starting out, but learning how things work (and in particular, how to use the command line) is important. If you do go down this route, ask here when you get stuck.

Basically, what you’ll generally want to do:

  • install iTerm to get a better terminal - you tend to spend a lot of time in the terminal the more coding you do.

  • install oh-my-zsh, which makes the terminal a lot nicer to use

  • install Homebrew to allow you to easily install OSX packages (like languages, databases, command line utilities) via the terminal.

  • install git via homebrew

  • (optionally) install NVM, the node version manager, which lets you install/switch between Node versions

  • install Node via NVM if you use it, or Homebrew.

  • lots of things use Python, so generally install Python3 via Homebrew. OSx uses an old version and you want a separate install (not the system version) anyway

  • install a text editor

  • install Alfred to replace Spotlight

  • install Chrome (and/or Chrome Canary)

  • install Firefox (ideally Firefox Developer Edition)

I would also say install Amethyst but that is maybe more personal preference - it automatically tiles your windows, which makes it a lot easier to see things when you have a text editor, terminal, browser etc open

2 Likes
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for the terminal, Hyper is pretty good aswell. https://hyper.is

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Hi Bobby.

I’m using a MacBook Pro. I just finished my portfolio page. I have been using Atom for an editor and have liked it. Codepen really started to annoy me, so I setup my site on Github. I figured it would be good to get familiar with it anyway, and FreeCodeCamp just requires an accessible site for turning in the project.

You can read more on getting it set up on Github here: https://pages.github.com.

-Mike

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Thanks @mrgunther @DanCouper for your responses.

I have tried both Atom and VScode and they all seem to be very advanced and robust. I guess I will have to refer to tutorial videos and I will get to that definitely!

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Hey thanks a lot!

What is a terminal?

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If I could take some of your time again, I really need guidance to the below program task?

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371160×1102 47.5 KB

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Where and how do I get started on the above?

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A terminal is an interface for typing commands into.

Before windowed systems, you just used to do everything on a computer by typing commands in. A terminal emulator (which is what “terminal” refers to nowadays) is a program that emulates that: it’s a lot faster to do some tasks by typing commands in than it is opening windows and clicking around.

There is one built into your operating system: in your applications folder, you’ll find a program called, surprisingly enough, Terminal. iTerm and Zeit are other terminal emulator programs which have extra useful features