Cursor Copilot
Cursor Copilot
I've Never Coded
Lesson 3 of 10

Setting Up Your Environment

Step-by-step installation and configuration — from zero to ready

30 minutes6 min read
Beginner

What You'll Do in This Lesson

By the end of this lesson, you'll have a working AI coding environment on your computer. We'll cover setup for the most popular tools — follow the section that matches your choice.

Time needed: About 15-30 minutes, depending on your internet speed.

Option A: Setting Up Cursor (Recommended for Beginners)

Cursor is the tool we recommend for this learning path. Here's how to get it running:

Step 1: Download Cursor

  1. Go to cursor.com
  2. Click the download button — it will detect your operating system automatically
  3. Run the installer

On Mac: Open the .dmg file and drag Cursor to your Applications folder.

On Windows: Run the .exe installer and follow the prompts.

On Linux: Follow the instructions on the download page for your distribution.

Step 2: Create an Account

  1. Open Cursor
  2. You'll be prompted to sign in or create an account
  3. Sign up with your email or Google account
  4. The free tier is enough to get started — no credit card required

Step 3: Take the Quick Tour

When Cursor first opens, it offers a quick tour. Take it! It shows you:

  • Where to write code (the editor panel)
  • Where to talk to AI (the chat panel — press Cmd+L on Mac or Ctrl+L on Windows)
  • How to use inline AI (press Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows)

Step 4: Create Your First Project Folder

  1. In Cursor, go to File > Open Folder (or Cmd+O / Ctrl+O)
  2. Create a new folder on your computer called my-first-project
  3. Open that folder in Cursor

You now have a blank project ready to go.

Step 5: Test the AI

Let's make sure everything works:

  1. Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows) to open the AI chat
  2. Type: "Create a simple HTML file that says Hello World with a blue background"
  3. Press Enter

The AI should respond with code. If it does, you're all set!

Option B: Setting Up GitHub Copilot in VS Code

If you chose GitHub Copilot, here's the setup:

Step 1: Install VS Code

  1. Go to code.visualstudio.com
  2. Download and install for your operating system

Step 2: Install the Copilot Extension

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Click the Extensions icon in the left sidebar (it looks like four squares)
  3. Search for "GitHub Copilot"
  4. Click "Install" on the official GitHub Copilot extension
  5. Also install "GitHub Copilot Chat" for the chat feature

Step 3: Sign In to GitHub

  1. You'll be prompted to sign in to GitHub
  2. If you don't have a GitHub account, create one at github.com
  3. Authorize Copilot to access your account

Important: Copilot requires a subscription ($10/month) or is free if you're a verified student or open-source maintainer.

Step 4: Create Your First Project

  1. Go to File > Open Folder
  2. Create and open a new folder called my-first-project

Step 5: Test Copilot

  1. Create a new file called index.html
  2. Start typing <!DOCTYPE html> — Copilot should start suggesting completions
  3. Open the Copilot Chat panel (click the chat icon or press Ctrl+Shift+I)
  4. Type: "Help me create a simple webpage"

Option C: Using a Browser-Based Tool (No Installation)

If you chose Bolt, Lovable, or Replit, setup is even simpler:

Bolt

  1. Go to bolt.new
  2. Create an account (or sign in with GitHub/Google)
  3. Type a description of what you want to build
  4. Bolt generates a full project in your browser

Lovable

  1. Go to lovable.dev
  2. Create an account
  3. Describe your project
  4. Lovable builds it for you with a visual preview

Replit

  1. Go to replit.com
  2. Create an account
  3. Click "Create Repl" and choose a template
  4. The AI Agent can help you build and modify your project

Advantage: No installation, works on any computer, even Chromebooks and tablets.

Trade-off: You have less control and will learn less about how code works under the hood.

Understanding Your Workspace

No matter which tool you chose, your workspace has a few key areas:

The File Explorer

This is usually on the left side. It shows all the files and folders in your project. Think of it like a file manager on your computer.

The Editor

This is the main area where you see and edit code. You can have multiple files open in tabs, just like a web browser.

The AI Panel

This is where you interact with the AI assistant:

  • Chat: Have a conversation about your code, ask questions, request changes
  • Inline suggestions: The AI suggests code as you type (autocomplete on steroids)
  • Commands: Special shortcuts to ask the AI to do things

The Terminal

This is a text-based interface for running commands. You'll use it later to preview your project and install things. Don't worry about it yet — we'll cover it when we need it.

Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues

"I can't see AI suggestions"

  • Make sure you're signed in to your account
  • Check that the AI extension is enabled (look for it in the status bar)
  • Try restarting the application

"The download is really slow"

  • AI coding tools are typically 100-300 MB downloads
  • On a slow connection, this might take 10-20 minutes
  • Try downloading during off-peak hours

"I'm getting errors after installation"

  • Make sure your operating system is up to date
  • On Mac, you might need to allow the app in System Settings > Security
  • On Windows, you might need to run the installer as Administrator

"I can't afford a subscription"

  • Cursor's free tier includes generous AI usage
  • Cline and Continue are completely free, open-source alternatives
  • GitHub Copilot is free for students — verify at education.github.com

Checkpoint

Before moving to the next lesson, make sure you can answer "yes" to all of these:

  • I have an AI coding tool installed (or open in my browser)
  • I've created an account and am signed in
  • I've created a project folder called my-first-project
  • I've successfully talked to the AI and gotten a response

If you're stuck on any of these, don't worry — re-read the relevant section above, and if you're still having trouble, try a different tool. The browser-based options (Bolt, Replit) are the easiest fallback since they require zero installation.

What's Next

Your environment is ready. In the next lesson, we'll have our first real conversation with the AI and learn how to get useful results. This is where it gets fun.

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Choosing Your First AI Coding Tool
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Your First Conversation with AI