Computer Setup

Set up your computer with the following tools: A programmer's text editor, Node.js, MongoDB, and Redis.

• Pick a programmer's editor:

  • Tyler and I use Vim. We don't expect you to learn Vim in addition to everything in the bootcamp, but we will help you if you want to use it. Try vimtutor from the command line to start, or an interactive tutorial.

  • Sublime Text:

    • http://www.sublimetext.com/3
    • Required: Install Package Control: https://sublime.wbond.net/installation
    • Required: Customize your Sublime Preferences

  • Github's popular editor: http://atom.io

  • Adobe's open source http://brackets.io

  • Light Table.

  • Which one to choose? I like Atom, or Brackets, because you can customize them with JavaScript. Customizing Sublime requires knowledge of Python.

  • Optional: If you are coming from an IDE like Visual Studio or Eclipse, you may like WebStorm (trial version) better than a programmer's editor, because of the autocompletion, and debugging tools. It's also cheaper for an academic license ($29 vs $79)

• Totally Optional, but you may want a relational database. Only do this if you have time. I choose PostgreSQL:

  • Follow Ivan's blog post: https://www.codefellows.org/blog/three-battle-tested-ways-to-install-postgresql

• GitHub (you may have this already but there is also https://education.github.com/discount_requests/new try it while you're here)

Mac OS:

• Homebrew http://brew.sh Note: the instructions are at the end of the web page. Run brew update && brew doctor if you already have homebrew but haven't used it in a while.

• Node.js

  • brew install node
  • Install some commonly used packages with npm: npm -g install grunt-cli jshint

• MongoDB

  • brew install mongodb
  • Follow the directions that homebrew tells you. You can always do brew info mongo if you let the instructions scroll off the screen (tsk tsk, you need to read the terminal messages!)
  • you can start mongo with launchctl start homebrew.mxcl.mongodb
  • you can stop mongo with launchctl stop homebrew.mxcl.mongodb

• Redis

  • brew install redis
  • Follow the directions that homebrew tells you. You can always do brew info redis
  • you can start redis with launchctl start homebrew.mxcl.redis
  • you can stop redis with launchctl stop homebrew.mxcl.redis

• Heroku Toolbelt

  • brew install heroku-toolbelt

Ubuntu:

• No need for homebrew you already have a perfectly good package management system.

• In your terminal preferences make sure that "Run Command as a login shell is an enabled profile preferences" check these two screenshots:

• node.js: compile node from source, following the directions here.

• Install Grunt-CLI (command line interface) npm -g install grunt-cli

• MongoDB - Follow MongoDB's article.

• Redis - https://library.linode.com/databases/redis/ubuntu-12.04-precise-pangolin same as above

• Heroku Toolbelt - sudo apt-get install heroku-toolbelt