Verification Checklist
Run through every item before Session 1. If something fails, message the group — don't try to troubleshoot alone for more than 10 minutes.
This is your final check before Session 1. Go through every item in order. Each one tells you exactly what to run and what a successful result looks like.
If something fails: Don't spend more than 10 minutes trying to fix it on your own. Take a screenshot of the terminal showing the error (the full output, not just the last line) and send it to the WhatsApp group. These issues are almost always small and fixable quickly once someone else sees them.
How to read this checklist:
- The text in backticks is the exact command to type in your terminal
- The text below it tells you what a successful result looks like
- A failed result is anything that shows "not recognized", "command not found", or a red error
Terminal commands
Open your terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on Mac) and run each command.
Git
Run: git --version
Expected output: git version 2.x.x — any version starting with 2 is fine.
If you see: 'git' is not recognized — Git isn't installed. Go back to the Tools page and install it.
Node.js
Run: node --version
Expected output: v20.x.x or v22.x.x — must start with v20 or v22 (LTS versions).
If you see: v18.x.x — your Node.js version is outdated. Download Node.js 22 LTS from nodejs.org and reinstall.
If you see: 'node' is not recognized — Node.js isn't installed. Go back to the Tools page.
npm (Node Package Manager)
Run: npm --version
Expected output: 10.x.x — any version starting with 10 is fine.
npm is installed automatically with Node.js. If this fails but node --version works, try closing and reopening your terminal.
Git identity configuration
Run: git config --global user.name
Expected output: Your name. Example: Subhash Kotha
Run: git config --global user.email
Expected output: Your email address. Example: subhash@gmail.com
If either is blank: You skipped the identity configuration step. Run these two commands with your own name and email:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "youremail@gmail.com"
Claude Code CLI
Run: claude --version
Expected output: A version number. Example: 1.x.x
If you see: 'claude' is not recognized — close and reopen your terminal. If it still doesn't work, the npm global install may have failed. Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code again.
Claude Code login status
Run: claude whoami
Expected output: Your account email should appear in the output — something like Logged in as yourname@gmail.com
If it shows: "not logged in" or no email — run claude login and complete the browser authorization.
VS Code checks
Open VS Code for these checks.
VS Code opens
Open VS Code from your Start menu (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac). It should open without errors.
Expected: VS Code launches and shows the Welcome screen or your last opened file/folder.
All 6 extensions installed
In VS Code, click the Extensions icon in the left sidebar (four squares) or press Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X. In the search bar, search for each extension name and confirm it shows as "Installed" (a gear icon replaces the Install button):
| Extension | Publisher | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Anthropic | Installed |
| GitLens | GitKraken | Installed |
| Tailwind CSS IntelliSense | Tailwind Labs | Installed |
| Prettier - Code formatter | Prettier | Installed |
| Error Lens | Alexander | Installed |
| Auto Rename Tag | Jun Han | Installed |
If any show "Install": Click Install, wait for it to complete, and restart VS Code.
Claude Code extension is signed in
Click the Claude Code icon in the VS Code left sidebar (it looks like an Anthropic logo or "A"). The sidebar panel should show a chat interface, not a "sign in" prompt.
Expected: A text input at the bottom of the sidebar where you can type messages to Claude.
If it shows "Sign in": Click sign in and complete the browser authorization. If you've already done this and it still shows the sign-in prompt, close VS Code completely and reopen it.
Account checks
These don't require terminal commands — just log in via browser.
GitHub
Go to github.com. You should be logged in and see your username in the top right corner.
Expected: Your GitHub username appears at the top right, and clicking it shows your profile page.
If not logged in: Click "Sign in" and use your credentials.
Supabase
Go to supabase.com and click "Sign in". You should be able to log in and see your dashboard.
Expected: The Supabase dashboard loads showing your organization name (usually your name or GitHub username) and an option to create a new project.
Vercel
Go to vercel.com and click "Log in". Log in with GitHub.
Expected: The Vercel dashboard loads showing "Import Project" or any projects you've already created.
VaultMate check
VaultMate is installed and has a credential
Open VaultMate from your Start menu (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac).
Expected: VaultMate opens, shows the Training project in the left sidebar, and your GitHub Account credential is listed inside it.
If VaultMate doesn't open: Go back to the Tools page and complete the VaultMate installation (step 8).
If VaultMate opens but is empty: You skipped the credential-saving step. Click on the Training project, click "Add Credential", and save your GitHub username and password.
Phone check
Expo Go is installed
On your phone, find the Expo Go app in your app list. Open it.
Expected: Expo Go opens to a home screen with a QR code scanner area and possibly some featured projects.
If not installed: Go to the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone), search "Expo Go" by Expo, and install it.
The final test — everything working together
This test confirms Git, Node.js, and Claude Code all work together in a real project context.
Create a test project
Open your terminal and run these three commands in order:
mkdir session-zero-test
cd session-zero-test
git init
Expected after git init: Initialized empty Git repository in .../session-zero-test/.git/
Start Claude Code in the project
Type claude and press Enter.
Expected: Claude Code starts and shows a prompt where you can type.
Ask Claude Code a simple question
Type this and press Enter:
What files are in this folder right now?
Expected: Claude lists the directory contents (currently empty) and responds without error.
Ask Claude Code to create a file
Type this and press Enter:
Create a file called test.txt with the content "Hello from Claude"
Expected: Claude creates the file and confirms it was created.
Verify Git can see the file
Open a second terminal window (keep Claude Code running in the first). Navigate to the same folder by running cd session-zero-test and then run:
git status
Expected: Git shows test.txt as an "untracked file" — it can see the file Claude just created.
Exit Claude Code
In the first terminal, type exit or press Ctrl+C.
If all of that worked — Git tracking files, Claude Code creating files, Node.js running — you are fully set up.
session-zero-test folder (it was just for verification). In the terminal, go up one level with cd .. and then run rmdir /s /q session-zero-test (Windows) or rm -rf session-zero-test (Mac). Keep your environment clean from the start.Send your confirmation screenshot
Take a screenshot of your terminal showing the output of these four commands run one after another:
git --version
node --version
claude --version
claude whoami
Send the screenshot to the WhatsApp group with the message: "Setup complete — ready for Session 1."
This lets Subhash confirm everyone is ready before the first session. It also gives you a record of your starting environment in case anything needs to be debugged later.
Quick reference — common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
'git' is not recognized | Git not installed or PATH not updated | Reinstall Git from git-scm.com, close and reopen terminal |
'node' is not recognized | Node.js not installed or PATH not updated | Reinstall Node.js from nodejs.org, close and reopen terminal |
'claude' is not recognized | Claude Code not installed or PATH not updated | Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code again, close and reopen terminal |
| Claude Code extension shows "Sign in" | Not authenticated in VS Code | Click sign in, complete browser auth, restart VS Code |
git config shows blank name/email | Skipped configuration step | Run the two git config commands from the Tools page |
| Expo Go won't open | Corrupted install | Delete and reinstall from the app store |
| Node version is v18 | Installed older LTS version | Download Node.js 22 LTS from nodejs.org and reinstall |
Still stuck after checking this table? Send a message in the group with:
- A screenshot of the full terminal output (not just the error line)
- Which step you're stuck on
- Your operating system (Windows 10, Windows 11, or Mac)
We'll fix it before Session 1.
You're ready
If you've checked off every item on this page, you're fully set up and ready for Session 1.
Here's what happens in Session 1: in the first 30 minutes, you'll build a working web application from scratch — no theory, no slides, straight to building. The tools you just installed are what make that possible.
See you there.