Foundations

Part 1 — Foundations

Part 1 takes you from zero to a working Claude Code setup. If you've never opened a terminal or used an AI coding agent before, start here. These foundational lessons cover what an AI agent actually is, how to install Claude Code on macOS, Windows, or Linux, how to hold your first conversation, how to let the agent safely read and edit real files, and what to do when an agent gets something wrong. By the end you'll be comfortable running Claude Code on your own machine and giving it real work.

What you'll learn

1. 01What is an AI agent?8 min

   How an agent differs from chatting with ChatGPT.

2. 02Your first terminal10 min

   Open Terminal/PowerShell. Five commands you'll actually use.

3. 03Install Claude Code12 min

   Install Node. Install the CLI. Sign in.

4. 04Your first conversation10 min

   Make a small webpage with Claude. No prior coding needed.

5. 05Working with real files10 min

   Point the agent at notes, a Word doc, a CSV.

6. 06When agents go wrong10 min

   Spotting confident-but-wrong output. Redirecting. Undoing.