What We're Installing
We'll set up four essential tools that work together to give you a complete AI development environment.
The core tools:
- Node.js — The runtime that executes JavaScript code
- pnpm — A fast package manager for installing dependencies
- Git — Version control to track and save your changes
- Cursor — Your AI-powered code editor
Follow the linked guide step-by-step. If you get stuck, the AI in Cursor can help troubleshoot installation issues.
Installing Cursor
Cursor installation steps:
- Go to cursor.com and download for your operating system
- Run the installer and open Cursor
- Sign in with your email or GitHub account
- Complete the onboarding prompts
Connecting Your AI Model
Cursor works best with Claude as the AI model. We'll configure this in the settings.
Configuration steps:
- Open Cursor Settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,)
- Navigate to the Models section
- Ensure Claude is selected as your primary model
- Test the connection by opening the AI chat (Cmd/Ctrl + L)
Cursor includes AI credits. If you run out, you can add your own API key from Anthropic or OpenAI.