Run the full sanity check
Copy this entire block into your terminal. Each line should print a version number or a success message:
echo "--- Tools ---"
git --version
gh --version
bun --version
claude --version
jq --version
echo ""
echo "--- GitHub Auth ---"
gh auth status
echo ""
echo "--- SSH Connection ---"
ssh -T git@github.com
echo ""
echo "--- Git Identity ---"
git config --global --get user.name
git config --global --get user.email
git config --global --get init.defaultBranch
Everything should succeed. If anything fails, see the troubleshooting table below.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
brew: command not found | Re-run the Homebrew PATH setup from the installer output, then restart Ghostty |
bun: command not found | Close and reopen Ghostty (or run source ~/.zshrc), then try again |
claude: command not found | Run brew install --cask claude-code, then restart Ghostty |
code: command not found | In VS Code, run Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH, then restart Ghostty |
gh auth status fails | Run gh auth login again and choose browser login |
ssh -T git@github.com fails | Run ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_ed25519, confirm key is on GitHub at github.com/settings/keys |
| Git keeps asking for credentials | Run gh auth login --git-protocol ssh to switch to SSH auth |
| Claude Code not logged in | Run claude, then type /login |
| Statusline not showing | Check that ~/.claude/statusline.sh is executable (chmod +x ~/.claude/statusline.sh) and that settings.json is valid JSON |
Your setup checklist
Use this to confirm everything is in place:
[ ] Homebrew installed
[ ] Xcode Command Line Tools installed
[ ] Git installed and configured (name, email, defaultBranch)
[ ] Git aliases set up
[ ] Global .gitignore created
[ ] GitHub account created
[ ] gh CLI authenticated
[ ] SSH key created and added to GitHub
[ ] Ghostty installed and configured
[ ] Bun installed
[ ] VS Code installed with `code` command in PATH
[ ] VS Code extensions installed (Biome, GitLens, Claude Code)
[ ] Claude Code installed and logged in
[ ] ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md created
[ ] Claude statusline configured
[ ] Notification hooks set up
[ ] ~/Developer folder structure created
[ ] Shell aliases added to ~/.zshrc
What's next?
You've got a professional Mac dev environment set up. Here are good things to explore next:
- Build something — the best way to learn is to make a real project. Use Claude Code to help.
- Learn Git branching — branches let you work on features without touching your main code
- Explore Next.js —
bun x create-next-app@latest my-appgets you a full-stack app in minutes - Read your CLAUDE.md — keep refining it as you learn what works for you
Congratulations!
You've completed the Vibe Coding for Beginners setup. You now have the exact same developer environment used by professional developers — and an AI coding partner ready to help you build things.