## Setting Up Your Development Environment: VS Code (macOS & Linux) Welcome to the environment setup phase for macOS and Linux users. In this lesson, we'll begin preparing your machine for development by installing Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Setting up your development environment can often be one of the more challenging parts of learning new technologies. Don't be discouraged if you encounter hurdles or if it takes some time – that's perfectly normal. If you get stuck at any point, remember to leverage the course discussion forums, AI assistants, and your favorite search engine for troubleshooting. Whether you solve setup issues quickly or it takes a bit longer, the key is to get your environment ready to build. Our first essential tool is Visual Studio Code, a powerful and popular code editor. **Note:** These instructions are specifically for macOS and Linux users. Windows users will find their setup instructions in the next section. To install VS Code: 1. Open your web browser and navigate to the official Visual Studio Code download page: `code.visualstudio.com`. 2. The site usually detects your operating system. Look for the main download button. * If you're on macOS, download the 'Mac Universal' stable build. * If you're on Linux, download the stable `.deb` (for Debian/Ubuntu-based systems) or `.rpm` (for Fedora/CentOS-based systems) package suitable for your distribution. 3. Once downloaded, run the installer or unpack the archive and follow the standard installation procedure for your operating system (e.g., dragging the application to your Applications folder on macOS, or using your package manager on Linux). After successfully installing and launching VS Code, you'll typically be greeted by a 'Get Started' welcome page. Especially on a fresh installation, this page offers valuable resources like introductory walkthroughs and tips to help you learn the editor's features. If you're new to VS Code, we strongly encourage you to take some time to explore these built-in guides to familiarize yourself with the interface and basic functionality. Additionally, for a more comprehensive overview tailored to this course, we have also included a Visual Studio Code crash course in the associated GitHub repository. This can be a helpful resource to get up to speed quickly.