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Setup & Prerequisites

Get your development environment ready to contribute to TheRSGuide.

What You Need

Required Software

  • Git - Version control system
  • Node.js - JavaScript runtime (version 18 or higher)
  • npm - Package manager (comes with Node.js)
  • Text Editor - VS Code, Sublime Text, or your preference

Accounts & Knowledge

  • GitHub account - To fork and contribute
  • Basic Git knowledge - Commands like clone, commit, push
  • Basic markdown - For writing guides

Installation Steps

1. Install Git

Windows:

  • Download from git-scm.com
  • Run the installer with default settings

macOS:

# Using Homebrew
brew install git

# Or download from git-scm.com

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

Verify installation:

git --version

2. Install Node.js

Windows/macOS:

  • Download from nodejs.org
  • Choose LTS version (recommended)

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Verify installation:

node --version
npm --version

3. Install Text Editor

VS Code (Recommended):

Other Options:

  • Sublime Text - Fast and lightweight
  • Atom - GitHub's editor
  • Vim/Emacs - If you prefer terminal editors

Verify Your Setup

Run these commands to ensure everything works:

# Check Git
git --version

# Check Node.js
node --version

# Check npm
npm --version

# Check Git configuration
git config --list

Git Configuration

Set up your Git identity:

# Set your name
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

# Set your email
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

# Verify settings
git config --list

GitHub Setup

1. Create Account

  • Go to github.com
  • Sign up with your email
  • Choose a username

Generate SSH key:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

Add to SSH agent:

# Start SSH agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

# Add your key
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Add to GitHub:

  1. Copy your public key: cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
  2. Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys
  3. Click "New SSH key"
  4. Paste your key and save

Test Your Setup

Try cloning a test repository:

# Test Git clone
git clone https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World.git
cd Hello-World
ls

# Test Node.js
node -e "console.log('Node.js is working!')"

# Test npm
npm --version

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Git not found:

  • Restart your terminal after installation
  • Check if Git is in your PATH

Node.js version too old:

  • Download the latest LTS version
  • Use a version manager like nvm

Permission denied:

  • On Linux/macOS, use sudo for installations
  • On Windows, run as Administrator

SSH key issues:

  • Ensure SSH agent is running
  • Check key permissions: chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Next Steps

Once your setup is complete:

  1. Fork & Clone - Get your copy of TheRSGuide
  2. Create & Edit Content - Start writing guides
  3. Test & Commit - Save your work

Getting Help

Your development environment is now ready for contributing! 🚀