Install Checklist

A checklist to be sure your installation is complete

After you complete the software installation steps here, you can use this checklist to make sure that you’ve done everything properly.

There are separate checklists for Mac and Windows/WSL. For Linux, use the WSL checklist and adapt as needed.

MacOS

Throughout, “command prompt” means “Terminal Window” or “Shell Window”.

  1. XCode and XCode Command Line Tools are installed
    • To test this, look for XCode in the Applications Directory, and try g++ --version at the command line
  2. git is installed
    • To test this, type git --version and get a reasonable version (2.x or higher)
  3. VSCode is installed
    • Look for VSCode in the Applications Folder
  4. VSCode shell command is installed
    • To test this, type code . at a WSL command prompt in any directory, and it should bring up that directory in VSCode
  5. Java version 21 is installed.
    • To test this, type java --version at a WSL command prompt; you should get version 21 of Java (not a later or earlier one, but exactly 21 point something).
  6. Maven version 3.9.9 is installed.
    • To test this, type type mvn --version at a command prompt, and you get a message that Maven is version 3.9.9 and that it is using version 21 of Java (not a later or earlier one, but exactly 21 point something).
  7. Node Version Manager is installed
    • To test this, type nvm --version at a command prompt; you should see version v0.40.1
  8. Node Version Manager can install the latest lts version of node and npm. Note the difference between nvm (node version manager) and npm (node package manager).
    • You can type nvm install --lts and it should either install node v20.17.0 and npm v10.8.2, or tell you that it is already installed.

Windows/WSL

Throughout, “command prompt” means a WSL “Terminal Window” or “Shell Window” (not Windows Powershell).

  1. WSL is installed
  2. git is installed
    • To test this, type git --version and get a reasonable version (2.x or higher)
  3. VSCode is installed
    • Look for VSCode in the Applications Folder
  4. VSCode shell command is installed
    • To test this, type code . at a WSL command prompt in any directory, and it should bring up that directory in VSCode
  5. Java version 21 is installed.
    • To test this, type java --version at a WSL command prompt; you should get version 21 of Java (not a later or earlier one, but exactly 21 point something).
  6. Maven version 3.9.9 is installed.
    • To test this, type type mvn --version at a command prompt, and you get a message that Maven is version 3.9.9 and that it is using version 21 of Java (not a later or earlier one, but exactly 21 point something).
  7. Node Version Manager is installed
    • To test this, type nvm --version at a command prompt; you should see version v0.40.1
  8. Node Version Manager can install the latest lts version of node and npm. Note the difference between nvm (node version manager) and npm (node package manager).
    • You can type nvm install --lts and it should either install node v20.17.0 and npm v10.8.2, or tell you that it is already installed.