Get Set Up — Shapes of Intelligence

How this works: Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini in your browser. Copy a prompt below. Paste it. The AI walks you through everything — you don't need to read a manual.

Native Apps

Desktop apps you install on your Mac. These are the easiest starting point — no terminal required.

Claude Desktop

Chat • Code • Cowork

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I'm on a Mac and I want to install the Claude desktop app. It has three modes: Chat, Code, and Cowork. Help me: 1. Download and install it from claude.com/download 2. Sign in with my existing Claude account 3. Understand the three modes — what each one does and when to use it 4. Try Cowork mode: have it research a topic and produce a document I'm new to desktop AI apps but comfortable with my Mac. Walk me through it step by step.

Codex App

OpenAI's coding agent

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I'm on a Mac (Apple Silicon) and I want to install the OpenAI Codex desktop app — the native Mac app, not the CLI. Help me: 1. Find the official download page and install it 2. Sign in with my ChatGPT account 3. Understand what it can do — running agents on a codebase, parallel tasks, git integration 4. Walk me through a first test: point it at a project folder and have it explain the codebase I have a ChatGPT Plus subscription. Step by step, please.

Gemini Desktop

Google

no mac app yet

I use Gemini on the web. Is there a native Mac desktop app for Gemini yet? If not, what's the best way to use Gemini on my Mac right now? Help me: 1. Check if a Mac app has shipped (last I heard it was expected mid-2026) 2. Set up the best alternative — a pinned browser tab, PWA, or Chrome integration 3. Show me any keyboard shortcuts or quick-access tricks for getting to Gemini fast I want Gemini to feel as accessible as a native app even if it isn't one yet.

Command Line Tools

Terminal-based coding agents. More powerful than the apps for serious building — but you need a terminal first.

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Terminal + Node.js

prerequisite for all three CLIs

I'm on a Mac and I need to get my terminal ready for installing AI command-line tools. I might be starting from zero. Help me: 1. Open Terminal (show me where it is) 2. Check if I have Homebrew installed — if not, install it 3. Check my Node.js version — I need at least Node 20. If I don't have it or it's too old, install it with Homebrew 4. Verify everything works: node --version and npm --version Be patient with me. I may have never opened a terminal before.

Do this one first. All three CLI tools below need Node.js.

Claude Code

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

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I'm on a Mac with Node.js already installed. I want to install Claude Code — Anthropic's CLI coding agent. Help me: 1. Run: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code 2. If I get permission errors, fix them properly (don't use sudo) 3. Run: claude 4. Walk me through signing in — I have a Claude Pro account so I want to use the OAuth/browser login, not an API key 5. Once I'm in, show me the basics: how to open a project, give it a task, and approve changes Don't skip steps. Confirm each one works before moving on.

Codex CLI

brew install --cask codex

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I'm on a Mac with Homebrew and Node.js already installed. I want to install the OpenAI Codex CLI — their terminal coding agent. Help me: 1. Install it: brew install --cask codex (or npm install -g @openai/codex if brew doesn't work) 2. Run: codex 3. Sign in with my ChatGPT account using the browser login 4. Once I'm in, show me the basics: how to point it at a project, give it a task, and review what it does I have a ChatGPT Plus subscription. Step by step.

Gemini CLI

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

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I'm on a Mac with Node.js 20+ already installed. I want to install Google's Gemini CLI — their terminal coding agent. Help me: 1. Run: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli 2. Run: gemini 3. Walk me through signing in with my Google account (browser login) 4. Once I'm in, show me the basics: how to open a project, give it a task, and see results Note: Gemini CLI requires Node 20+, not 18. Help me check my version first. Step by step.