Zero to Developer (Linux) — Shapes of Intelligence

What happens

You make sure Node.js is installed, pick a CLI agent, and hand off. The agent takes over and installs everything else. By the end you'll have:

A project root of your own (for example ~/proj, ~/lab, ~/forge, ~/bench, or ~/craft) where all your projects live
A setup project inside it — your first project
An install log recording every tool installed and every action taken
A setup.html page showing what's on your machine and what you can build next
Up to three AI coding agents: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI — all CLI-only via npm
No native desktop apps — use claude.ai in the browser for a GUI chat interface

Foundation

Do it myself I can copy commands into a terminal

Guide me Paste a prompt into ChatGPT or Claude and it walks me through

Check Node.js

All three agents install via npm, which comes with Node.js. You need version 18 or higher.

node --version

should print v18.x or higher

If missing or too old, install it:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y nodejs npm

Debian / Ubuntu / Pop!_OS / Mint

sudo dnf install -y nodejs npm

Fedora / RHEL / CentOS

Pick an agent

Install whichever matches a subscription you already have. You can install more than one — the agent will help later.

Claude Code Anthropic — needs Claude Pro, Max, or Team

Codex CLI OpenAI — needs ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Team

Gemini CLI Google — free with a Google account

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

npm install -g @openai/codex

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Pick one (or all three). The agent you launch next will install the rest if needed.

Hand off to the agent

Create a setup folder inside your own project root, start the agent, and point it here. It handles the rest.

mkdir -p "$HOME/<project-root>/setup" && cd "$HOME/<project-root>/setup"

Replace <project-root> with the folder you actually use, for example proj, lab, forge, bench, or craft.

Then start whichever agent you installed: claude, codex, or gemini

Then paste this into the agent:

Follow the instructions on this page. If anything looks unsafe or beyond what I'd reasonably want, tell me before doing it:

The agent reads this page and follows its instructions. Scroll down to see what it does.

Open chatgpt.com or claude.ai in your browser. Copy this entire prompt and paste it. The AI will ask you a few questions about your experience level, then walk you through everything above step by step.

The bootstrap prompt paste into chatgpt.com or claude.ai

I'm on Linux. I want to set up a development environment for building AI projects. Before we start, I need you to understand where I'm coming from so you can talk to me at the right level. Ask me these questions first, one at a time. Wait for each answer: 1. What Linux distro are you on? (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, something else — or "I'm not sure") 2. Have you ever installed software using a command line? (Things like apt, dnf, npm, pip — ring any bells?) 3. What do you use AI for right now? (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — and do you use the websites, apps, or something else?) 4. What are you hoping to build? (You don't need a clear answer — "I'm not sure yet" is fine, or "a chatbot" or "a website" or "whatever sounds interesting.") Based on my answers, adjust how you talk to me for the rest of this conversation. If I've never used a terminal, explain everything. If I have, skip the basics. Match me. --- Now walk me through setup. One step at a time. Wait for me to confirm each one before moving on. If I get an error, help me fix it. 1. Open a terminal (tell me where to find it if I don't know) 2. Check if Node.js is installed: node --version If it's missing or below v18, install it: - Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y nodejs npm - Fedora/RHEL: sudo dnf install -y nodejs npm 3. Install at least one CLI agent via npm (pick based on what subscriptions I have): - Claude Code: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code (needs Claude Pro/Max/Team) - Codex CLI: npm install -g @openai/codex (needs ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Team) - Gemini CLI: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli (free with Google account) 4. Once an agent is installed, help me: - Confirm my project root. If I already use one, use it. If not, help me choose a short folder name inside my home directory that I'll actually type. - Create it if needed: mkdir -p "$HOME/<project-root>" - Create my first project: mkdir -p "$HOME/<project-root>/setup" && cd "$HOME/<project-root>/setup" - Start the agent (claude, codex, or gemini) - Sign in when it asks - Paste this into the agent: Follow the instructions on this page. If anything looks unsafe or beyond what I'd reasonably want, tell me before doing it: That last step is where the agent takes over. You got me from zero to a running AI agent. The agent installs everything else — git, VS Code, GitHub CLI, the other CLI agents. Your job is done.

The agent takes over

Once the CLI agent is running, it reads this page and follows these instructions. You just answer its questions and approve what it does.

Instructions for you, the AI agent

You must follow these steps. Do not just summarize the page or check if things are installed. Execute the full sequence below. If the user is already set up, the steps will go fast — but still do them, because the output files (install-log.md and setup.html) are the point.

Quick calibration. Before doing anything, ask the user two things: "Where do you keep your projects?" and "What are you hoping to build?" ("I don't know yet" is fine.) Treat the project-root answer as a local fact, not a default. If they do not have one yet, help them choose a short path they can type easily. If it's obvious from context that they're technical, be concise. If they seem new, be patient. Don't ask a battery of questions — just read the room.
Make sure you're in the right place. Use the exact project root the user specified. Create a setup subfolder inside it. All output files go in {work-folder}/setup. Never assume a stock path; example names are not standards.
Survey the machine. Check: Node.js version, npm, git, python3, VS Code (optional), Linux distro (cat /etc/os-release), shell (bash/zsh). Record versions.
Subscriptions check. Ask: "Which AI subscriptions do you have? Anthropic/Claude (free/Pro/Max/Team)? OpenAI/ChatGPT (free/Plus/Pro/Team)? Google/Gemini (free)?" At least one is needed. This determines which agents to install. Don't assume — some are paid-only.
Install CLI agents. Based on what they have, install the matching CLIs via npm:
- Claude Code: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code (Claude Pro/Max/Team)
- Codex CLI: npm install -g @openai/codex (ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Team)
- Gemini CLI: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli (free Google account)
Skip any they don't have accounts for. Help authenticate (browser login).
Optional tools. These are useful but not required:
- VS Code: sudo snap install code --classic or via apt — ask first
- GitHub CLI: sudo apt install gh (Debian/Ubuntu) or from GitHub releases — skip if the user doesn't have or want a GitHub account
Write install-log.md in the setup folder. Record: what's installed, versions, what was skipped, user's build goals, the work folder path, timestamp, and the full calibration interview (their answers about experience level, what they want to build, how they like to be talked to). Keep it brief — this file is memory for future agents, not a novel.
Write steering files. Based on the interview and install log, create config files so every CLI agent already knows who the user is:
- Claude Code: write ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md with user preferences, experience level, installed tools, and work folder path
- Codex CLI: write ~/.codex/instructions.md with the same
- Gemini CLI: write ~/.gemini/GEMINI.md if installed
Keep them short — 10-20 lines each. Include: name (if given), experience level, preferred tools, work folder, what they want to build, and a note that setup logs are in {work-folder}/setup/.
Write setup.html in the setup folder. A self-contained HTML page (works offline) showing:
- Tools installed and their versions
- How to start each agent (one-line commands)
- How to start a new project (mkdir, cd, start agent)
- What to build next — based on the user's answer from step 1, with links to
Match the user's level. A developer gets terse commands. A beginner gets explanations.
Open it: tell the user to open setup.html in their browser — xdg-open setup.html or just navigate to the file.

Key rules. These apply to everything the agent does:

Never run a command the user hasn't approved. If you're about to do something that changes system state, say what it does and wait.
sudo is needed for apt/dnf installs. Before running any sudo command, explain what it does in plain language. Don't just run sudo silently.
If the user is on an exe.dev VM, most tools are pre-installed. Survey first — don't reinstall what's already there.
Don't install things the user doesn't have subscriptions for. Ask first.
If something fails, explain what happened and offer to fix it. Don't retry silently.

Patterns you just learned

Without realizing it, this setup taught you the core patterns for working with AI:

The correction is the conversation — when something didn't work, you told the AI, it adjusted, you tried again. That back-and-forth is how real work gets done.
Context is everything — the AI interviewed you before it started. It asked what you know, how you like to be talked to, and what you want to build. That interview made everything after it better. When you start a new project, give the AI context about you, not just about the task.
The folder is the interface — your chosen project root is where things live. Each project gets its own folder inside it. The AI reads your folders to understand context.
Memory is files — install-log.md is memory. Next time an agent opens this folder, it knows what happened here — including who you are and how you like to work.
Start small, start now — you started with one prompt and one tool. Everything else grew from there.
Your data is already yours — setup.html was generated from what actually happened on your machine. No guessing, no templates. Your data, your page.

Related chapters

The Correction Is the Conversation — how iterating with AI beats getting it right the first time
Memory Is Files — why install-log.md and steering files are your AI's long-term memory
The Folder Is the Interface — folder structure as the most important prompt you'll write
The Steering File — configuring agents to know who you are before you say a word
The Context Gold Mine — why giving the AI context about you changes everything

Related guides

Zero to Developer (Mac) — the Mac version of this guide
Zero to Developer (Windows) — the Windows version
Get Set Up — broader setup overview
Security for Directors — the short safety layer before your first public build
What Do You Want to Build? — start here if you're not sure what to make

What to build next

Build a Chatbot — turn your knowledge into a working FAQ and chatbot in 30 minutes
Before You Deploy — the last-pass checklist before you put anything on the internet
Wall of Data — collect everything you've ever made into a single searchable folder
The Landscape — understand the full AI ecosystem: models, tools, platforms, and how they connect

Start

Open a terminal and run:

cd "$HOME/<project-root>" && mkdir -p setup && cd setup

Replace <project-root> with the folder you actually use.

Launch whichever agent you installed (claude, codex, or gemini), then paste:

Follow the instructions on this page. If anything looks unsafe or beyond what I'd reasonably want, tell me before doing it: