Install guides

You don't need any of these to start. Course 02 is browser-only (Google Colab) through M2. Come here only when a module tells you to: each guide says which module needs it. Every guide has separate steps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, exact commands, the output you should see, and a troubleshooting box.

Guide	You'll need it at	What it's for
terminal.md	M3	Finding and opening your computer's terminal, no install, just where it is
python-venv.md	M3	Your first local install: Python + a virtual environment + pip
api-keys.md	M4	Creating an AI provider (Claude) key and storing it safely in .env
vector-store.md	M7	Installing Chroma (the vector store for RAG), note the Python-version caveat
ollama.md	M13	Running open models locally with Ollama (no API key)
docker.md	M11	Installing Docker to containerize your app (callback to Course 01), has a no-Docker fallback

If a guide's steps don't match what you see, the tool has probably updated, tell your instructor, and use the "if you get stuck" steps in START-HERE meanwhile.