Set up your dev environment Path

Terminal commands for everyday development The handful of terminal commands you actually use day to day, plus paths and flags, without the become-a-Linux-wizard detour. 16 min
Set up VS Code for a project Setting up VS Code for real projects: the extensions worth installing, format on save, and why user settings and workspace settings are different. 12 min
Package managers and lockfiles What npm, pnpm, and Yarn actually do, the role of package.json and lockfiles, npm install versus npm ci, and why deleting a lockfile is goblin behavior. 13 min
Manage Node.js versions Why the Node.js version matters, how to check and pin it with .nvmrc, engines, nvm, fnm, or Volta, and the bugs a mismatch causes. 12 min
Environment variables explained Learn what environment variables are, where they live, how to use them safely, and how not to accidentally leak your secrets. 4 min
Automate commands with project scripts The scripts block in package.json, the standard scripts every project should have, and running frontend and backend together. 11 min
Set up ESLint and Prettier The difference between a linter and a formatter, why ESLint and Prettier sometimes fight, format on save, project config, and running them in CI. 11 min
Set up logs and breakpoints Debugging as a process, not a panic ritual: logs, devtools, the Network tab, stack traces, breakpoints, VS Code launch configs, and a checklist. 15 min
Run a database locally Why real apps need a local database, how to run Postgres and Redis with Docker Compose, connection strings, seeds, migrations, resets, and the bugs in between. 14 min
Save your setup with dotfiles The dot-prefixed config files that keep a project consistent across machines: which to commit, which to keep local, and how they stop projects from rotting. 12 min