Create a project

Install your tool, make a project with save points, and get your agent's first reply from inside the project.

Every project needs a home. On the terminal and editor tracks, that's a folder on your computer with git switched on, so every working version can be saved and restored. On the app builder track, the builder creates the project in your browser. Either way, you'll finish this lesson with an agent that has answered your first prompt from inside your project.

Why git comes first

Git is a free tool that records snapshots of your project, called commits. Think of them as save points in a game: if the agent's next change breaks something, you can return to the last good one in seconds. Agents use git fluently, so you rarely type git commands yourself. You ask, “commit this with a message that says what changed,” and the agent does it.

Some tools add their own undo on top. Claude Code keeps checkpoints you can return to with /rewind, and Cursor puts a Restore Checkpoint button on earlier messages. They're handy within one session, but Claude Code's own documentation says checkpoints are not a replacement for version control. Commits are your permanent history, and they come with you if you switch tools.

Quick checkExercise 1 of 2

The agent made a change you liked. Two prompts later, the page is broken. What gets you back fastest?

Five terminal commands you'll see

Command	What it does	Example
`pwd`	Prints the folder you're in	`/Users/you`
`ls`	Lists the files in this folder (works on Mac, Linux and PowerShell)	`index.html styles.css`
`mkdir`	Makes a new folder	`mkdir crumb-and-co`
`cd`	Moves into a folder	`cd crumb-and-co`
`git status`	Shows what changed since the last commit	`modified: index.html`

Fill the blanksExercise 2 of 2

Create a folder for the project and move into it.

crumb-and-co crumb-and-co

Start the agent inside the project

Terminal agents treat the folder you start them in as the project they can read and change. Always cd into the project folder first. Never start an agent from your home folder or Desktop, where it could read files that have nothing to do with the project.

Install commands

Terminal track only. Pick one agent and run the command for your system. These are the installers each vendor publishes, as of November 2026.

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Tool	Account you need (as of November 2026)	Start it with
Claude Code	A paid Claude plan (Pro or higher)	`claude`
Codex	A ChatGPT account (Free and Go include limited use)	`codex`
Grok Build	The X Subscription, Plus tier or higher	`grok`
Antigravity CLI	A Google account (free tier with weekly limits); install from antigravity.google	`agy`
Cursor	A Cursor account (Free plan available)	Open the app
VS Code + Copilot	A GitHub account (Copilot Free)	Open the app
App builders	An account on the builder's site; most have free plans	Open the website

Definition of done0 / 4

Pick your track · finish either one

Steps · 0 / 5 done

Open a terminal
On a Mac, open Terminal (press Cmd+Space and type “Terminal”). On Windows, open PowerShell from the Start menu. On Linux, open your terminal app. Type pwd and press Enter to see which folder you're in.
bash
```
pwd
```
VerifyA folder path prints, such as /Users/you on a Mac or C:\Users\you on Windows.
Install one agent
Run the install command for your agent and system from the tabs above. For Antigravity CLI, follow the install steps at antigravity.google. The installer may show no progress while it downloads. When it finishes, close the terminal and open a new one so it can find the new command. Don't start the agent yet: you'll start it from inside the project folder in step 4.
VerifyThe installer finishes without an error. If you installed Claude Code, claude --version prints a version number; you'll check the other agents in step 4.
Make the project folder
Create the folder and move into it. Everything for this course lives here.
bash
```
mkdir crumb-and-co
cd crumb-and-co
```
Verifypwd now ends in crumb-and-co.
Start the agent and sign in
From inside the folder, type your agent's command: claude, codex, grok or agy. The first run opens your browser so you can sign in with your account. If the agent asks whether you trust this folder, say yes: it's your new, empty project.
VerifyThe agent shows a prompt where you can type, and its header or reply mentions the crumb-and-co folder. If you see “command not found”, open a new terminal window, cd back into the folder and try again.
Send your first prompt
Ask the agent to set up the project without building the site yet. If it reports that git isn't installed, ask it to walk you through installing git for your system, then send the prompt again.
prompt
```
This is a new, empty project for a one-page bakery website called Crumb & Co. Don't build the site yet. Set up the folder: create a README.md with one paragraph describing the project, initialize git, and make a first commit. Explain each step in one short sentence as you go.
```
VerifyA README.md file exists, and asking the agent “show me the git log” lists one commit.

Check your understanding

Q1. Why should you start a terminal agent from inside your project folder?

Q2. How is a builder's version history, or an agent's checkpoint, different from a git commit?

· Tick off the 5 step(s) above.

· Work through the 2 remaining exercises above (stuck? each one can show you the answer).

· Score 100% on the quiz.

Vocabulary in this lesson

AgentA model wired to tools and a loop: it reads, acts, checks the result, and goes again until the task is done or you stop it.ToolA named capability the harness lets the model invoke, such as reading a file, running a shell command or fetching a page.CheckpointA saved state of your files, and sometimes the conversation, that you can rewind to after a turn goes wrong.Usage limitThe cap on how much agent work your plan or API key allows in a window. Hitting it pauses you; it isn't the context window.

Plain-English definitions from the AI Coding Dictionary.

Create a project

Why git comes first

Five terminal commands you'll see

Install commands

Open a terminal

Install one agent

Make the project folder

Start the agent and sign in

Send your first prompt