Technical prerequisites
Why this module exists
This track has no live instructor. If a tool is missing or misconfigured by module 3 or module 5, you're left alone facing an error with no context to fix it. This module exists solely to prevent that: it's a checklist to run through before going further, not a lesson.
Take 10 minutes, check each item with the command shown, and only move on to module 2 once everything is green.
1. Docker installed and running
You need Docker Desktop (Windows/macOS) or Docker Engine plus a container runtime (Linux). This is what will actually build and run the Dev Containers in the modules ahead.
Check:
docker --version
Expected healthy output (the exact version doesn't matter):
Docker version 27.3.1, build ce12230
That's not enough on its own: this command only confirms the Docker client is installed, not that Docker is running. Next, check that the engine actually responds:
docker ps
Expected healthy output: an empty table (or one listing existing containers), with column headers like CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND ....
If you get an error like Cannot connect to the Docker daemon: Docker Desktop isn't running (open the app and wait for the icon to show it's ready), or the Docker Engine service isn't started on Linux.
If the error instead mentions permission denied while accessing the Docker socket: the daemon is running, but your user isn't in the docker group. On Linux: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER, then log out and back in (or reboot) for the change to take effect.
2. VS Code installed, with the Dev Containers extension
Check VS Code:
code --version
Expected healthy output: three lines — a version number, a commit hash, and an architecture, for example:
1.94.2
cd4ee3b1c348a13bafd8f9ad8060705f6d4b9cba
x64
If the code command isn't found, VS Code probably didn't add its executable to your PATH during installation — rerun the installer or add it manually.
Check the Dev Containers extension (published by Microsoft):
code --list-extensions | grep ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers
Expected healthy output: the line ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers is printed. If nothing shows up, open VS Code, go to the Extensions panel (the stacked-blocks icon in the sidebar, or Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X), search for "Dev Containers", and install the one published by Microsoft.
3. git installed and configured
Check the installation:
git --version
Expected healthy output:
git version 2.43.0
Check the configuration — this is what will be attached to every commit you make, including the ones in module 5:
git config --get user.name
git config --get user.email
Expected healthy output: your name, then your email address, each on its own line — no empty output.
If either command returns nothing, set them:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
4. Enough disk space
The base images used by Dev Containers (module 3) typically weigh between 500 MB and 2 GB once decompressed, and Docker keeps several of them cached. Budget at least 5 to 10 GB of free space before you start.
Check (Linux/macOS):
df -h .
Look at the Avail column on the line for your disk.
On Windows, check free disk space through File Explorer (right-click the disk → Properties), or in Settings → System → Storage.
If something fails
If even one of these four items isn't green, stop here and fix it before continuing. Modules 3 and 5 assume Docker is running, VS Code can open a Dev Container, and git is configured — without that, you'll hit an error with no clue how to resolve it. Ten minutes of checking now beats a whole session stuck later.
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