Complete Developer Setup Guide
Comprehensive guide for setting up your development environment from scratch
What You'll Have When Done
- All essential development tools installed
- Version control configured
- Company tools and access configured
- Ready for any programming language
- Optimized for team collaboration
Total Time: 45-60 minutes (depending on internet speed and prior setup)
Phase 1: System Essentials (10 minutes)
Step 1: Package Manager
Why: Makes installing and updating development tools simple and consistent.
macOS - Homebrew
# Install Homebrew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
# Add to PATH (important for Apple Silicon Macs)
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc
# Verify
brew --version
Windows - Package Manager
# Winget is pre-installed on Windows 10/11
winget --version
# Alternative: Install Chocolatey (run as Administrator)
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
Linux
# Your package manager is already installed
# Ubuntu/Debian: apt
# CentOS/RHEL/Fedora: dnf (or yum)
sudo apt update # or sudo dnf update
Step 2: Git & Version Control
Why: Required for all source code management and company repositories.
# Install Git
# macOS (requires Xcode Command Line Tools)
xcode-select --install
# or: brew install git
# Windows
winget install Git.Git
# or: choco install git
# Linux
sudo apt install git # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install git # Fedora/RHEL/CentOS
# Configure (replace with your info)
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@company.com"
# Verify
git --version && git config --get user.name
Step 3: Essential System Libraries
Why: Required for compiling many development tools and libraries.
macOS - Build Tools & OpenSSL
# Install essential libraries
brew install openssl@3 pkg-config cmake gcc
# <Wrench className="w-4 h-4 mr-1 inline text-amber-600" /> CRITICAL: Fix OpenSSL paths for Apple Silicon
# Add these to your ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bash_profile if using bash):
echo 'export OPENSSL_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export LDFLAGS="-L/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/lib $LDFLAGS"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'export CPPFLAGS="-I/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/include $CPPFLAGS"' >> ~/.zshrc
# Reload shell configuration
source ~/.zshrc
# Verify OpenSSL is found
pkg-config --modversion openssl
Windows - Build Tools
# Install Microsoft C++ Build Tools
winget install Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.BuildTools
# or: choco install visualstudio2022buildtools
# Verify
where cl # Should find the compiler
Linux - Build Essentials
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev pkg-config cmake git curl
# CentOS/RHEL/Fedora
sudo dnf install gcc gcc-c++ make openssl-devel pkgconfig cmake git curl
# Verify
gcc --version && pkg-config --modversion openssl
Phase 2: Core Development Tools (15 minutes)
Step 4: Java Development Kit
Why: Required for Java applications and many company tools.
Download & Install Amazon Corretto 17 (Recommended)
Direct Downloads:
- macOS: Corretto 17 macOS (Intel) | Corretto 17 macOS (Apple Silicon)
- Windows: Corretto 17 Windows
- Linux: Corretto 17 Linux
Alternative: Package Manager Install
# macOS
brew install --cask corretto17
# Windows
winget install Amazon.Corretto.17
# or: choco install corretto17jdk
# Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)
wget -O- https://apt.corretto.aws/corretto.key | sudo apt-key add -
sudo add-apt-repository 'deb https://apt.corretto.aws stable main'
sudo apt update && sudo apt install java-17-amazon-corretto-jdk
Configure Java Environment
# Find Java installation path
# macOS: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/amazon-corretto-17.jdk/Contents/Home
# Windows: C:\Program Files\Amazon Corretto\jdk17.x.x_x
# Linux: /usr/lib/jvm/java-17-amazon-corretto
# Add to shell profile (~/.zshrc, ~/.bash_profile, or Windows Environment Variables)
export JAVA_HOME="/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/amazon-corretto-17.jdk/Contents/Home" # macOS
export PATH="$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH"
# Windows (in PowerShell profile or Environment Variables)
$env:JAVA_HOME = "C:\Program Files\Amazon Corretto\jdk17.0.x_x"
$env:PATH = "$env:JAVA_HOME\bin;$env:PATH"
# Verify
java -version # Should show Amazon Corretto 17.x.x
Step 5: Docker
Why: Essential for containerized development and deployment.
Download & Install Docker Desktop
Direct Downloads:
- macOS: Docker Desktop macOS (Intel) | Docker Desktop macOS (Apple Silicon)
- Windows: Docker Desktop Windows
- Linux: Follow Docker Engine install guide for your distribution
Alternative: Package Manager Install
# macOS
brew install --cask docker
# Windows
winget install Docker.DockerDesktop
# or: choco install docker-desktop
# Note: Linux users should follow official Docker installation guide
Verify Docker Installation
# Check Docker is installed
docker --version
# Test Docker is working
docker run hello-world # Should download and run successfully
Phase 3: Company Tools Setup (15 minutes)
Step 6: Artifact Management Access
Why: Required to access company package repositories and internal tools.
Complete Artifact Management Setup
Summary:
- Access JFrog Artifactory at company URL
- Generate identity token
- Configure local tools (Maven, npm, etc.)
Step 7: Platform CLI (p6m)
Why: Required for repository management, context switching, and cloud access.
Summary:
- Install p6m CLI for your platform
- Configure environment variables
- Test repository and context commands
Step 8: Project Templates (Archetect)
Why: Required for creating new projects from company templates.
Summary:
- Install Archetect tool
- Configure company template repositories
- Test project creation
Phase 4: Development Environment (10 minutes)
Step 9: IDE Setup
Recommended: Visual Studio Code with essential extensions
# Install VS Code
# macOS
brew install --cask visual-studio-code
# Windows
winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode
# or: choco install vscode
# Linux
sudo snap install code --classic
# or follow official installation guide
Essential VS Code Extensions
# Install via command line
code --install-extension ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-next
code --install-extension ms-python.python
code --install-extension redhat.java
code --install-extension rust-lang.rust-analyzer
code --install-extension bradlc.vscode-tailwindcss
code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
code --install-extension ms-vscode.vscode-json
# Verify
code --list-extensions
Step 10: Optional Advanced Tools
Kubernetes CLI (for container deployments)
# macOS
brew install kubectl
# Windows
winget install Kubernetes.kubectl
# or: choco install kubernetes-cli
# Linux
sudo snap install kubectl --classic
# Verify
kubectl version --client
Setup Verification
Run these commands to verify everything is working:
# Core tools
git --version # Git 2.30+
java -version # Amazon Corretto 17.x.x
docker --version # Docker 20.x+
node --version # Node.js 18+ (if installed)
code --version # VS Code
# Build tools
pkg-config --modversion openssl # OpenSSL version
gcc --version # Compiler (macOS/Linux)
# Company tools
p6m --version # Platform CLI
archetect --version # Template engine
# Test functionality
docker run hello-world # Docker works
git status # Git works (anywhere)
code . # VS Code opens current directory
Success: If all commands work, your development environment is ready!
Next Steps
Choose your development focus:
Programming Languages
- JavaScript/Node.js - Web development, full-stack apps
- Python - APIs, data science, automation
- Java - Enterprise applications, microservices
- Rust - Systems programming, performance-critical apps
- .NET - Cross-platform applications
Development Guides
- Backend Development - APIs, databases, services
- Frontend Development - Web applications, UI
- Architecture Patterns - System design, best practices
Troubleshooting
OpenSSL Issues (macOS)
Problem: "Could not find directory of OpenSSL installation"
Solution: Ensure these environment variables are set:
export OPENSSL_DIR=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
export LDFLAGS="-L/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/lib $LDFLAGS"
export CPPFLAGS="-I/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/include $CPPFLAGS"
Java Not Found
Problem: java: command not found
Solution: Set JAVA_HOME correctly:
# Find Java location (macOS)
/usr/libexec/java_home -V
# Set in shell profile
export JAVA_HOME="/path/to/your/java/installation"
export PATH="$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH"
Docker Permission Issues (Linux)
Problem: "Permission denied" running Docker
Solution: Add user to docker group:
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in, then test
docker run hello-world
Package Manager Issues
Problem: Command not found after installation
Solution: Restart terminal or reload shell profile:
# macOS/Linux
source ~/.zshrc # or ~/.bash_profile
# Windows: Close and reopen terminal/PowerShell
Need more help? Contact the platform team for assistance.