Installation Guide for Windows

This guide will walk you through installing the software you need for Web Development class on a Windows computer.

What You'll Install

  1. Phoenix Code - Your code editor for writing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  2. Git - Version control software for tracking changes and publishing to GitHub

Installing Phoenix Code

Step 1: Download Phoenix Code

  1. Go to https://phcode.dev/
  2. Click the Download button for Windows
  3. The installer file will download (usually to your Downloads folder)

Step 2: Run the Installer

  1. Locate the downloaded file (likely named something like PhoenixCode-Setup.exe)
  2. Double-click the installer file
  3. If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", click Yes
  4. Follow the installation wizard:
    • Accept the license agreement
    • Choose the default installation location (recommended)
    • Keep the default options selected
    • Click Install
  5. Wait for the installation to complete
  6. Click Finish

Step 3: Launch Phoenix Code

  1. Phoenix Code should open automatically after installation
  2. If not, find it in your Start Menu and click to open
  3. You may see a security warning the first time - click Run to continue

You're done installing Phoenix Code!

Installing Git

Step 1: Download Git

  1. Go to https://git-scm.com/downloads
  2. Click Download for Windows
  3. The installer will download automatically

Step 2: Run the Git Installer

  1. Locate the downloaded file (likely named something like Git-2.xx.x-64-bit.exe)
  2. Double-click the installer file
  3. If Windows asks for permission, click Yes

Step 3: Installation Options

The Git installer will ask you many questions. Here are the recommended settings:

Information page:

Select Destination Location:

Select Components:

Select Start Menu Folder:

Choosing the default editor used by Git:

Adjusting the name of the initial branch in new repositories:

Adjusting your PATH environment:

Choosing the SSH executable:

Choosing HTTPS transport backend:

Configuring the line ending conversions:

Configuring the terminal emulator to use with Git Bash:

Choose the default behavior of 'git pull':

Choose a credential helper:

Configuring extra options:

Configuring experimental options:

Step 4: Complete Installation

  1. Wait for installation to complete
  2. Click Finish

Step 5: Verify Git is Installed

  1. Press Windows key + R
  2. Type cmd and press Enter
  3. In the command prompt window, type:
    git --version
  4. Press Enter
  5. You should see something like git version 2.xx.x

If you see the version number, Git is installed correctly!

Setting Up SSH Keys for GitHub

SSH keys allow you to connect to GitHub securely without entering your password every time. We'll set this up together in class, but here are the steps:

Step 1: Open Git Bash

  1. Press the Windows key and search for "Git Bash"
  2. Click to open Git Bash (this is a terminal program installed with Git)

Step 2: Generate an SSH Key

  1. In Git Bash, type the following command (replace your.email@example.com with your actual email address):
    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"
  2. Press Enter
  3. When asked "Enter a file in which to save the key," just press Enter to accept the default location
  4. When asked for a passphrase, press Enter twice to have no passphrase

Your SSH key has been created!

Step 3: Start the SSH Agent

  1. In Git Bash, type:
    eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
  2. Press Enter
  3. You should see something like Agent pid 1234

Step 4: Add Your SSH Key to the Agent

  1. In Git Bash, type:
    ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
  2. Press Enter

Step 5: Copy Your Public Key

  1. In Git Bash, type:
    cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
  2. Press Enter
  3. You'll see your public key displayed (it starts with ssh-ed25519 and ends with your email)
  4. Carefully select and copy all of this text (right-click in Git Bash and select Copy, or use Ctrl+Insert)

Step 6: Add SSH Key to GitHub

  1. Go to GitHub.com and log in
  2. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner
  3. Select Settings
  4. In the left sidebar, click SSH and GPG keys
  5. Click the green New SSH key button
  6. Give your key a title (like "School Laptop" or "Home Computer")
  7. In the "Key" field, paste your public key (Ctrl+V)
  8. Click Add SSH key
  9. If prompted, enter your GitHub password to confirm

Step 7: Test Your SSH Connection

  1. Back in Git Bash, type:
    ssh -T git@github.com
  2. Press Enter
  3. You may see a warning asking "Are you sure you want to continue connecting?" - Type yes and press Enter
  4. If successful, you'll see a message like: Hi username! You've successfully authenticated...

You're now set up to use SSH with GitHub!

Next Steps

You're all set! In class, we'll:

If you have any problems with installation, let your teacher know in class.

Troubleshooting

Phoenix Code won't open:

Git command not found:

Installation failed:

SSH key issues: