Getting Started with Coding on macOS

Go from zero to a professional development environment configured and ready to code on macOS. You will learn the foundational concepts, configurations, and curated tools to get you all set up and ready to learn!

Hours

Beginner

  Last Updated
Jan 2026

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This course includes:

  • Access to our discord community
  • Written lessons, interactives, quiz questions, and video walkthroughs
  • And it's free!

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Prerequisites:

A macOS desktop or laptop and a high-speed internet connection.

Overview

Curriculum

Mentor

FAQs

What we'll cover...

  • File System Fundamentals
  • How Software Works
  • Terminal Commands using ZSH
  • Installing SDKs and IDEs
  • Package Management with Homebrew
  • GitHub Basics
  • The difference between C# and .NET
  • Branching and Looping Statements
  • Installing and configuring your tools
  • Arrays
  • Declaring and using variables
  • Debugging Basics

Most Tutorials Skip This Part!

They jump straight into syntax and leave you struggling with error messages about paths, permissions, and missing dependencies. You follow along perfectly, but nothing works on your machine.

The frustration isn't your fault
Learning to code is hard enough without fighting your own computer. Professional developers spend years accumulating the setup knowledge that makes everything else possible, then they promptly forget what it was like not to know!

We have detailed lessons and video walkthroughs
Video is great for demonstrating instructions, but the written lessons walk through every step, every configuration, and the details on why we're doing something and how it works. If your goal is to be a professional, the "why" is just as important as the "how".

Start your coding journey on solid ground
Whether you're heading into web development, data science, mobile apps, or game development, the fundamentals are the same. Set up your environment once, set it up right, and focus your energy on actually learning to code.

Ready to set up your Mac
the right way?

Stop copying commands you don't understand.
Build a development environment you actually know how to use.

Curriculum Outline

Module 1: Getting Started

  • Get oriented with the course and understand the foundation of how macOS organizes files and directories.
  • Welcome
  • Computer Storage Basics
  • Folders and Directories
  • Files
  • Rules for Naming Files and Directories
  • Permissions
  • Where Does Everything Live?
  • Quiz

Module 2: Introduction to the Terminal

  • Move beyond the graphical interface and learn to navigate, create, and manage files using the command line—the tool professional developers use every day.
  • Introduction and Walkthrough
  • What is the Terminal?
  • Navigation
  • File and Directory Manipulation
  • Variables and the PATH
  • Activity: Customizing the Shell
  • Activity: Create a Custom Shell Script
  • Activity: Set up a Workspace
  • Activity: Install Xcode Command Line Tools

Module 3: Software Foundations

  • Get a glimpse under the hood at how hardware, operating systems, kernels, runtimes, and package managers actually work.
  • Understanding Software

Module 4: Setting Up Your Development Environment

  • Demystify how software actually works—from source code to running applications—and understand the terminology you'll encounter in every programming tutorial.
  • Introduction to Homebrew
  • Activity: Installing Node.js
  • Activity: Installing Python
  • Activity: Installing Java
  • Activity: Installing .NET

Module 5: Getting Started with IDEs

  • Set up the tools where you'll spend most of your time writing code. Learn to install, configure, and navigate professional IDEs.
  • About IDEs
  • Activity: Installing VS Code
  • Activity: Installing JetBrains Toolbox
  • Activity: Hello, World in Java with IntelliJ
  • Activity: Hello, World in C# with Rider

Module 6: Introduction to Git and GitHub

  • Set up version control from day one. Learn to track changes on your personal projects.
  • Introduction to Git and GitHub
  • Activity: Setup GitHub
  • Activity: Basic Git Commands

Module 7: Next Steps

  • Wrap up and discover pathways for continuing your development journey.
  • Final Words

How We Build Developers

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Written Lessons That Actually Make Sense

Our written content explains complex concepts in plain English, with real examples you can quickly apply. You'll understand not just what to do, but why pros make the decisions we do.

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Hands-On Practice That Builds Confidence

Every concept comes with code samples and exercises. You can't learn to play guitar without putting your fingers on the strings and you can't learn to code without writing a lot of code!
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Videos That Show, Don't Just Tell

You'll see how professional developers think, debug, and refactor code. These aren't just lectures, but applied theory. See concepts actually used together!
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Rigorous Capstone Projects That Prove Your Skills

You'll build substantial applications that demonstrate your ability to architect solutions, handle complexity, and deliver professional-quality code.

Join developers who chose...

depth over speed,
understanding over memorization, and 
professional skills over participation certificates.

Frequently asked questions

Who is this course for?

This course is for complete beginners. We start from true zero. If you have a macOS computer and an internet connection, you're good to go.

Why does it take 10-20 hours just to get setup?

Well, it doesn't. If you're already comfortable with files, directories, the terminal, package management, installing SDKs and IDEs, and using GitHub, you can set up your machine in an hour or two.

But if you could do that, you wouldn't be here!

We explain not just how, but also why things work the way they do. This course will get your machine set up for coding and also make you a better computer user.

Which languages are installed?

We install tooling for 4 of the most popular languages: JavaScript (NodeJS), Python, Java, and C#.

However, the process for setting up these languages is similar to that of other languages, so after completing this course, you will be more confident installing tooling for any language or framework.

What if I get stuck?

Getting stuck is a normal part of the learning process. To become a skilled developer, you must understand how your computer basically works. Whenever you get stuck, pop into the Discord community where a Skill Foundry mentor will answer all of your questions!

You do NOT need to be on a paid plan to ask questions. Subscribers do get priority support.

Can I use AI tools?

We recommend that you avoid using AI tools until you master the fundamentals. AI is not skilled enough to write all of the code in professional environments, but it is quite capable of doing the fundamentals like those in this course. If you use AI to skip the fundamentals, eventually you will get stuck and be unable to advance to more complex skills.

Also, you won't get to use AI in a technical interview, so if your goal is a job, you must be able to code without using AI tools!

Don't worry! When you master the fundamentals, using AI tools later isn't difficult, because your understanding will enable you to write detailed, technical prompts.

About the Author

Eric Wise

Software Architect | Mentor | Entrepreneur
Eric is a veteran software architect, multi-time tech entrepreneur, and someone who's been in every corner of the industry from tech start ups, big corporations, and freelancing.
But what makes Eric truly special is his legendary ability to explain complex concepts in ways that actually stick.

Forge your Future. Learn to Code.

You can’t fast-forward time, but you can stop wasting it.

Join now and start making real progress.

Start today.

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Monthly Plan

$75/month

  • Full access to all courses and learning paths
  • Learn at your own pace. No deadlines or pressure
  •  Regular content updates and new project releases
  • Access to our supportive Discord community
  • Help from the Skill Foundry team when you need it

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Annual Plan

$600/year

  • All monthly plan benefits
  • Access 24/7 to all courses and updates