Shortcuts stay out of the way while you are typing a note.
The written version of this session, with the commands and templates to copy.
You do not need a developer on retainer to start using an AI coding agent. You pick one tool, install it on your Mac or Windows PC, sign in, and send it a first prompt. Codex, Claude Code, and Grok Build all do the same job. Any of them works. Do not install all three today.
By the end of this lesson you have a working agent on your machine and a file it created for you.
Choose the one that matches an account you already have, or are willing to sign up for. You can switch later.
| You already have | Install this | Command you will run |
|---|---|---|
| Any ChatGPT account | Codex | codex |
| Claude Pro or higher | Claude Code | claude |
| Grok / SuperGrok / xAI | Grok Build | grok |
Write the tool name on a sticky note. The rest of this lesson uses only that one.
You are not installing an app from the App Store. You paste one command into a terminal.
Mac: press Command + Space, type Terminal, press Enter. A window opens with a blinking cursor. Lines usually start with % or $.
Windows: click Start, type PowerShell, open Windows PowerShell (not Command Prompt). The line should start with PS C:\Users\.... If you only see C:\Users\... with no PS, you are in Command Prompt. Close it and open PowerShell.
Leave this window open. You will paste one command into it.
Create or confirm the account that matches your tool. Installing first and then discovering you are on a free plan that does not include the CLI wastes time.
Keep that browser tab logged in. The first time you run the tool, it will open a browser to finish login.
Copy only the line for your tool and your operating system. Paste it into Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows). Press Enter. Text will scroll. Wait until it finishes.
Mac:
curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh
Windows (PowerShell):
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex"
Mac:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell):
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
On native Windows, Git for Windows is recommended so Claude Code can use Bash. If you skip it, Claude Code still runs and uses PowerShell instead.
Mac:
curl -fsSL https://x.ai/cli/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell):
irm https://x.ai/cli/install.ps1 | iex
After any install: close the terminal window completely, open a new one, then check that the command exists:
codex --versionclaude --versiongrok --versionIf the new window says the command is not found, the installer added itself to PATH but this window was opened before that. A fresh window almost always fixes it.
ai-setup-test (Finder or File Explorer is fine).Mac:
cd ~/Desktop/ai-setup-test
Windows:
cd $HOME\Desktop\ai-setup-test
codex, claude, or grok, then Enter.Create a file named hello.txt in this folder. The file should contain the sentence: I am set up.
Approve the file write if the tool asks.
Open the folder in Finder or File Explorer. You should see hello.txt. Open it. You should see that sentence. You did not type the file by hand. The agent did.
You can open a new terminal, cd into a folder, run codex or claude or grok, and get a reply. The hello.txt file exists on disk. That is a complete, working AI coding agent on your computer.
If the login page errors, you are usually on the wrong plan (free Claude.ai for Claude Code is the most common). Fix the plan, run the tool again, and type /login if it offers that command.
Template included: Members get a printable Mac/Windows setup checklist, the three official install commands, and a first-prompt pack (explain this folder, make a hello file, list what you can do). Find it in your member dashboard under Templates.
Short on time? Agentic Quarks will implement this end to end, wired into your stack, and hand you the keys.
There is one install that unlocks everything else we teach: an AI coding agent on your own computer. Codex, Claude Code, or Grok Build. You pick one, and in about thirty minutes it is doing real work on your machine.
First, pick exactly one tool, and match it to a subscription you already pay for. ChatGPT Plus means Codex. Claude Pro means Claude Code. A Grok account means Grok Build. Write it on a sticky note and ignore the other two.
Next, open the right window. On a Mac, press Command Space and type Terminal. On Windows, open PowerShell, not Command Prompt. You are not installing an app from a store. You will paste a single command into this window.
Before you install anything, confirm your account. Free plans do not include these tools, and finding that out after the install wastes your evening. Sign in on the website, check the plan name, and keep that tab open.
Now paste the one install line for your tool and your system, and press Enter. Text scrolls, you wait. When it finishes, close the terminal completely and open a fresh one, so your new command is found.
Make a folder on your desktop, go there in the terminal, and start your agent. The first launch opens your browser to approve the login. Then give it a real job: create a file named hello dot t x t.
Open the folder. The file is there, and you did not type it. That is the moment this stops being theory. An agent on your machine just did work for you, and it can do far bigger work than this.
You are done when you can open a new terminal, run your tool, and get a reply. Members also get the printable Mac and Windows setup checklist and a first prompt pack in the template vault.
This setup is the foundation for every automation in the library. Install it once, and every other lesson gets faster. When you are ready, the next lesson puts your new agent to work.
Install an agent, then make it build, watch, and guard for you
7 sessions, 17 min of video, about 4.5 hours to do, 2 free.
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