← Reachy Mini workshop
Reachy Mini · Parent guide

Before Class 04: Laptop Setup for Parents (about 30 minutes)

Please finish these steps before class. You (the parent) create and own every account. Your child should not know the passwords.

Step 1. Create a GitHub account (skip if you already have one)

  1. Go to https://github.com/signup.
  2. Enter your own email (a parent email), make a strong password, and choose a username. Do not use your child's real name in the username, because it can be seen publicly.
  3. If GitHub asks questions about how you'll use it, you can skip them. Choose the Free plan.

Note: GitHub allows one free personal account per person, so if you already have one, use it.

Step 2. Turn on two-factor sign-in (optional, recommended)

This protects the account, so a password alone isn't enough to get in.

  1. On a phone, install an authenticator app such as Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, or 1Password.
  2. On github.com, click your profile picture (top right), then Settings.
  3. In the left menu, click Password and authentication.
  4. Under "Two-factor authentication," click Enable two-factor authentication.
  5. Scan the QR code with the authenticator app, then type the 6-digit code it shows.
  6. Download or print the recovery codes and keep them somewhere safe. They are the only way back in if you lose your phone.

Step 3. Install Git

Git is the "save points" tool the class will use.

To check it worked, open Terminal (Mac) or Git Bash (Windows), type git --version and press Enter. You should see something like git version 2.x.

Then tell Git your name and email (use the same email as GitHub). Type these two lines, pressing Enter after each:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Step 4. Install VS Code

VS Code is the free program where we'll write and run the robot app.

  1. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com and click the big Download button for your computer.
  2. Windows: run the installer, accept the agreement, and check Add to PATH if it's offered. Click Next through the rest.
  3. Mac: open the downloaded file and drag Visual Studio Code into your Applications folder.
  4. Open VS Code once to make sure it starts.

Step 5. Sign in to GitHub inside VS Code

  1. In VS Code, click the person icon (Accounts) in the bottom-left corner.
  2. Choose Sign in with GitHub (it may say "to use GitHub Copilot").
  3. Your web browser opens. Sign in to GitHub and click Authorize Visual Studio Code.
  4. If the browser asks to open VS Code, click Open. You'll be back in VS Code, signed in.

Step 6. Turn on GitHub Copilot Free (optional)

Copilot is the AI helper we'll use to "vibe code". Class still works if you skip this, because your child can watch the teacher's screen.

  1. In VS Code, click the Copilot icon at the top of the window (near the search bar), or open the Chat view.
  2. Click Use AI Features or Sign up for Copilot Free (the wording changes between versions).
  3. Sign in with your GitHub account if asked, and accept the terms.
  4. Copilot Free includes a small monthly allowance of AI requests, which is enough for practice. You don't need to pay anything.

For safety, please also do this once: open Settings (the gear icon at the bottom left, then Settings), search for auto approve, and make sure terminal auto-approve is off. This way, the AI always has to ask before running a command, and a grown-up clicks Allow.

Step 7. Quick test (2 minutes)

When all three work, reply "Ready" to the teacher. If anything gets stuck, send a screenshot of the error and we'll fix it before class.

House rules