Installation

• Git: a widely-used version control system that you’ll use to save your work, track changes to your code, and submit your project
• Claude Code: an AI coding agent that you’ll collaborate with as you understand, debug, and improve your code
• Android Studio: the integrated development environment (IDE) that you’ll use to write, build, run, and debug your Android app

This guide will walk you step-by-step through the process of installing these tools on your development machine. Note that Android Studio and Git are free software, but Claude Code requires a monthly subscription.

Laptop

Laptop

You will need a laptop or other personal computer to work on the MP. Most laptops are able to run Android Studio without too much trouble, although the emulator may be slow on older models.

If you don’t have access to a personal computer, please see our laptop loaner program information for details about university programs that provide free laptop loans for the semester. Both the Engineering IT and ATLAS programs provide laptops with full administrative access, allowing you to install Android Studio and all required software.

Android Studio cannot be installed on the lab machines on campus, and you need administrator privileges to install it on your development machine. Both laptop loaner programs described on our resources page provide machines with the necessary permissions.

If you are really stuck gaining access to a personal computer to complete the MP, please reach out to Geoff for help.

GitHub

GitHub

If you don’t already have a GitHub account, start here to create one. It’s quick, free, and painless. Note that if you sign up with your @illinois.edu email address there are usually some freebies thrown in…

If you already have a GitHub account, just keep using it for CS 124. There is no requirement that you identify yourself as a CS 124 or Illinois student with GitHub.

Once you’re done, link your GitHub account with your CS 124 identity using the button below.

Claude Account

Claude Account

You should already have a Claude account from earlier in the semester. If not, you’ll need to sign up for at least the Claude Pro plan, which costs $20 per month, as detailed in the syllabus required materials section. Below we’ll walk you through installing Claude Code, the command-line coding agent that you’ll use alongside Android Studio for the MP.

Overview

Overview

As an overview, we’ll first install Git, then Claude Code, and finally Android Studio. The process can take a bit of time, so please be patient, and proceed slowly and carefully step-by-step. Installing new software is generally a very safe process, and these are widely-used tools, but it’s still possible for things to go wrong. Reach out to the course tutors for support if and when needed.

Version Information

Version Information

For Spring 2026 we are using Android Studio Panda 2 | 2025.3.2, which is the latest available as of March 2026. If an upgrade is released, the course staff will let you know if it is safe to use. Patch updates are generally safe to install, but to be completely safe, don’t upgrade until you get the OK from us, since even minor upgrades may affect your ability to work on the independent project.

For the other tools, any recent version of Git should work fine. Claude Code will update itself automatically, so you don’t need to worry about manually updating it.

Windows

Windows

If you are running a version of Windows older than Windows 10, please see the course staff for alternate installation instructions.

All of the commands below should be run in PowerShell. To open PowerShell, press the Windows key, type PowerShell, and select Windows PowerShell from the results.

Fix PowerShell Execution Policy

Fix PowerShell Execution Policy

Before installing anything via PowerShell, run this command to allow scripts to execute:

This only changes the policy for your user account — no administrator access required. Close PowerShell and open a new window before continuing.

Install Git

Install Git

WinGet will ask you to accept source/package agreements on first use — accept them. Close PowerShell and open a new window before continuing.

Install Claude Code

Install Claude Code

Primary Path

The primary path uses the native installer, which will update itself automatically. Try this first.

Close PowerShell and open a new window, then verify the installation:

If you see a version number, run claude to authenticate via your browser. If that works, proceed to installing Android Studio.

If claude crashes, doesn’t start, or is not recognized as a command, you may be on an ARM64 machine where the native binary is not yet stable. Remove it and use the fallback path instead:

Alternate Path

The alternate path installs Claude Code via npm, which is stable on ARM64 Windows and when the primary path fails. First, make sure you’ve removed the native install if you tried it:

Then install Node.js:

Close PowerShell and open a new window, then configure npm to use a user-owned directory:

Close PowerShell and open a new window, then install Claude Code:

Close PowerShell and open a new window, then verify the installation:

If you see a version number, run claude to authenticate via your browser. When you’re done, proceed to installing Android Studio.

Windows Troubleshooting

Windows Troubleshooting

If claude is not recognized after installation, the install location may not be in your PATH. Run this command, then open a new PowerShell window and try again:

If you get a “No suitable shell found” error, Claude Code can’t find Git Bash. Run this command, then open a new PowerShell window and try again:

If you installed Git to a different drive or location (e.g. D:\ instead of C:\), replace the path above with your actual Git installation path. You can find it by running where.exe bash in PowerShell.

Android Studio

Android Studio

Download and install Android Studio from: https://developer.android.com/studio?hl=en

When you launch Android Studio for the first time, it will guide you through downloading the Android SDK and creating a virtual device. Follow the defaults to complete the initial setup.

Install Plugins

Install Plugins

Before opening your project, install the Claude Code plugin:

1. Open Android Studio
2. Go to Settings → Plugins (or Preferences → Plugins on Mac)
3. In the Marketplace tab, search for “Claude Code” and install the official Anthropic plugin — it runs Claude Code from within the IDE and shows proposed code changes in Android Studio’s built-in diff viewer
4. Restart Android Studio when prompted

Configure Terminal (Windows Only)

Configure Terminal (Windows Only)

If you are on Windows, you need to configure Android Studio’s built-in terminal to use Git Bash instead of PowerShell:

1. Open Settings → Tools → Terminal
2. Set Shell path to: C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe
3. Click OK
4. Restart Android Studio

If you installed Git to a different drive (e.g. D:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe), use that path instead. Run where.exe bash in PowerShell to find your Git Bash location.

This is required for Claude Code to work correctly from the Android Studio terminal. You may also find Git Bash available in the terminal’s shell dropdown menu without changing the default.

Create a GitHub Access Token

Create a GitHub Access Token

Android Studio needs a personal access token to access your GitHub repositories. After logging in to GitHub, use this link to access the GitHub token creation page.

When selecting scopes, choose: repo, gist, read:org, workflow, read:user, and user:email.

Once you have your token, add it to Android Studio:

1. Go to Settings → Version Control → GitHub
2. Click + and choose Log In with Token…
3. Paste your token and click Log In

Clone and Open Your Project

Clone and Open Your Project

Once your MP repository has been created on GitHub (you’ll do this through the course website), clone it and open it in Android Studio:

1. From the Android Studio welcome screen, choose “Get from VCS” (or “Clone Git Repository”)
2. On your GitHub repository page, click the Code button, make sure the HTTPS tab is selected, and copy the URL (it should start with https://github.com/...)
3. Paste the HTTPS URL into Android Studio, choose a local directory, and click Clone

Running Claude Code

Running Claude Code

You can run Claude Code in two ways:

• From the terminal: Open the Terminal panel at the bottom of Android Studio and type claude
• From the plugin: Use the Claude Code plugin panel in the sidebar

Either way, Claude Code will have full access to your project files and can help you write, debug, and improve your code.

Emulator Setup

Emulator Setup

To finish, make sure that you can run the Android emulator. This is critical — you will not be able to complete the MP without using the Android emulator unless you have a personal Android device that you can use.

If you haven’t already created a virtual device during initial setup, go to Tools → Device Manager and create one. Follow the defaults to set up an emulator. You can verify it works by creating a new Empty Activity project and clicking the green play button to build and run it on the emulator.