Setting Up Your Computer

If you want to work with the Northern Bites' code, you need to set up your computer with the various software and files that support it. Linux is the team's only supported operating system, and since the team is most familiar with Ubuntu, we use that distribution in particular. You do have several options as to how you'll actually work in a Linux environment, however. They are:

• Using Parallels on OS X.
  • pros: easy to use, you don't have to reboot to use your mac normally
  • cons: some things are trickier (e.g. compiling may not work as you expect), we don't have a team license
• Installing Linux instead of or along with another OS, aka dual-booting.
  • pros: has full access to your computer
  • cons: time-consuming installation and setup process with potential for mistakes
• Using a team laptop. Ask if we have one available.
  • pros: already set up and ready to go.
  • cons: you can't keep it.

We recommend one of the later two options.

If you know how you'd like to set up, move on to Installing Linux.