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By the end of these short episodes,

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an AI agent will be working in
a folder on your own computer.

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First, a little groundwork. It takes a
few minutes, and you only do it once.

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AI for Research Efficiency.
Episode 2.0: Before you start.

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Last time, we saw why an agent
can do more on the command line:

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it works in your files,
with your programs.

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In this episode: open a terminal,
find your way around,

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make a project folder, install two
helpers, and choose an account.

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Step one: open a terminal.

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On Windows 11, press the Windows key
and X together, then choose Terminal.

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On a Mac, press Command and Space,
type Terminal, and press Return.

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On Windows you'll see PS,
then the folder you're in.

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That's the prompt:
PowerShell is waiting for you.

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Step two: four words to find your way.
They work on Windows and on a Mac.

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pwd shows where you are.

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ls lists what's here.

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cd, then a folder's name,
goes into it.

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cd .. goes back up.

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And mkdir, then a name,
makes a new folder.

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Step three: make a project folder
for your agent, and go into it.

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Type mkdir agent-work
and press Enter.

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Then cd agent-work.

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This is where the agent will work.

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Always start it in a project folder like
this one, never in your home folder.

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Step four: two helpers, installed with
winget, the installer built into Windows.

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Git can keep a history of every change in
your project folder, so you can go back.

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Your agent can set it up for you.

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Python is a tool agents use to read
Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

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Paste each line from the
companion page, and press Enter.

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Each one starts with winget install.

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Then close the terminal,
open a new one,

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and check: git --version,

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and python --version.

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Each prints a version number.

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If it says git is not recognized,

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the terminal hasn't caught up with the
install. Open a new one, and try again.

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Step five: an account.

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Each agent needs one with its maker:
a monthly plan,

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or an API key you pay
for as you use it.

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Google's Antigravity
also has a free tier.

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Today's details are
on the companion page.

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If your campus gives
you an AI license,

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ask whether it covers these tools, and
check the rules for research data first.

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Step six: two speeds.

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At first, have the agent ask before
each step, and read what it wants to do.

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When you trust it with a task,
switch on its automatic mode,

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and the work goes much faster. Keep a
history with Git, and check its results.

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Pause now: open a terminal,
make your project folder,

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and run git --version.

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You should see a version number.

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So: a terminal, four words,
a project folder,

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Git and Python,
an account, and two speeds.

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Next, install your first agent.

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Pick one: Claude Code,

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Codex CLI or Antigravity CLI.
They work the same way.