THE SETUP COMPANION · SETUP DOCS CHECKED SEP 7, 2026
Get set up.
Your tool's buttons will change. Your first job stays small.
This page carries the setup guides for both books: choose your tool, connect your
account, and make something you can check. Follow the card that matches your computer
and the way you want to work.
SETUP GUIDES CHECKED: SEP 7, 2026 ·
PRICE TABLES LAST CHECKED: AUG 15, 2026 · NEXT PRICE CHECK NOV 2026
Start hereYour tool · your computer · first win
Get your tool working
Find your tool below and follow its official guide.
Videos are optional demonstrations; the card names the parts that apply. Keep the written
steps beside them. Once you can work in a practice project, return to the book for the
exercise that checks the whole setup.
Book 1: use the tool you chose in Chapter 3.
Want buttons and windows? Follow a desktop entry, not a terminal tutorial.
The ZCode card has a graphical first-launch walkthrough;
check its costs before switching. Want to build in a browser? Use the
browser-builder card.
Book 2: start with the tool you can actually use. Chapter 2's four setup questions
sort you into a route in two minutes: installed agent, IT-installed app, office copilot,
or browser chat. Already have an office copilot or browser chat? Keep it. You do not need to
sign up for an app builder to do the office exercise.
If installation is blocked: use the route you have. Write the five-part briefing
from Chapter 2 using invented role details. Put it in the project-instructions setting, if it has one; otherwise paste it
into each new conversation. Use the blank briefing
if you want a starting point.
Whatever your route, read Chapter 3's hygiene rules before real work data goes anywhere:
identify the account and every service that receives your input. Check training use,
retention, human review, and the conditions for that data. Payment alone does not establish
privacy. Use the lockdown sheet
and data checklist.
Chapter 16 shows how to ask for company funding, access, or wider adoption.
Return to Book 2, Chapter 2, Your First Session. Draft the invented Northwind
memo, save it, open it, and verify a revision. Browser readers can download the result
or copy it into a document and save it themselves. The
memo exercise card
carries the prompts. Read Chapter 3 before using real work data. Chapter 7 needs file
handling and rendering; Chapter 9 also needs scheduling; Chapter 13 needs browser or screen
control, with scheduling for recurring jobs. Rehearse with the kit until those capabilities are available.
HERMES + OPENCODE GO — THE $10 BUDGET PATHDOCUMENTATION-CHECKED SEP 7, 2026
What you need
Mac, Windows, or Linux · free Hermes app · OpenCode Go subscription ($5 first month, then $10)APPLICATION AND PLAN ARE SEPARATE BILLS: $0 + $10
Get started
Hermes installation: desktop installer for Mac/Windows, terminal route for Linux. The Budget Builder kit continues in the terminal after installation. For the graphical app, use the desktop guide.GO IS THE SEPARATE MODEL SUBSCRIPTION
Connect them
Get your key from OpenCode Go. In Hermes choose the built-in OpenCode Go provider and paste the key into its credential field. In the desktop app, use Settings for providers and models; in the terminal, use hermes model. Choose deepseek-v4-flash.USE A CURRENT HERMES RELEASE. IF GO IS MISSING, FOLLOW THE UPDATE GUIDE; DO NOT SUBSTITUTE THE GENERIC CUSTOM PROVIDER.
Spending guard
Go's ceilings ($12/5hrs · $30/week · $60/month) hold only while the optional “Use balance” setting stays off — on means overages can bill from a Zen balanceLEAVE IT OFF FOR A HARD CAP
Project instructions
AGENTS.md in the practice folder where you start the session. Hermes loads it at session start. See context files.
Return to the book
Book 1, Chapter 3: open my-first-vibe-project, then build, open, checkpoint, and change the button page. Book 2: follow the office return steps.
Stuck?
Use the help prompt below in any AI chat you already have, or follow the provider's support link. Billing and login problems go to the provider, not the AI.
Prefer to watch?
Hermes Agent Masterclass Ep. 1: Installation, Setup, Basic Commands (Onchain AI Garage, May 2026, 28 min — the official quickstart's own pick). Install from the official guide above first: the video's Windows path (WSL-only) is outdated, and the desktop installer is now recommended. Watch the video for the CLI tour and the first real task.REVIEWED SEP 7: FULL TRANSCRIPT CHECKED AGAINST CURRENT DOCS
Mac, Windows, or Linux · free OpenCode app · Go subscription or Zen pay-as-you-goCHOOSE DESKTOP OR TERMINAL BELOW; GO AND ZEN HAVE DIFFERENT BILLING
Get started: desktop
Download OpenCode Desktop for your computer. Open your practice folder with the app's project selector. Connect OpenCode Go in the provider picker using the key from your Go account, then choose a Go model. Keep Use balance off in your Go account.THE GO GUIDE SHOWS TERMINAL COMMANDS; THE DESKTOP APP USES PROVIDER AND MODEL PICKERS. LABELS CAN VARY BY VERSION.
Get started: terminal
OpenCode install, then the Go guide: /connect, choose OpenCode Go, paste its key, then /models. Open the tool in your practice folder.
Prefer to watch?
OpenCode Tutorial for Beginners (Leon van Zyl, May 2026, 32 min): watch 0:39–3:46 only — install, /connect, and provider key, which match the current docs. Skip the sponsor segment and everything after: skills, MCP, and the Next.js project are later lessons, not setup. Then follow this card's Go steps for the subscription (the video shows free Zen models, not Go).REVIEWED SEP 7: FULL TRANSCRIPT CHECKED; DEMO KEY DELETED ON CAMERA
Project instructions
AGENTS.md in the top level of your project folder. OpenCode loads it as project instructions. See rules.
Return to the book
Book 1, Chapter 3: folder, hello, button page, checkpoint, and one change. Book 2: follow the office return steps.
CLAUDE CODE — DESKTOP OR TERMINALDOCUMENTATION-CHECKED SEP 7, 2026
What you need
Mac or Windows for desktop (Linux beta) · Claude account (Pro $20 is the sensible default)INCLUDED WITH YOUR CLAUDE PLAN — CHECK BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING NEW
Get started — desktop
Download Claude · desktop reference (Chat, Cowork, and Code tabs — the Code tab is the builder)A CODE-TAB GUIDE IS NOT A CHAT TUTORIAL
Get started — terminal
Current quickstart — native install; PowerShell on Windows, not CMDWINDOWS FIRST USE NEEDS GIT FOR WINDOWS
Prefer to watch?
How to Set Up Claude Code in 2026 (Leon van Zyl, Jan 2026, 20 min): a terminal demonstration using PowerShell, a project folder, and the account-vs-key choice. It predates newer permission modes. Use the written quickstart for setup; desktop readers use the desktop guide above.REVIEWED SEP 7: TRANSCRIPT CHECKED; AGE IS THE RISK, NOT THE STEPS
Project instructions
CLAUDE.md in the top level of your project folder. Use the Code tab for the desktop route. See project instructions.
Return to the book
Book 1, Chapter 3 (Path C): folder, hello, button page, checkpoint, and one change. Book 2: follow the office return steps.
CODEX — PICK YOUR SURFACE FIRSTDOCUMENTATION-CHECKED SEP 7, 2026
What you need
ChatGPT plan (Codex is included across plans with plan-dependent limits) · then choose ONE surface: desktop app, CLI, editor extension, or webA CLI VIDEO IS NOT A DESKTOP INSTALL GUIDE — MATCH THE GUIDE TO YOUR SURFACE
Getting Started with Codex (OpenAI, Jan 2026, 53 min, first-party): watch 0:00–8:12 only — installation, first repository and runs, instruction files. Stop there; the rest is MCP, SDK, and advanced use. CLI + VS Code extension focus, not the later desktop interface — and its model names predate the current lineup, so ignore those.REVIEWED SEP 7: TRANSCRIPT CHECKED AGAINST CURRENT DOCS
Optional later
Complete Beginner's Guide to OpenAI's Codex App (John Kim, Apr 2026, 33 min): a modes-and-projects tour for after you're installed — helps you pick which surface to live in. Orientation, not setup.REVIEWED SEP 7: TRANSCRIPT CHECKED; NO INSTALL WALKTHROUGH
Project instructions
AGENTS.md in the top level of the project Codex is working on. For a web task, this means the connected repository, not an unconnected folder on your computer. See custom instructions.
Return to the book
Book 1, Chapter 3 (Path C): folder, hello, button page, checkpoint, and one change. Book 2: follow the office return steps.
ZCODE — DESKTOP APP, ANY MAJOR OSDOCUMENTATION-CHECKED SEP 7, 2026
What you need
Mac, Windows, or Linux · Z.ai account or API key. Trial access is limited; ongoing use needs an applicable coding plan or paid model access. Check the connection and billing options before buying.MAC/WINDOWS GRAPHICAL INSTALLERS; LINUX PACKAGE STEPS VARY
Create my-first-vibe-project in Finder or File Explorer. Launch ZCode, choose that folder as the workspace, then click Connect at bottom left if no model is connected. Complete the account or API-key route from the guide above. Ask the agent to list the files in this folder; check the folder name before building. Book 2 readers use a separate work folder. Stop here and return to the book's exercise.
Project instructions
AGENTS.md in the top level of the selected workspace folder. ZCode reads it when a task starts. See ZCode project instructions.
Return to the book
Book 1, Chapter 3: build, open, checkpoint, and change the button page. Book 2: follow the office return steps. If installation is blocked, ask IT or provider support before changing security settings.
Lovable: put the briefing in Project settings → Knowledge. Replit: edit replit.md in the project's top-level folder. If another tool has no saved-instructions feature, paste the briefing into each new conversation.
Return to the book
Book 1, Chapter 3: build and test the button page in the preview, checkpoint through the builder's version feature, then make and test one change. Book 2: follow the office return steps.
Check the briefing in a fresh conversation.
Ask what the tool knows about your project (or your job for Book 2). If your route uses
pasted instructions, paste them first. If the answer misses your briefing, check the
selected project, filename, and location against the card before continuing.
More starting points from Chapter 16 and Appendix G. These are official guides,
not additional reviewed videos. Match the guide to your computer and interface, then
return to your book's exercise:
STUCK BEFORE THE TOOL RUNS? — THE HELP PROMPTCOPY · PASTE · FILL THE BRACKETS
Use it in
Any AI chat you already have access to — even a free browser one. This prompt works before your new tool does, which is the whole point.
The prompt
I'm new to this. I am setting up [tool and desktop/terminal version] on [computer and operating-system version] using [official guide link from the card above]. I completed [last successful step]. I expected [result], but I see [exact error, with private information removed]. Explain the next single step in plain language, including which window to use and what I should see afterward. Ask before suggesting a purchase, deleting files, or changing security settings. Do not ask me to paste passwords or API keys.
Then
One step at a time. When the tool runs, teach the same habit inside it. Billing and login problems go to the provider's help pages — an AI answer is guidance, not account support.
CHECK STATUS: DOCUMENTATION-CHECKED MEANS OFFICIAL GUIDES WERE READ, NOT THAT EVERY INSTALL WAS RUN END-TO-END. VIDEO NOTES DESCRIBE THE SEP 7 TRANSCRIPT REVIEW; THEY DO NOT CERTIFY EVERY COMPUTER OR APP VERSION.
The ladderFour paths · verified Aug 15, 2026
What it costs right now
The full reasoning lives in the book's setup chapter;
this is the standing record of what each rung costs today, so you never have to trust a
screenshot from nine months ago.
FIG. N-1 — THE COST LADDERMONTHLY, USDAS OF AUG 2026
PATH
STACK
MONTHLY
THE HONEST FOOTNOTE
Budget BuilderPATH A
Hermes + OpenCode GoOPEN-SOURCE AGENT + CHEAP GOOD MODELS
$10$5 FIRST MONTH
Desktop installer for Mac/Windows, terminal route everywhere. Genuinely capable, not a toy.
All-RounderPATH B
One pro workspaceCURSOR-CLASS IDE + BUILT-IN MODELS
~$60
The friction-free middle. Where most readers land.
Power UserPATH C
Pro tier + API top-upsMAX TIERS, ORCHESTRATION, MULTI-AGENT
$100–200
Time-is-money territory. The book flags when this is waste.
ExplorerPATH D
Free tiers onlyTRIALS, FREE MODELS, ZERO COMMITMENT
$0TO START
Fine for weeks. Upgrade deliberately when a wall appears.
LADDER STRUCTURE IS DURABLE · DOLLAR FIGURES ARE THE PERISHABLE PART —
THAT'S WHY THIS PAGE EXISTS
Why Path A worksThe cheap-model economics
The models behind the $10 path
The reason a ten-dollar path is real in 2026: frontier-adjacent
open models now price by the million tokens, and a typical conversation uses tens of thousands.
The math, at list price:
FIG. N-2 — PAY-AS-YOU-GO MODEL PRICESPER MILLION TOKENSAS OF AUG 2026
MODEL
INPUT / M
OUTPUT / M
CONTEXT
DeepSeek V4 FlashTHE PATH A DEFAULT
$0.14
$0.28
1M tokensA WHOLE PROJECT FITS
MiMo-V2.5SAME PRICE, DIFFERENT STRENGTHS
$0.14
$0.28
200K tokens
A TYPICAL CONVERSATION RUNS 10–50K TOKENS — MEASURE YOUR OWN FIRST MONTH ·
FULL CONSUMPTION CURVE: BOOK, SETUP CHAPTER
Path A configThe exact strings · kept current
The exact configuration
Part 3 of the kit's walkthrough points here for the current Hermes provider choice.
Use the built-in Go provider so Hermes handles Go's connection requirements.
OpenCode Go (opencode-go)BUILT-IN PROVIDER IN CURRENT HERMES. THE GENERIC CUSTOM PROVIDER IS NOT THE GUIDED ROUTE.
Endpoint reference
https://opencode.ai/zen/go/v1THE BUILT-IN PROVIDER HANDLES THIS. OTHER CLIENTS MUST MEET THE GO CLIENT REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING SESSION IDENTIFICATION.
Default model
deepseek-v4-flashSELECT IT FROM THE GO MODEL LIST
API key
From your OpenCode Go account settingsTREAT IT LIKE A PASSWORD — IT IS ONE
Pay-as-you-go alt.
platform.deepseek.com — same models, direct billingNO SUBSCRIPTION; YOU PAY PER MILLION TOKENS AT FIG. N-2 PRICES
OPENCODE GO — THE HONEST LIMITSSTATED UP FRONT, NOT DISCOVERED LATER
Price
$5 first month, then $10/month
Usage included
$12 of usage per 5 hours · $30 per week · $60 per monthCEILINGS HOLD ONLY WHILE THE OPTIONAL “USE BALANCE” SETTING STAYS OFF — ON MEANS OVERAGES CAN BILL FROM A ZEN BALANCE. THE BOOK'S CONSUMPTION CURVE EXPLAINS WHY THE CAPS ARE PLENTY FOR PATH A
Hermes
$0 — free, open source, MITINSTALLER: STEP-BY-STEPS PART 1 IN THE KIT
ChangelogQuarterly passes · dated
The record of drift
V2026-09-07.1
Setup handoffs corrected. Added instruction filenames and locations,
desktop continuations, and an office route that returns to the sample memo. The kit is
labeled as a terminal walkthrough. Hermes now uses its built-in Go provider. Video
scope and documentation-check limits are explicit; price tables retain their Aug 15 date.
V2026-09-07
Setup cards. New “Start here” section: one card per tool with official
guides, the verified Hermes × Go connection strings, the Go “Use balance” guard, the
pre-tool help prompt, and desktop-first budget routing. Go endpoint re-confirmed live;
remaining cards documentation-checked. Ladder and model prices unchanged from Aug 15.
V2026-08-15
First edition. Ladder, model prices, and Path A configuration verified
against OpenCode and DeepSeek list prices. Matches the Setup Kit v1.0 as packaged — no
corrections needed yet.
NOV 2026 (PLANNED)
Next scheduled pass: prices, limits, and whether the paths themselves moved.
Something here already wrong? That's a bug in the book's
half of the bargain: abe@abeburnett.com gets it fixed
same-week.