1. GitHub Codespaces and Claude Code Account Setup
This chapter covers setting up GitHub and Claude Code accounts, which are essential for getting started with vibe coding.
Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Developer Tools
Many people feel intimidated when they see the words "developer tools."
However, the tools we'll be using aren't anything special. Both GitHub and Claude Code, which we'll be using, can be started by anyone in just a few minutes with an email address and basic information, just like any other web service.
Don't worry if you're not an engineer. These tools are designed to be used without programming expertise.
Creating a GitHub Account and Basic Setup
GitHub is a platform where developers worldwide manage and share code. You'll use this environment to advance your vibe coding journey.
First, visit GitHub.com and click "Sign up" in the top right corner.
For account creation, you'll enter the following information:
- Email address
- Password
- Username
- Country of residence
This completes your account registration. The free plan works perfectly fine.
GitHub's free plan includes:
- Unlimited public and private repositories
- Unlimited collaborators
- GitHub Actions: 2,000 minutes/month
- GitHub Packages: 500MB
- Codespaces: 120 core hours/month, 15GB/month
Codespaces is a GitHub feature that provides a development environment running in your browser. We'll use this feature throughout this book.
"Core hours" means "number of CPU cores × usage time." For example:
- Using a 2-core machine for 1 hour → consumes 2 core hours (up to 60 hours/month available)
- Using a 4-core machine for 1 hour → consumes 4 core hours (up to 30 hours/month available)
For beginner learning purposes, the default 2-core machine is sufficient. This means you can essentially use 60 hours per month for free. This is more than enough for our learning sessions.
Free Plan Limitations and Efficient Usage
To efficiently utilize the free Codespaces quota, let's understand the limitations.
As mentioned above, Codespaces has two types of metrics: Usage hours and Storage. If either reaches the monthly limit, you won't be able to use Codespaces until you pay additional fees.
Usage hours are the actual time Codespaces is running. When you pause work, stop Codespaces to prevent unnecessary time consumption.
Storage is the capacity of files saved within Codespaces. It's important to delete unnecessary files and keep large data files to a minimum.
Deleting unnecessary Codespaces is also important. Delete finished Codespaces to save storage capacity.
You can check usage at GitHub Settings in the Usage report. This screen shows your current usage status and remaining time/capacity.
By being mindful of these points, you can comfortably proceed with vibe coding within the free quota.
Creating an Anthropic Account and Preparing Claude Code
Next, create an account with Anthropic and prepare to use Claude Code.
Visit Claude Code and click "Sign up" for the Pro version.
For account creation, enter your email address and password. If you have a Google account, selecting "Continue with Google" makes registration easy.
The Pro version adds the following features:
- Access to Claude Code
- Higher usage limits
- Priority server access
- Early access to new features
Pricing is monthly and can be canceled anytime. In fact, many learners acquire the skills in about 1-2 months.
This completes your account setup. In the next chapter, we'll actually use Codespaces to build a development environment and experience vibe coding.