The companion kit
The companion kit is a folder called fde-companion-kit inside the course repo on GitHub. You open an empty folder in VS Code and ask Claude to clone the course, which means downloading a copy of it to your laptop. Claude runs Git for you and asks before it does. Then you open just the kit folder. Inside it, a file called CLAUDE.md tells Claude Code to act as your tutor, and the kit adds two commands:
/companionchecks your setup, tells you what to do next, and helps you fix anything that's missing./companion-explainexplains any term from this companion in plain words, with the book section that covers it.
Working through chat
You won't type commands anywhere in this companion. You work in VS Code with the Claude panel open, say what you want in plain words, and Claude Code does it: reads files, creates them, runs things.
- Ask for outcomes. "Open the tip splitter in my browser", "What's in this folder?" and "Why did that fail?" are all fine requests.
- Read before you approve. When Claude wants to run something, it shows you what and asks first. You don't need to know how to write it, only what it will do. If you can't tell, ask: "What will that do?"
- Paste errors in. If an installer or a step fails, paste the message into the panel and ask what to do.
Git in one paragraph
A repository is a folder with history. A commit is a saved snapshot with a message. Push uploads your commits to GitHub, and pull brings down other people's. A branch is a parallel line of work, and a pull request asks to merge a branch back, with review. In the bootcamp you'll commit and push many times a day, and Claude Code does the Git part when you ask. For now you only need Git to clone the course.
Claude Code, first contact
Read Book Chapter 1 (§1.1–1.6) for your first session, the chat panel, and permissions and billing. Two habits matter from the first minute:
- Read before you approve. Every permission prompt is a decision you're making, not a formality.
/clearbetween tasks. Every turn resends the conversation. Long, unrelated sessions get slow, expensive and confused.
If something goes wrong
Claude asks to run "git clone". Is that safe?
Yes. Claude Code asks before it runs anything on your laptop, and git clone only downloads the course into the folder you have open. Click Allow. You'll see these permission questions often; read each one, and say no to anything you didn't ask for.
Claude says Git isn't installed, or the clone fails
Install Git (item 4 on the Setup checklist), close and reopen VS Code, open your FDE Bootcamp folder again and send the same message. If it still won't work, VS Code can clone it for you: open the Source Control view (the branching icon on the left), click Clone Repository, paste the course link and save it in FDE Bootcamp.
/companion doesn't do anything
Check that you opened the fde-companion-kit folder itself (File › Open Folder), not the whole course or a folder above it. The command comes from that folder.
Something failed and I don't know why
Paste the whole message into the Claude panel and ask what it means and what to do. That's the habit the bootcamp runs on.