# IT 140 Setup Tasks: SNHU Course IDE Setup Repository for Scripting Students > it140-m1-setup-tasks is the official GitHub repository for Module One of SNHU's IT 140 Introduction to Scripting course, providing guided setup instructions for a GitHub account, a Codio Virtual Desktop, and an optional local Python 3.12 development environment. It is designed for enrolled students who need a verified development environment before course assignments begin in Module Two. **GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks** — IT 140 Module One: Setup Tasks repository. This repo provides step-by-step instructions and commands to install the course IDE needed to complete all subsequent course activities. - Repository: https://github.com/GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks - Website: https://learn.snhu.edu - Stars: 676 · Forks: 1 - Language: Shell - License: not declared - Published: 2026-09-17 · Updated: 2026-09-17 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/gc-stem-it140-m1-setup-tasks ## What this repository is and who it is for it140-m1-setup-tasks is a setup guide repository maintained by GC-STEM for students enrolled in IT 140, Introduction to Scripting, at Southern New Hampshire University. The course uses D2L Brightspace (at learn.snhu.edu) as its LMS, and the setup tasks in this repository are a prerequisite for all assignments starting in Module Two. The repository was introduced for the 2026 C-5 term, as noted in the README, as part of a shift to GitHub repositories for distributing assignment starter files, development resources, and documentation. Its version at the time of writing is 1.0.4, with the last push on 2026-09-26. The audience is narrowly defined: enrolled students who are completing the required, non-graded Task 1-1 at the start of Week 1. Faculty and staff have a separate guide linked from the repository (.faculty/README.md). Anyone not enrolled in IT 140 at SNHU will find no practical use for this repository. ## The three-step setup sequence and how it is organized The repository defines a sequential three-step process shown as a progress path in the README: 0 Start Here, followed by 1 GitHub, then 2 Codio, then 3 Local Computer, then Done. Each numbered step has its own subdirectory (github/, codio/, local/) containing a README.md with step-specific instructions. The README directs students to follow the direct links in each guide rather than browsing repository folders, because each guide includes verification checks that confirm successful completion before moving to the next step. Each guide also links directly to the next one so the sequence is self-contained. The course IDE is defined consistently across environments: VS Code, Python 3.12, Git and GitHub tools, testing tools, and course extensions. Using the same core toolset across the Codio Virtual Desktop and supported local environments (Windows, macOS, Linux) ensures that course instructions, examples, and automated tests behave the same way for all students regardless of which environment they are working in. ## Step 1: Setting up a GitHub account The first step, documented in github/README.md, covers creating or connecting a GitHub account and verifying that the account is accessible and correctly identified within the course environment. The README states that course instructions beginning in Module Two assume students can access a GitHub account and identify the account information used by the course IDE. The guide includes a GitHub Account Ready Check as its completion criterion. Students are instructed to follow the guide through that check before continuing, and the guide's own link then points to the Codio guide for Step 2. The sequential link structure is intentional: it prevents students from skipping the verification steps and arriving at later steps with a misconfigured environment. The repository uses GitHub Discussions for peer questions and GitHub Issues for reporting problems with the repository or its instructions. These channels are documented in the README as the preferred way to get help before contacting course staff. ## Step 2: Setting up the Codio Virtual Desktop The Codio Virtual Desktop (CVD) is described in the README as the course reference environment. Assignment instructions, screenshots, and instructional videos are based on the CVD. The CVD already contains the main system software for IT 140; the setup process updates, configures, and verifies it rather than installing everything from scratch. Students complete the Codio setup guide until the CVD Verification Summary reports the specific successful completion values shown in the guide. The README recommends that all students configure the CVD even if they also plan to use their own computer. This ensures a working verified environment is always available regardless of local computer availability or configuration issues. Faculty and staff use a separate path: the README links them to .faculty/README.md instead of the student Codio guide. The Codio setup is documented in codio/README.md. The README does not include the detailed setup commands or configuration steps inline; those are in the linked subdirectory guides. ## Step 3: Optional local computer setup After completing the Codio setup, students may configure the course IDE on their own computer. The local/ directory contains separate guides for Windows (local/windows/README.md), macOS (local/macOS/README.md), and Linux (local/linux/README.md). The README describes this step as optional. The recommendation is to complete the Codio setup first and then add local setup if desired, not to use local setup as a replacement for the CVD. The README includes a specific advisory for students using managed computers: if a local computer is managed by an employer, school, or another person, students should not bypass security controls or installation restrictions, and should use the CVD instead until they determine whether they have permission to install software. This advisory is practical rather than legal: the course tools require installation permissions that a managed device may not grant, and setup failures on managed devices can be difficult to diagnose without full control of the machine. ## Troubleshooting: what to do when a setup script fails The README includes a dedicated troubleshooting section with specific guidance. If a setup script reports FAIL, PARTIAL, NOT COMPLIANT, a nonzero exit code, or another unexpected result, the README instructs students explicitly not to guess at a repair and not to automatically continue to the next phase. The instruction to stop and diagnose before proceeding is emphasized because guessing at repairs during multi-step setup processes often corrupts later steps. The first step in troubleshooting is to save the exact error message and note the step where it occurred. The README states that setup scripts save diagnostic logs to ~/it140/logs/ on Linux and macOS, or the corresponding it140/logs folder in the user profile on Windows. These logs are the primary diagnostic artifact for support requests. For help, the README points to the Setup Problems and Support wiki page, which the README describes as covering troubleshooting guidance, what information to collect, and where to ask for help. The README includes a specific warning that students should never share passwords, authentication codes, recovery codes, personal access tokens, or other credentials in screenshots, logs, GitHub posts, or support requests. ## Repository organization and additional resources The repository's top-level directories are: github/ for the GitHub account guide, codio/ for the CVD setup, local/ for platform-specific local setup, .faculty/ for the instructor guide, .dev/ for development files, .vscode/ for editor settings, and .github/ for repository management configurations. The README notes that students do not need to understand the repository structure to complete setup. It refers students who want to understand the structure to the Using the Setup Tasks Repository wiki page. For students who want to explore their new environment after completing setup, the README links to the Explore Your Course IDE wiki page, which covers VS Code, GitHub, and Markdown. Students return to D2L Brightspace after completing setup to finish any remaining Module One tasks before the end of Week 1. The setup repository is a self-contained component of Week 1 that feeds into the larger course structure on the LMS. ## Compared to self-guided setup using official documentation The alternative to using this repository is following Python's official installation guides, VS Code's documentation, and GitHub's account setup pages independently. The official documentation for each tool is comprehensive, but it covers all installation scenarios and platforms without filtering for the specific tools, versions, and configurations required by IT 140. A student following Python's official docs would install Python and VS Code but would not necessarily configure the course-specific extensions, testing tools, or Git integration that the IT 140 assignments expect. it140-m1-setup-tasks provides a curated, tested path with verification steps at each stage. The tradeoff is that the repository is not versioned for general reuse: it is maintained for a specific course term at a specific institution. The README's task description states it is required, non-graded, and requires no submission, which means it is infrastructure setup rather than learning content, even though it is the first task a student completes. ## Conclusion it140-m1-setup-tasks is the correct starting repository for any student beginning SNHU's IT 140 course: Module Two assignments assume both a GitHub account and a configured course IDE with VS Code, Python 3.12, Git and GitHub tools, testing tools, and course extensions. Students who encounter a FAIL or PARTIAL result from a setup script should consult the Setup Problems and Support wiki and review the diagnostic log in ~/it140/logs/ before continuing. It has no use outside the IT 140 context at SNHU. ## FAQ ### What software does this repository help students install? The README describes the course IDE as including VS Code, Python 3.12, Git and GitHub tools, testing tools, and course extensions. The same core toolset is used across the Codio Virtual Desktop and supported local environments on Windows, macOS, and Linux. ### Is the local computer setup mandatory for IT 140? No. The README describes local computer setup as optional. The Codio Virtual Desktop (CVD) is the course reference environment, and the README recommends completing the CVD setup first and using the CVD even if the student also plans to use a local computer. ### What should a student do if a setup script fails? The README instructs students not to guess at a repair or continue to the next phase. They should save the exact error message, note the step where it occurred, and consult the Setup Problems and Support wiki page. Setup scripts save diagnostic logs to ~/it140/logs/ on Linux and macOS, or the it140/logs folder in the user profile on Windows. ## Sources - [GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks on GitHub](https://github.com/GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks) - [Issues](https://github.com/GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks/issues) - [Project website](https://learn.snhu.edu) - [README](https://github.com/GC-STEM/it140-m1-setup-tasks/blob/main/README.md) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/gc-stem-it140-m1-setup-tasks