intellimetrics Learning
Building Module 5 · Your First AI Tool

Your First Sandbox

What you'll learn

~15 min
  • Set up your chosen cloud sandbox from the previous lesson
  • Complete a simple task end-to-end in your sandbox
  • Understand what persists and what doesn't in your environment
  • Know your two forward paths: continue to M6 or jump to M7

You chose your sandbox in the previous lesson. Let’s set it up and get your first task done.

Pick the path below that matches your choice. If you haven’t decided yet, go back to Choosing Your Cloud Sandbox.

Path A: Claude Code Web

Claude Code Web gives you Anthropic’s CLI agent in your browser, connected to your GitHub repositories.

Setup

  1. Go to claude.ai/code (requires a Pro, Max, or Ultra subscription)
  2. Sign in with your Anthropic account
  3. Connect your GitHub account when prompted
  4. Select a repository to work with — or create a new one on GitHub first

Your first task

Once connected to a repo, type:

Create a file called hello.md with a brief self-introduction. Include my name (use a placeholder), what I'm learning, and today's date.

Claude Code Web will create the file and commit it to your repo. Verify by checking your GitHub repository — the file should appear there.

What persists

Everything you commit to GitHub persists. Uncommitted work and environment state do not survive between sessions. Always verify your changes appear on GitHub before closing the tab.

Path B: GitHub Codespaces

Codespaces gives you a full Linux terminal in your browser — the most flexible cloud option.

Setup

  1. Go to github.com/codespaces
  2. Click “New codespace”
  3. Choose a blank template or create a new repository first
  4. Wait ~30 seconds — VS Code opens in your browser with a terminal
ℹDetailed Codespaces setup

If you need step-by-step instructions, see Module 3, Lesson 5: Remote Environments — the Codespaces section walks through every step. This lesson assumes you have a running codespace.

Verify your tools

Type these commands in the terminal at the bottom to verify the underlying engines are ready. Don’t worry about what they mean right now — you’re just checking that everything is in place:

Terminal window
node --version    # Should show v18+
npm --version     # Should show a version number
git --version     # Should show a version number

Install a CLI tool

Pick one tool to install — Claude Code is recommended for your first:

Terminal window
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude --version

Or Gemini CLI (free tier, no API key needed):

Terminal window
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
gemini --version

Your first task

Create a project folder and start the tool:

Terminal window
mkdir my-first-project && cd my-first-project
claude    # or gemini

Then type:

Create a file called hello.md with a brief self-introduction. Include my name (use a placeholder), what I'm learning, and today's date.

Exit the tool with Ctrl+C, then verify:

Terminal window
cat hello.md

What persists

Files in your codespace persist across sessions until the codespace is deleted (auto-deletes after extended inactivity — see the cheat sheet for current limits). Globally installed npm packages persist within the same codespace. Push important work to GitHub — codespaces are not permanent backups.

Path C: Google Cloud Shell

Cloud Shell provides a free browser-based terminal. Best for practicing terminal commands — limited for full development.

Setup

  1. Go to shell.cloud.google.com
  2. Sign in with your Google account
  3. A terminal appears — you’re ready
ℹCloud Shell details

See Module 3, Lesson 5: Remote Environments for more on Cloud Shell’s capabilities and limitations.

Your first task

Terminal window
mkdir my-first-project && cd my-first-project
echo "# Hello from Cloud Shell" > hello.md
echo "I'm learning AI CLI tools. Today is $(date +%Y-%m-%d)." >> hello.md
cat hello.md

What persists

Files in your home directory (~/) persist across sessions. Install Node via nvm (which lives in ~/) so CLI tools persist too. Sessions time out after inactivity. See the Cloud Sandbox Cheat Sheet for current limits and full details.

Checkpoint: verify your sandbox works

Regardless of which path you chose, confirm you can do these three things:

  1. Create a file — you should have hello.md in a project folder
  2. Read the file back — verify its contents are what you expected
  3. Understand persistence — know whether your file will be there tomorrow

If all three check out, your sandbox is ready for real work.

What’s next: two valid paths

You now have a working cloud environment. From here, you have two options:

Option 1: Continue to Module 6 — Learn each CLI tool (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, Copilot CLI) in detail. Each lesson includes a “Cloud Equivalent” callout showing you the browser-based alternative. If you’re in Codespaces, you can install and use the tools directly. This is the recommended path if you want to understand the full tool landscape.

Option 2: Jump to Module 7 — If you’re using Claude Code Web exclusively and don’t need to learn other tools right now, skip ahead to Module 7: Git. Git is the next essential skill regardless of which tool you use.

ℹDomain tracks need CLI tools

The domain track lessons (Modules 12-15) require CLI tools for file operations, package installation, and project scaffolding. If you plan to take a domain track, either continue through Module 6 or install tools in your Codespace — both work.

🏛️In Your Field: Government / State Devclick to expand

Data sovereignty warning: All cloud sandboxes process your code on external servers. Do not paste sensitive, PII, CUI, or classified data into public sandboxes without authorization from your security office. If your agency’s network blocks certain cloud services, try each sandbox URL from your work machine before committing to a path. Codespaces and Cloud Shell are often accessible on networks that block direct software installation, since they run entirely in the browser. Your IT team may also have approved cloud development environments — ask before assuming you’re locked out.

📊In Your Field: MIS / Businessclick to expand

For class projects, Codespaces is the strongest choice — the free tier handles coursework easily, the environment follows you across machines, and your professor can provide a template repository. If your university lab blocks GitHub, Cloud Shell is a fallback for terminal practice, and ChatGPT Interpreter handles single-file data tasks.

🧬In Your Field: Biotechclick to expand

If your lab uses shared workstations, Codespaces gives you a personal, consistent environment for bioinformatics scripting. Install Python, BioPython, and any CLI tools you need — they persist within your codespace. For quick data processing (parsing CSVs, reformatting FASTA files), ChatGPT Interpreter works without any setup — upload the file, describe the transformation, download the result.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

You're on a Chromebook and want to build a multi-file website project. Which cloud sandbox is the best fit?
KNOWLEDGE CHECK

What is the main tradeoff of cloud sandboxes compared to local CLI tools?

Key Takeaways

  • Your sandbox is set up and working — you’ve created and verified a file in your cloud environment
  • Claude Code Web connects to GitHub repos — commits persist, uncommitted work does not
  • Codespaces is a full Linux machine — install CLI tools, run commands, persist files across sessions
  • Cloud Shell is a free terminal for practice — files in ~/ persist, installed packages may not
  • Two valid forward paths: continue to M6 for tool details, or jump to M7 if using Claude Code Web exclusively