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Installing Cursor - Hands-on Walkthrough

Cursor is a fork of VS Code with a built-in AI assistant module. It appeared as a market response to the demand for an out-of-the-box AI coding solution at a time when no such turnkey product existed. Today, however, the landscape has changed — GitHub Copilot and Claude Code have become equally complete, boxed solutions. The race among leaders is now about shipping new features faster, while users must place their bets today. The author of this course chose the GitHub infrastructure — with which Copilot has deep integration — and the Microsoft giant, whose investments in OpenAI made the world of GenAI our present reality.

In this walkthrough, you'll install Cursor IDE, an AI-native code editor, and set it up for effective vibecoding.

⚠️ Important Note for Corporate Employees

If you are an Corporate employee, please use Part 1.2 below for installation instructions. All other users should follow Part 1.1.

Prerequisites

See module overview for full prerequisites list.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1.1: Download and Install Cursor (Personal Use)

  1. Open your web browser and navigate to https://cursor.sh/

  2. Click the Download button for your operating system

  3. Once downloaded, run the installer:

    • Windows: Run the .exe file and follow the installation wizard
    • macOS: Open the .dmg file and drag Cursor to Applications folder
    • Linux: Follow the distribution-specific instructions

  4. Launch Cursor after installation completes

  5. Verify installation: You should see the Cursor welcome screen

Part 1.2: Download and Install Cursor (Corporate Employees)

For Corporate employees only:

  1. Open your web browser and navigate to https://leap.epam.com/news/5039

  2. Follow the installation manual provided on that page

  3. Use the approved download link provided in the corporate guide

  4. Complete the installation according to internal procedures:

    • Follow any additional security requirements
    • Use company-approved installation settings
    • Complete any required registration or approval steps

  5. Launch Cursor after installation completes

  6. Verify installation: You should see the Cursor welcome screen

  7. Proceed to Part 2: Initial Configuration below

Part 2: Initial Configuration

  1. Cursor may ask to import settings from VS Code - choose based on your preference:

    • Yes - If you want to keep your VS Code settings, extensions, and themes
    • No - If you want to start fresh

  2. Sign in to Cursor (you can use your GitHub account)

  3. Complete the initial setup wizard if presented

  4. Verify: You should now see the main Cursor editor interface

Part 3: Create Test Workspace

  1. In Cursor, go to File > Open Folder

  2. Navigate to c:/workspace/ (or ~/workspace/ on macOS/Linux)

  3. Create a new folder: hello-genai

    • Full path on Windows: c:/workspace/hello-genai/
    • Full path on macOS/Linux: ~/workspace/hello-genai/

  4. Open this folder in Cursor

  5. If prompted about trust, click Yes, I trust

  6. Verify: Cursor opens the workspace successfully

Part 4: Test Cursor AI Features

  1. In Cursor, open the AI command palette using the keyboard shortcut or menu

  2. Type a simple request:

    Create a simple hello world function in Python

  3. Press Enter

  4. Verify: Cursor should generate code based on your request

  5. Open the chat feature using the keyboard shortcut or menu

  6. Ask a question in the chat panel:

    What are the key differences between Python and JavaScript?

  7. Verify: You receive a detailed response from the AI

Success Criteria

Congratulations! You've successfully completed this module if:

✅ Cursor is installed and running on your computer
✅ You've signed in to Cursor
✅ You've created and opened the test workspace at c:/workspace/hello-genai/ (Windows) or ~/workspace/hello-genai/ (macOS/Linux)
✅ AI Command Palette generates code
✅ AI Chat responds to your questions
✅ You understand the key differences between Cursor and VS Code

Troubleshooting

Cursor not generating code?

  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify you're signed in (check account icon)
  • Try restarting Cursor
  • Check if AI model is selected in settings

Can't sign in to Cursor?

  • Make sure you're using a valid email or GitHub account
  • Check for popup blockers
  • Try the alternative sign-in method

AI commands not working?

  • Check Settings to ensure AI features are enabled
  • Make sure you're not in a modal or dialog
  • Try using menu items: Edit menu for AI features

When to Use Cursor vs VS Code

Use Cursor when:

  • Starting a new project from scratch
  • Need deep codebase understanding
  • Want faster AI-native experience
  • Prefer integrated AI without extensions

Use VS Code when:

  • Working with existing team using VS Code
  • Need specific VS Code extensions not available in Cursor
  • Prefer familiar VS Code workflow
  • Organization standardizes on VS Code

Next Steps

Now that you have both VS Code and Cursor set up, it's time to download the course materials and let the AI agent guide you through the rest of the training!

Copy the link below and paste it into the AI Chat panel in your IDE (VS Code Copilot Chat or Cursor Chat):

https://github.com/codenjoyme/vibecoding-training/blob/main/modules/025-downloading-course-materials/walkthrough.md

The AI agent will read the instructions from that link and guide you through downloading the course repository. From that point on, the agent will conduct all remaining modules for you automatically! 🚀