Setup Checklist

AI agents work better when the environment answers back quickly. Before you start prompting, make sure the project can actually surface errors.

What You Need Before You Start

Tool	Purpose	Why It Matters
Language Server (LSP)	Real-time type checking, error detection	AI sees mistakes instantly
Linter	Style issues, common bugs	Immediate feedback on quality
Formatter	Consistent style	AI doesn’t fight your preferences

Language Server Setup

Install the LSP for your language:

Language	LSP	Install
TypeScript	typescript-language-server	`npm i -g typescript-language-server typescript`
Python	mypy	`uv tool install mypy` or `pip install mypy`
Go	gopls	`go install golang.org/x/tools/gopls@latest`
Rust	rust-analyzer	`rustup component add rust-analyzer`
C#	OmniSharp	Included with C# extension

Linter Setup

Language	Linter	Config File
TypeScript	ESLint	`eslint.config.js`
Python	Ruff	`pyproject.toml` or `ruff.toml`
Go	golangci-lint	`.golangci.yml`
Rust	Clippy	`clippy.toml`
C#	dotnet format	`.editorconfig`

Formatter Setup

Language	Formatter	Config File
TypeScript	Prettier	`.prettierrc`
Python	Ruff / Black	`pyproject.toml`
Go	gofmt	(built-in, no config)
Rust	rustfmt	`rustfmt.toml`
C#	dotnet format	`.editorconfig`

Verification Commands

Run these before starting an AI session. If they fail, fix them first. Agents are bad at distinguishing their own mistakes from the ones you handed them.

# TypeScript
npm run lint && npm run typecheck

# Python
uv run ruff check . && uv run mypy .

# Go
go vet ./... && golangci-lint run

# Rust
cargo clippy

# C#
dotnet build

Why This Matters

“Agents have no long-term memory. They rediscover ‘ghost errors’ every session, try to fix them, fail, and get confused.”

If the environment is already broken, the agent usually wastes time chasing ghosts.

Quick Checklist

Before your first AI session:

LSP installed and working (hover shows types, errors appear inline)
Linter configured and passing
Formatter configured (optional but recommended)
No pre-existing errors in files you’ll be editing

Next Steps

Environment ready? Start your first session →