Setup your laptop

Note: although you can do Java development using any laptop (Windows, Mac, Linux), you can only run java robot software using a Windows laptop (the FRC driver station doesn't run on Mac or Linux), so for 2537 development, you should plan to do your work using a computer running MS Windows; if you don't have one, you can use one of the team laptops. If you want to set up your own Windows-based computer for FRC Java development:

1. Install Java
   • Install Java Development Kit (JDK) version 8 or 11 from either ​Zulu (recommended) or ​Oracle
   • Add an environment variable JAVA_HOME that points to the directory where you installed Java and add the bin sub-folder to your search path; see detailed instructions ​here.
2. Install Git (if not already on your computer) from ​here
3. Install Microsoft ​VSCode, required extensions, and the ​latest WPILib extension. Follow the detailed instructions ​here
4. To use cameras, you need to install the National Instruments (NI) FRC 2017 Vision Development Module ​here. Choose the 'current user' version, login to your NI account (or create one), and then select the 2017 Vision Development Module (FRC) for download. Unzip and install the module; when you later run the driver station software, it will ask you to activate the module using the instructions provided on the DriverStationSetup setup page
5. Install the National Instruments (NI) FRC 2018 Update Suite ​here. Detailed instructions are ​here. Note: you won't be able to activate the 2018 vision module until we receive the 2018 Kit of Parts in January (so use the 2017 module until then.
6. Install the ​CTRE Phoenix Framework
7. Make sure Microsoft Internet Explorer (yep) is installed on your computer