VS Code Setup Guide - Windows issues and clarity improvements
Several items came up while walking through the [VS Code Setup Guide](https://cmudrc.github.io/design-research-agents/vscode_setup.html) on a fresh Windows machine.
Step 2 - Add a note about trusting workspace authors
After opening a folder, VS Code prompts the user to trust the workspace authors. This should be mentioned so first-time users aren't caught off guard.
Step 3 - Virtual environment activation fails on Windows (PowerShell)
The Windows instructions use .\.venv\Scripts\activate, but VS Code defaults to PowerShell, which blocks script execution out of the box:
.\.venv\Scripts\activate : File C:\Users\...\Activate.ps1 cannot be loaded because
running scripts is disabled on this system.
+ CategoryInfo : SecurityError: (:) [], PSSecurityException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess
Suggested fix: recommend that users switch their default terminal to Git Bash (which requires installing [Git for Windows](https://git-scm.com/download/win) with the default options) or Command Prompt, both of which work without additional configuration. Alternatively, note the Set-ExecutionPolicy workaround for PowerShell.
Step 5 - Mention how to open the Command Palette
The guide says "Open the Command Palette" but doesn't mention the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) or the menu path (View > Command Palette). This would help users who are new to VS Code.
Additionally, if users have multiple .venv folders from other projects on their machine, the interpreter picker could be confusing. A note like "choose the .venv inside your current workspace folder" would help. (Not an issue if they're starting fresh.)
Step 6 - Add explicit file-creation steps
New users may not know how to create a Python file in VS Code. Consider adding a brief note such as File > New File, then saving the file as hello_agents.py in the workspace folder. Emphasizing that the file must be saved before it can be run would also prevent confusion.
Step 7 - Show the expected output
It would be helpful to show what a successful run looks like so users can confirm everything is working:
{
"error": null,
"final_output": "Hello from design-research-agents.",
"success": true,
"terminated_reason": null,
"trace": {
"request_id": "req_0c4a6cd09c5e44408e3ab775a3d98951"
}
}Also worth noting: when running the script via the play button or F5, VS Code may default to PowerShell, which can produce warnings - but as long as the JSON summary above appears, everything is working correctly.
VS Code Setup Guide - Windows issues and clarity improvements
Several items came up while walking through the [VS Code Setup Guide](https://cmudrc.github.io/design-research-agents/vscode_setup.html) on a fresh Windows machine.
Step 2 - Add a note about trusting workspace authors
After opening a folder, VS Code prompts the user to trust the workspace authors. This should be mentioned so first-time users aren't caught off guard.
Step 3 - Virtual environment activation fails on Windows (PowerShell)
The Windows instructions use
.\.venv\Scripts\activate, but VS Code defaults to PowerShell, which blocks script execution out of the box:Suggested fix: recommend that users switch their default terminal to Git Bash (which requires installing [Git for Windows](https://git-scm.com/download/win) with the default options) or Command Prompt, both of which work without additional configuration. Alternatively, note the
Set-ExecutionPolicyworkaround for PowerShell.Step 5 - Mention how to open the Command Palette
The guide says "Open the Command Palette" but doesn't mention the keyboard shortcut (
Ctrl+Shift+P/Cmd+Shift+P) or the menu path (View > Command Palette). This would help users who are new to VS Code.Additionally, if users have multiple
.venvfolders from other projects on their machine, the interpreter picker could be confusing. A note like "choose the.venvinside your current workspace folder" would help. (Not an issue if they're starting fresh.)Step 6 - Add explicit file-creation steps
New users may not know how to create a Python file in VS Code. Consider adding a brief note such as
File > New File, then saving the file ashello_agents.pyin the workspace folder. Emphasizing that the file must be saved before it can be run would also prevent confusion.Step 7 - Show the expected output
It would be helpful to show what a successful run looks like so users can confirm everything is working:
{ "error": null, "final_output": "Hello from design-research-agents.", "success": true, "terminated_reason": null, "trace": { "request_id": "req_0c4a6cd09c5e44408e3ab775a3d98951" } }Also worth noting: when running the script via the play button or F5, VS Code may default to PowerShell, which can produce warnings - but as long as the JSON summary above appears, everything is working correctly.