1.14 Windows Environment Setup

1. Overall Plan

Principle: keep it minimal, add as you go. Start with a minimal usable set and extend it as needs appear.

2. Why scoop

scoop is a command-line package manager for Windows, similar to apt or brew: one command installs software, adds it to PATH automatically, and upgrades don't leave scattered install directories on the system.

The main differences from traditional installers:

3. Install scoop

Run the following in PowerShell (not CMD):

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
irm get.scoop.sh | iex

The first line allows local scripts (which scoop needs); the second downloads and runs the install script. Verify in PowerShell after installing:

scoop --version

Common commands:

What is a bucket: scoop groups software by "source", called a bucket. Only main (core tools) is present by default; add the community-maintained extras bucket with scoop bucket add extras when you need more software, and scoop bucket add versions can install multiple versions (such as different Node.js versions).

4. Basic Tools: Git, Node.js, and Python

Install in PowerShell:

scoop install git
scoop install nodejs-lts
scoop install python

Verify the installation:

git --version
node --version
npm --version
python --version

You only install Git once. Identity configuration (username, email) and everyday usage are covered in the "Initial Configuration" section of 1.15 Version Control and Git.

5. C/C++ Toolchain (per Shenshijun's Guide)

For C/C++ on Windows, this section directly follows Shenshijun's C/C++ environment setup guide (Windows only, aimed at algorithmic contest / practice problems). Below are the essential parts; the original guide (with screenshots) is authoritative for details.

5.1 Install MSYS2

Go to the MSYS2 website and download the installer for your processor architecture:

Click "Next" to complete the installation; the default path is C:\msys64 — remember it. After installing, open the MSYS2 MSYS terminal and update the packages first:

pacman -Syu

5.2 Install the C/C++ toolchain

Run this in the MSYS2 UCRT64 terminal (open MSYS2 UCRT64 from the Start menu):

pacman -S --needed --noconfirm mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-toolchain mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-clang-tools-extra mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-ucrt-x86_64-ninja

What each package does:

Verify the installation:

clangd --version   # success if a version is printed
where clangd       # should print a path, not "not found"
where g++          # should print a path, not "not found"

5.3 Configure the environment variable

Add C:\msys64\ucrt64\bin to the system environment variable Path (replace it with your actual path if you changed the install location):

1. Press Win + I to open Settings → System → System info → Advanced system settings
2. Click Environment Variables → find Path under System variables → Edit → New
3. Paste C:\msys64\ucrt64\bin → OK to save
4. Reopen the terminal

Verification: in a new terminal, run clangd --version and g++ --version; a version printed means the configuration is correct. The principles of environment variables are in 1.2 Windows Settings.

5.4 Common problems

6. VS Code and C/C++ Plugins

6.1 Install VS Code

Install it with scoop (from the extras bucket):

scoop bucket add extras
scoop install vscode

You can also download and install the System Installer from the VS Code website. Basic VS Code usage is covered in 1.7 Text Editing.

6.2 Install plugins

Install the following plugins per Shenshijun's C/C++ guide:

6.3 Configure clangd and disable IntelliSense

After opening any .cpp file, clangd usually prompts about a conflict with the Microsoft C/C++ plugin's IntelliSense — click Disable IntelliSense; if you clicked it away by accident, add this to the VS Code settings (JSON):

"C_Cpp.intelliSenseEngine": "disabled"

6.4 Compile, run, and debug

• Compile and run: the run button in the top-right corner or the F6 shortcut (provided by C/C++ Compile Run)
• Debug: set a breakpoint first, then press F5 to start debugging
• Format: Shift + Alt + F; on first use, pick Clang-Format in the popup

7. GitHub and SSH Keys

The full flow of registering a GitHub account, generating SSH keys, adding the public key to GitHub, and testing the connection is covered in the "Registration and Configuration" section of 1.16 Code Hosting Platforms and won't be repeated here. One thing worth remembering on the environment side:

8. Docker

Container development environments are covered in 1.17 Docker Basics. Install Docker Desktop on Windows / macOS and enable the WSL 2 backend (if you use WSL 2, set up WSL first per 1.14 WSL Environment Setup).

Verify Docker:

docker --version
docker compose version
docker run --rm hello-world

If hello-world can't be pulled, check the network and mirror configuration first.

9. Directory Planning

Decide where files and tools live in the system:

%USERPROFILE%\.ssh\    # SSH keys; not committed wholesale
%USERPROFILE%\scoop\   # software installed by scoop; reinstalled if broken
D:\Projects\           # project directory (all-English, no spaces; see 1.1 File Management)
D:\Notes\              # personal notes and documents

The value of planning is predictability: where new projects go, where config files live, and what to clean up when unused all have clear answers.

10. Recovering on a New Computer

Record first, then migrate. When switching to a new computer:

1. Record the installed software list with scoop list
2. Push all projects to a remote repository and restore them on the new machine with git clone
3. Don't copy SSH keys — generate new ones with ssh-keygen and re-register the public key
4. Put config files (e.g. .clang-format, Starship config) in a personal config repository

# Example steps on a new computer
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
irm get.scoop.sh | iex
scoop install git nodejs-lts python
# install the MSYS2 toolchain and VS Code plugins per sections 5 and 6 above
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "new machine"
git clone git@github.com:your-username/dotfiles.git ~/dotfiles

After migrating the config, run through the verification checklist above item by item and the new environment is ready for work.

11. Summary

Package manager -> scoop
Version control -> Git + GitHub/CNB
Languages       -> nodejs-lts / python (managed by scoop)
C/C++          -> MSYS2 + clangd
Editor         -> VS Code + plugins
Container      -> Docker Desktop
SSH keys       -> credentials

The essence of environment setup isn't "get it right once", but being able to rebuild and verify it from records. Putting non-sensitive config, version constraints, and steps under appropriate version control reduces migration and debugging costs.

12. TODO Checklist

• Understand the difference between scoop and manual installation
• Install scoop and use scoop install to install Git, Node.js, and Python
• Install the MSYS2 toolchain and configure the environment variable; clangd --version and g++ --version pass
• Configure clangd and C/C++ Compile Run in VS Code; compile, run, and debug a C++ program
• Generate SSH keys, add them to GitHub, and verify with ssh -T git@github.com
• Try running a container with Docker Desktop
• Try to set up a usable development environment on your own computer

13. Questions Worth Thinking About