TDS Bridge Bootcamp — Combined Checklist/Syllabus#

Day 1 Post-Session Checklist#

I can open a Linux terminal and recognize the shell prompt (user@machine:~$)
I can run python --version, git --version, and uv --version without errors
I can open VS Code connected to WSL/Linux using code .
I know what ~ means and can navigate to my home directory using cd ~
I can create folders and files using mkdir and touch, and list them with ls
I know the difference between .xyz, ./xyz, and ../xyz
I know that in Linux, everything is a file
I can navigate to the C and D drives within WSL
I understand the difference between > (overwrite) and >> (append)
I have a GitHub account and have created the tds-bootcamp repository

I understand what PATH is and why commands like python work without full paths
I can navigate the filesystem without clicking — using cd, ls, and pwd only
I can read, search, and inspect files using cat, head, tail, grep, and wc
I can edit a file using nano (open, edit, save, exit)
I understand pipes (|) and redirection (>, >>, 2>) and can chain commands
I can set an environment variable in .bashrc and apply it with source ~/.bashrc
I know the difference between export VAR=value (available to child processes) and just VAR=value (shell-local)

I can run a Python script using uv run script.py without setting up a local virtual environment
I know where the temporary virtual environment is created when running the uv add --script script.py pandas command followed by uv run script.py
I can create a new Python project using uv init and understand what pyproject.toml is used for
I can add a dependency (e.g., requests) using uv add and see it reflected in the lockfile
I can create a traditional virtual environment using uv venv and know when to use it
I understand why installing packages globally with pip install is a bad habit
I can open a project in VS Code, select the correct Python interpreter, and run code from the integrated terminal
I know the difference between a .py script and a .ipynb notebook, and when to use each

I know the 5 core HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE) and what each is used for
I can read a status code and know what went wrong — e.g., 401 vs. 403 vs. 404 vs. 500
I can open Chrome DevTools Network tab, find a request, and inspect its headers, payload, and response
I can copy a browser request as a cURL command and run it in the terminal
I can change the User-Agent in the browser and see the change in the Network tab
I can use curl to make a GET request with query parameters and a POST request with a JSON body
I have a running FastAPI app with at least two endpoints (GET /health and POST /echo)
I can test my API using the Swagger UI at /docs and via curl from the terminal

I have set up the basic Git configuration using git config --global user.name "Your Name", git config --global user.email "[email protected]", and set the default branch as main using git config --global init.defaultBranch main
I know GitHub allows only one user account per person, so I have merged my accounts (IITM and personal) into a single unified account
I understand the three states of a file in Git: working tree → staging → committed
I can run the daily workflow commands git status, git diff, and git log and know what each shows
I know how .gitignore works and how to use it to ignore files and folders that should not be pushed to the remote repository (e.g., venv, __pycache__, .env)
I can make a commit: git add → git commit -m "message" → git push
I know what origin and main are and can explain them in one sentence each
I can set up SSH key authentication and push to GitHub without entering a password
I can create an annotated tag (git tag -a v0.1.0) and push it to GitHub
I can write a meaningful commit message (not “fixed stuff” or “final.py”)