// course + book companion
Course Resources
This page is the living reference for everything in the book and course that changes frequently: model names, tool versions, library versions, API pricing, and service providers. It is updated as things change so you always have current information.
01 // ai models & providers
AI Models and Providers
The course refers to models by capability tier (Haiku-class, Sonnet-class, Opus-class) rather than specific version IDs to reduce re-recording. The model IDs below are current as of the last-updated date above. Always verify with your provider before starting a project — new versions are released every few months.
claude-haiku-4-5 Fastest and cheapest. Good for high-volume, low-complexity tasks. ↗ claude-sonnet-4-6 Course default: strong reasoning at a reasonable cost per token. ↗ Gemini 1.5 Pro / Flash Strong long-context capability. Flash variant is fast and affordable. ↗ MiMo-7B Compact reasoning-focused model for resource-constrained environments. 02 // ai coding tools
AI Coding Tools
UIs, keyboard shortcuts, and model selectors change with every release. Check the linked pages for the latest versions and installation instructions before recording or following along.
VS Code
current stableThe default editor for this course. Free, cross-platform, and actively developed.
Visit site ↗Cline
currentAI coding assistant extension for VS Code. The primary tool used in Module 2.
Visit site ↗Claude Code
currentAnthropic's terminal-based AI coding agent. Covered in Module 2.
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code GitHub Copilot
currentSubscription-based coding assistant from GitHub. Strong inline autocomplete.
Visit site ↗Cursor
currentAI-native fork of VS Code with deep model integration built into the editor.
Visit site ↗Windsurf
currentAI-first editor by Codeium. Alternative to Cursor with a different UX model.
Visit site ↗03 // local model tools
Local Model Tools
Running models locally requires GPU VRAM. The thresholds below shift as quantization improves — treat them as practical starting points rather than hard limits.
Ollama
currentRun open-weight models locally with a simple CLI. Recommended for local inference.
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh LM Studio
currentGUI-based alternative to Ollama. Good for exploring and downloading models.
Visit site ↗VRAM requirements (approximate)
| GPU VRAM | Usable for | Example models |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB minimum | Up to 7B parameters | Llama 3.2 3B, Qwen2.5-Coder 7B |
| 16 GB comfortable | Up to 13B parameters | Llama 3.1 8B, DeepSeek-Coder 7B |
| 24 GB+ | 30B+ parameters | Llama 3 70B (Q4), Qwen2.5-Coder 32B |
04 // python libraries
Python Libraries
Libraries used in the course projects. Install name and import name sometimes differ —
this is a common source of confusing errors. Pin versions in a
requirements.txt for reproducibility.
sentence-transformers sentence_transformers Embedding model wrapper. Course uses all-MiniLM-L6-v2 for RAG. PyPI ↗ pymupdf fitz PDF parsing. Import name (fitz) differs from package name (pymupdf). Also install pymupdf4llm for Markdown extraction. PyPI ↗ pyserial serial Serial port communication for Arduino and hardware projects. Import name (serial) differs from package name. PyPI ↗ adafruit-circuitpython-busdevice adafruit_bus_device Adafruit hardware abstraction for I2C and SPI peripherals. PyPI ↗ 05 // runtime & dev tools
Runtime & Dev Tools
Core tools required before you start the course projects. Node.js LTS increments roughly annually.
Python
3.12+Python 3.8 is end-of-life — upgrade if you are still on it.
3.8 is EOLNode.js
22.x LTSRequired for Claude Code. Always install the LTS release.
Git
2.x stableAny recent 2.x release works for course projects.
npm
bundled with NodeComes with Node.js. Used to install Claude Code.
pip
bundled with PythonUse pip3 on systems that have both Python 2 and 3 installed.
06 // api pricing
API Pricing
Prices change frequently
We deliberately do not list specific token prices here to avoid giving you outdated figures. Always check the provider's pricing page before starting a new project or estimating costs.
07 // cloud services
Cloud Services
Services used in the deployment and operations sections of the course. All have free or low-cost tiers suitable for solo projects.
Hetzner VPS
Recommended deployment host. Strong price-to-performance for solo projects.
Visit site ↗08 // payment & business services
Payment & Business Services
A merchant of record (MOR) collects payments on your behalf and handles tax compliance (VAT, GST) in every jurisdiction they operate. This is the recommended approach for solopreneurs selling internationally — the MOR deals with tax registration, not you. These services are covered in Module 5.
Paddle Billing
recommendedRecommended. Handles VAT and GST compliance on your behalf internationally.
Visit site ↗Stripe
Not a merchant of record — you handle tax compliance yourself.
Visit site ↗