OpenCode Workshop (30 min)

Learn to vibe code with AI using your Microsoft license

This repo can be found at https://github.com/deankroker/basic-nextjs-app and the live site at https://aka.ms/axande/opencode

Quick Reference

Time (PT)	Section
Pre-session	Prerequisites (A+ students do this as folks trickle in)
11:05	Getting started with code
11:10	Using for doc writing
11:20	Hands-on: Update the app

Prerequisites Checklist

• Link GitHub to Microsoft Enterprise: repos.opensource.microsoft.com/link
• Install VS Code
• Install OpenCode: curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash
• Clone repo: git clone https://github.com/deankroker/basic-nextjs-app
• Install Node LTS with pnpm
• (Optional) Markdown editor: Typora (macOS) / MarkText (Windows)

Essential Commands

Command	What it does
opencode	Launch OpenCode in terminal
/models	Select GitHub Copilot model
/init	Create Agent.md for context
Tab	Toggle Plan vs Build mode
pnpm i	Install local dependencies for Next.js project
pnpm dev	Run local dev server

Detailed Guide

Prerequisites (Do Now!)

1. Get Opus 4.5 Access

Link your GitHub account to Microsoft Enterprise to unlock free access to Claude models via GitHub Copilot.

1. Go to repos.opensource.microsoft.com/link
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account
3. Link your GitHub account

2. Install VS Code

Download from code.visualstudio.com

We're using VS Code for its integrated terminal and Git support. Works great on Windows + macOS.

3. Install OpenCode

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash

Windows (Git Bash):

curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash

After installation, you may need to add OpenCode to your PATH or restart your terminal.

4. Clone the Workshop Repo

git clone https://github.com/deankroker/basic-nextjs-app
cd basic-nextjs-app

5. Install Node.js with pnpm

Download the LTS version from nodejs.org/en/download

During installation, make sure to select the option to install pnpm (or install it separately with npm install -g pnpm).

6. (Optional) Markdown Editor

For a nicer markdown editing experience outside VS Code:

• macOS: Typora - clean, minimal WYSIWYG markdown
• Windows: MarkText - free, open-source Typora alternative

Part 1: Getting Started with Code (11:05 PT)

Why OpenCode?

• Claude Code vs OpenCode: Both use an effective harness for long-running agents (per Anthropic's research), but OpenCode is free for you via your Microsoft license.
• Why Opus 4.5?: This is the strongest general-purpose coding model available today (Jan 13, 2026) for agentic workflows.
• Why not GitHub Copilot or agents? The differentiator is the harness. OpenCode is designed for long-running, stateful work. I often have 3–5 agents running in parallel. Today, Copilot in VS Code still behaves closer to high-quality autocomplete, though it’s improving. The industry momentum is around Claude Code-style workflows.
• Works right in your terminal alongside VS Code.

Setup Steps

1. Open VS Code (close any existing projects) and clone the repo (if you haven't already):

Ctrl+Shift+P → Git: Clone → paste repo URL

2. Open the integrated terminal:

• Windows: Terminal → New Terminal → Select Git Bash
• macOS: Terminal → New Terminal (zsh works great)

3. Launch OpenCode:

opencode

4. Select your model:

/models

Select GitHub Copilot and login when prompted.

5. Initialize project context:

/init

This creates an Agent.md file that helps the AI understand your project.

Why Agent.md? Context is power! The more the AI knows about your project structure, conventions, and goals, the better it can help you.

Plan vs Build: The Key Concept

Press Tab to toggle between modes:

Mode	What it does	When to use
Plan	Read-only exploration	Research, ask questions, explore code safely
Build	Makes actual changes	When you're ready to write/edit code

Pro tip: Start in Plan mode to think through your approach, then switch to Build when you're ready to execute.

Demo 1: Code Update

This part will be live!

Test Your Changes

pnpm i      # Install dependencies
pnpm dev    # Start dev server at localhost:3000

Open http://localhost:3000 to see your app running!

Part 2: Using for Doc Writing (11:20 PT)

Markdown in VS Code

VS Code has built-in markdown support:

• Preview: Ctrl+Shift+V (or Cmd+Shift+V on Mac)
• Side-by-side: Ctrl+K V

Demo 2: Update to an Epic

This part will be live!

Dedicated Markdown Editors

For longer-form writing, dedicated editors can be nicer:

• Typora (macOS): WYSIWYG editing, clean interface
• MarkText (Windows): Free alternative with similar features

Post-Session

We only scratched the surface today. Here's where to learn more:

Topic	Link
OpenCode Docs	opencode.ai/docs
MCP Servers	Extend OpenCode with external tools
Slash Commands	Create custom workflows
Agent.md Best Practices	Optimize your project context

Also suggest trying Claude Code!

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Shortcut	Action
Tab	Toggle Plan/Build mode
Ctrl+C	Cancel current operation
Ctrl+L	Clear screen
/help	See all commands
/models	Switch AI models
/init	Initialize project context

Troubleshooting

OpenCode not found after install

Add to your PATH or restart your terminal:

# Check if installed
which opencode

# If not found, try restarting terminal or adding to PATH
export PATH="$HOME/.opencode/bin:$PATH"

GitHub Copilot login issues

1. Make sure your GitHub is linked at repos.opensource.microsoft.com/link
2. Try /models again and follow the OAuth flow

pnpm not found

npm install -g pnpm

Happy vibe coding!