> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.prescaler.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install and prepare your workstation

> Understand the IDE, SDK, compiler, debugger and probe requirements.

Install Prescaler from the release channel provided for your operating system. Keep the IDE version with any issue report. These documentation sources do not distribute installers.

## Install the native tools

Install the SDK used by your project, including its required compiler and Python/host tools. For a generic CMake project, install CMake and the build generator selected by the project. Install clangd for C/C++ code intelligence. Hardware programming also requires the appropriate probe driver and debug backend.

Open **Settings** and inspect tool detection. A detected executable confirms availability, not compatibility with your chip. The configured compiler and its companion tools should belong to the SDK version your project expects.

If Prescaler was launched from the desktop and cannot find tools that work in a terminal, configure **Additional tool directory**. This extends the native process PATH; it does not choose a different compiler or replace a toolchain file.

## Verify before hardware work

Open the project, select its configuration, build it, and inspect the output. Connect one probe for initial setup. Confirm board power, transport and target identity before programming.

Continue with [First project](/getting-started/first-project) or the [demo](/getting-started/demo).