Learn AI engineering in your terminal - from zero to shipping AI features
npm install ai-terminal-course> The first terminal-only AI engineering course.
> No videos. No slides. Just you, the terminal, and real API calls.
Learn AI engineering by doing, not reading. Type every command. See real responses. Build production patterns.
Think vimtutor, but for AI engineering.
``bashTry it instantly (no install):
npx ai-terminal-course
First run: You'll be prompted to add your OpenAI API key.
`bash
Setup (one-time):
mkdir -p ~/.ai-terminal-course
echo "OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key" > ~/.ai-terminal-course/.env
`Get your API key: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
What You'll Learn
20 modules. 30 min each. $10 total cost.
$3
1. Tokens - How LLMs see text
2. LLM Calls - Your first API call
3. Streaming - Real-time responses
4. Embeddings - Semantic search
5. Context & Memory - Handling conversations
6. Structured Outputs - JSON, validation$3
7. Tool Calling - Let LLMs use functions
8. Prompt Engineering - Write effective prompts
9. RAG Basics - Retrieval augmented generation
10. Chunking - Document processing
11. Observability - Monitoring with Helicone/Portkey
12. Cost Optimization - Caching, model selection$3
13. Evals & Testing - Validate AI outputs
14. Agentic Patterns - ReAct, planning, reflection
15. Context Engineering - Context window optimization
16. LLM Gateways - Fallbacks, routing, retries
17. Guardrails & Safety - PII detection, content moderation$3
18. Semantic Caching - Similarity-based caching
19. Production Monitoring - Logs, traces, costs
20. Capstone Project - Ship your first AI featureWho This Is For
- ✅ You can code (any language)
- ✅ You're comfortable with the terminal
- ✅ You have ZERO AI knowledge (perfect!)
Why Terminal-Only?
No distractions. No switching between browser and editor. No video scrubbing. No markdown hunting.
Just focused practice. One module at a time.
Real learning happens when you type every command and see every response.
Time & Cost
- Duration: ~10 hours (4 weeks at 30 min/day)
- API Cost: ~$10 (actual production API calls)
- Your time: Priceless (you'll ship AI features)
Commands
`bash
Start/continue course:
ai-terminal-courseJump to specific module:
ai-terminal-course 5See your progress:
ai-terminal-course
`Progress Tracking
Your progress is automatically saved to
~/.ai-terminal-course/progress.json.Track:
- Completed modules
- Time spent
- API costs
- Learning streak 🔥
Tech Stack You'll Use
- APIs: OpenAI GPT-4, Claude 3.5
- Tools: Helicone, Portkey, Langfuse
- Patterns: RAG, agents, tool calling, structured outputs
- Production: Caching, monitoring, cost optimization
Philosophy
- ❌ No theory lectures
- ✅ Applied skills only
- ❌ No copy-paste
- ✅ Type everything
- ❌ No fake demos
- ✅ Real API calls with real costs
You'll understand why things cost what they do, how to optimize, and what production actually looks like.
After This Course
You'll be able to:
- Ship AI features to production
- Debug LLM issues
- Optimize costs and latency
- Build RAG systems
- Create AI agents
- Monitor and improve AI quality
Development
Want to contribute or run locally?
`bash
Clone repo:
git clone https://github.com/josharsh/ai-terminal-course.git
cd ai-terminal-courseInstall:
npm installRun:
npm start
`License
MIT
---
Stop reading. Start building.
`bash
npx ai-terminal-course
``