Complete before your workshop
Get the computer you will bring ready for a smooth Prompt Cartography workshop.
No programming experience is expected. Allow about 30 minutes, follow the instructions for your computer, and complete the short test at the end.
Step 1 · About 3 minutes
Python includes a small local web server that lets your browser open workshop maps correctly. A “local server” sounds technical, but here it means one short command and a browser tab.
Prompt Cartographypython --versionSuccess: You see Python 3 followed by version numbers. Skip to Step 3.
If that does not work, try py --version. If either command shows Python 3, continue.
python3 --versionSuccess: You see Python 3 followed by version numbers. Skip to Step 3.
On a Mac, python may fail while python3 works. That is normal; use python3 for the rest of this guide.
Step 2A · Windows only
You do not need to reinstall Python. Go directly to Test the local server.
Visit python.org/downloads . Use only Python.org or the Microsoft Store—not a third-party download site.
Choose the Windows download or Microsoft Store option shown on the page. If Windows asks whether to allow the installation, approve it. This is Python’s recommended method for current Windows computers.
Open a fresh Windows Terminal, PowerShell, or Command Prompt window so it can recognize the new commands.
Run python --version. If Windows begins installing the current Python runtime, allow it to finish and run the command again.
python --versionExpected result: A line beginning with Python 3.
python command still does not workpy --version. If it works, use py -m http.server 8000 during the workshop.Step 2B · Mac only
You do not need to reinstall Python. Go directly to Test the local server.
Visit python.org/downloads/macos .
Choose the latest stable Python 3 release and its macOS installer. Avoid releases labeled alpha, beta, release candidate, or pre-release.
Open the downloaded .pkg file from Downloads. Choose Continue, accept the default options, and select Install. Enter your Mac password or use Touch ID if asked.
Open Applications → the new Python 3.x folder → Install Certificates.command. Wait for the completion message, then close that window.
Run the command below.
python3 --versionExpected result: A line beginning with Python 3.
python3 command still does not workStep 3 · Everyone
This test proves that Python, your Terminal, and your browser can work together. It does not publish anything to the internet.
On your Desktop, make a new folder named prompt-cartography-test. During the workshop, use a dedicated project folder like this—never serve a folder containing private files.
In Terminal, type cd followed by one space. Drag the test folder from your Desktop into the Terminal window, then press Enter or Return. The computer fills in the folder location for you.
Use the command for your computer. Leave Terminal open while the server is running.
python -m http.server 8000If you used py earlier, run py -m http.server 8000 instead.
python3 -m http.server 8000In Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari, go to http://localhost:8000. An empty directory listing is a successful result.
Return to Terminal and press Ctrl + C. The command prompt will return. You can then close the browser tab and Terminal.
That plain-looking page is exactly what an empty workshop folder should show.
Serving HTTP on….http://localhost:8000—use http, not https.Step 4 · Recommended workshop account
The workshop is designed and rehearsed in ChatGPT. A one-month ChatGPT Plus subscription gives you the closest match to the instructor’s screen, tools, and workflow.
More room for the back-and-forth prompting, file uploads, and revisions we will do in class.
Broader model access and advanced reasoning are useful for code, planning, troubleshooting, and multi-step map work.
Upload and work with common documents, images, spreadsheets, and other workshop files more freely than on the Free plan.
Priority access and faster responses reduce the chance that limits or busy periods interrupt a timed exercise.
OpenAI applies usage limits, and features can change. ChatGPT API charges are separate and are not needed for this workshop. Prices can also vary by country, taxes, or app-store billing; verify the total shown before purchase.
You can bring a paid account from another provider and still practice many of the ideas. However, its model names, buttons, file tools, custom assistants, limits, and code behavior will differ. You may need to translate the instructor’s steps, and an exercise may not produce the same result. Workshop support will focus on ChatGPT.
The ChatGPT Free plan may work for part of the day, but its lower limits can interrupt file-heavy or repeated work. If you have access through an employer or school, check that you can sign in on the workshop computer and that file uploads and required workshop GPTs are allowed.
Plan details checked August 17, 2026. Confirm current terms with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus guide and current pricing page.
Step 5 · Final check
Workshop exercises use supplied or public data. Do not upload confidential, restricted, personally identifiable, or employer-owned data unless your organization has explicitly approved that use.