Popular Tools & Setups
There's no single right setup. Here's what Notre Dame developers actually use, what the university supports at each level, and how the wider ecosystem beyond our official list fits in.
The landscape
| Setup | What it is | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code + GitHub Copilot or Codex | The ND developer standard: VS Code as the editor, Copilot for inline completion and chat, Codex for agentic work. Backed by GitHub Advanced Security — static analysis, secret scanning, dependency review. | Standard — ND-provisioned accounts |
| Gemini (Canvas mode) | Coding right in the Gemini web app — prototype, iterate, and preview with nothing installed. A natural first stop if you're just getting started. | Included with ND Google accounts |
| Google AI Studio | Google's model playground and API workbench for building with Gemini models. | Available on request |
| Claude Code harness + your model provider | Install the Claude Code harness and point it at an approved model provider — an agentic, command-line workflow for developers who want one. | Bring-your-own (approved providers and accounts) |
| Portkey (API gateway) | OIT-offered gateway for direct model API access — routing, observability, and governance for apps that call models programmatically. | Available with chargeback |
| Other agentic IDEs & harnesses | Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, aider, and a fast-moving field of others. Many work well; few are officially offered. | Case-by-case — tier assessment and data rules apply |
How to read this table
Standard means the institution has invested support, governance, and a backstop: when something breaks, there's someone to call, and the contractual protections are in place. On request and chargeback options are supported paths with an extra step. Bring-your-own means the workflow is fine but you're assembling it yourself from approved pieces.
The last row is deliberate: we don't pretend the wider ecosystem doesn't exist, and we don't ban it. If an unlisted tool would make a real difference for you, talk to the AI Enablement team before installing it. Going off the supported path means taking on the support and governance work yourself.