FAQ & Troubleshooting

This is a GitHub Classroom bug. The fix takes 30 seconds:

1. Go to github.com and click your profile picture (top right).
2. Click “Your organizations”.
3. Find the organization for this course (e.g., CSCD210-Spring-2026).
4. Click “Accept” on the pending invitation.
5. Go back to the assignment link and try again.

If the organization doesn’t appear, make sure you’re signed into the correct GitHub account.

Early in the quarter, scores of 0, 1, or 2 have special meanings:

If you’re stuck at 1: You probably wrote code locally but didn’t push it. Run these in your project folder:

git add .
git commit -m "Submit my work"
git push

Then check your repo on GitHub to confirm the files are there.

The autograder posts feedback as a comment on a Pull Request in your repo:

1. Go to your repo on GitHub (find it at github.com/orgs/CSCD210-Spring-2026/repositories).
2. Click the “Pull requests” tab at the top.
3. Click the “Feedback” pull request.
4. Scroll down to see the comment with your test results and suggestions.

New feedback is posted automatically when you push new commits. Check back after each push.

GitHub no longer accepts passwords for Git operations. The simplest fix:

1. Open VS Code.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).
3. Type GitHub: Sign In and follow the prompts.
4. Try pushing again.

If you use the terminal directly, you need either a Personal Access Token or SSH key. The VS Code sign-in method handles this for you.

You’re running a Git command outside your project folder. Navigate into it first:

cd ~/Documents/cscd210/lab01-yourname
git status

If git status shows On branch main, you’re in the right place.

Every time you push code to GitHub:

1. Automated tests run on your code.
2. Your score is calculated from how many tests pass.
3. The score is posted to Canvas only if it improves your existing score (it never goes down).
4. A detailed comment is posted to the Feedback PR on your GitHub repo.

Your last push before the deadline is what counts. Push early and often.

CodeStepByStep is a practice tool where you solve small coding problems. In this course:

• There are problem sets assigned each week, linked from Canvas.
• You only need to complete one challenge per set to get credit.
• It’s part of the Active Learning category, which is 20% of your grade.
• The problems are directly relevant to quiz and exam questions.

If you have a 0 for any CodeStepByStep set, even doing a single problem gives you the point. Don’t leave free points on the table.

Check the current late work policy on the syllabus (Canvas). In general:

• Labs may have flexible due dates or dropped lowest scores — check the latest announcements.
• The autograder only updates your Canvas score if the new score is higher than what’s already there.
• If you push late work and your score doesn’t update, reach out to the instructor.

You have multiple JDKs installed. The old one takes priority on your PATH. Fix:

macOS:

export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home -v 25)

Add this line to your ~/.zshrc file so it persists.

Linux:

export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/temurin-25-jdk-amd64

Windows: Search “Environment Variables” in Start menu. Under System Variables, set JAVA_HOME to your JDK 25 path (e.g., C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-25...).

After changing, close and reopen your terminal.

The Gradle wrapper script needs to be made executable. Run this once per project:

chmod +x gradlew

Then try again:

./gradlew test

Gradle can’t find JDK 25. First verify Java is installed:

java --version

If it shows version 25, set JAVA_HOME explicitly (see “wrong version” fix above). If Java isn’t installed at all, follow the JDK setup guide.

The first ./gradlew run in a new project downloads dependencies (~150MB). This is normal and only happens once per Gradle version. After the first run, builds should take seconds.

If every run is slow:

• Close other heavy applications.
• Move the project off cloud-synced folders (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud). Put it in a local folder like ~/Documents/cscd210/.
• Run ./gradlew clean test to start fresh.

1. Make sure all your changes are pushed: git status should show nothing to commit.
2. Run ./gradlew clean test locally to simulate a fresh build.
3. Check that you’re not relying on files or settings that only exist on your machine.

1. Before class: Check Canvas for any new announcements.
2. In class: Follow along with lecture. Take notes (handwritten is best for exams).
3. After class: Work on the current lab and any CodeStepByStep sets.
4. When stuck: Post on Discord or come to office hours. Don’t spin for hours alone.
5. Before deadline: Push your code. Verify on GitHub that your files are there.

Your submission is your last push to GitHub before the deadline. To verify:

1. Go to your repo on GitHub.
2. Check that your latest files are there (click into src/ and look at timestamps).
3. Click the “Actions” tab to see if tests ran on your latest push.

If your files are on GitHub and tests ran, you’re submitted. You don’t submit anything through Canvas.

Don’t panic. Here’s the priority order:

1. Skip ahead to the current lab. Labs don’t build on each other. You won’t miss prerequisites.
2. Do at least one CodeStepByStep problem per set. Minimum effort, maximum grade impact.
3. Push something for every lab — even partial work gets partial credit through the autograder.
4. Come to office hours. Catching up is faster with help.

The worst thing you can do is freeze. Push what you have and move forward.

In order of response speed:

1. Discord — fastest for quick questions, screenshots, code help. Join link is on Canvas.
2. Office hours — best for “I’m stuck and don’t know where to start” situations.
3. Canvas message or email — for scheduling, grade questions, or anything private.

When asking for help with code, include:

• The error message (screenshot or copy-paste)
• What you were trying to do
• What you’ve already tried