You need: macOS or Linux · a terminal · a Claude Pro/Max account or a Claude Console (API) account.
1. Install Claude Code
Native installer (easiest):
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Or with npm (needs Node.js 18+):
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
2. Restart your shell
Close and reopen the terminal (or source ~/.zshrc / ~/.bashrc) so claude is on PATH.
3. Open your project and start
cd ~/path/to/your/project
claude
4. Log in
A browser opens on first run. Sign in with Claude Pro/Max, or choose Claude Console to use an API key. Done.
Good to know
- If
claudeisn’t found after install, see fix “claude: command not found”. - Update: native install auto-updates; with npm run
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest.