Install Claude Code

Welcome to AI-assisted development with Claude Code! This guide will get you up and running in minutes.

Prerequisites

Before installing Claude Code, ensure you have:

• macOS or Linux (Windows support via WSL)
• Node.js 18+ installed (download)
• A Claude.ai account with Claude Code access

Installation Steps

1. Install Claude Code CLI

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Or if you prefer using Homebrew (macOS):

brew tap anthropic/tap
brew install claude-code

2. Verify Installation

claude --version

You should see the Claude Code version information.

Quick Setup for This Project

If you're using the AI Coding Guidelines framework:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/agronod/ai-coding-guidelines.git
cd ai-coding-guidelines

# Set up environment (for developer-tools-mcp)
export GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_token

# Run the quick setup script
chmod +x ./scripts/quick-setup.sh
./scripts/quick-setup.sh

Start Your First Session

# Simple start
claude

# Or with the opinionated guidelines (after setup)
cl

Next Steps

• Your First Project - Build something in 5 minutes
• Chat Modes - Learn interaction modes and features
• Steering Techniques - Master prompting and control methods

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Command not found" after installation

• Add npm global bin to your PATH
• Or restart your terminal session

Authentication fails

• Ensure you have Claude Code access on your account
• Try claude followed by /logout then claude again

MCP servers not loading

• Check claude mcp list
• Verify environment variables are set

Getting Help

• GitHub Issues
• Claude Code Documentation
• Community Discord