This page covers installing Claude Code on your system and completing initial setup. It explains the available installation methods for macOS, Linux, and Windows, along with authentication and first-run configuration.
Claude Code is an agentic coding tool that lives in your terminal, understands your codebase, and helps you code faster by executing routine tasks, explaining complex code, and handling git workflows README.md7
Claude Code is distributed through multiple installation channels. While it was originally available via npm, native installers and package managers are now the recommended methods README.md14-17 The tool features a terminal-based UI (TUI) and supports various interaction modes including interactive, print (-p), and Remote Control CHANGELOG.md15-20
Recent updates have improved the stability of background sessions and the update process, ensuring that the CLI handles binary replacements gracefully without losing session state CHANGELOG.md15-16
Sources: README.md1-46 CHANGELOG.md15-20
Claude Code requires Node.js 18 or later README.md3
| Requirement | Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js | 18+ | Required for all installation methods README.md3 |
| Operating System | macOS, Linux, Windows | Native binaries and scripts available README.md21-39 |
| Shell | zsh, bash, powershell | Supports standard terminal environments README.md21-34 |
curl for the recommended installation script README.md23install.ps1 script README.md33claude --ax-screen-reader or the axScreenReader setting CHANGELOG.md23 CHANGELOG.md37CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH environment variable can be used to specify a bash binary; invalid paths are ignored with a warning CHANGELOG.md21Sources: README.md3 README.md23-33 CHANGELOG.md21-23 CHANGELOG.md37
Title: "Installation Path Selection"
Sources: README.md19-44
The recommended method uses a hosted shell script to download and install the binary README.md21-24:
Claude Code is available as a cask via Homebrew README.md26-29:
Installation via npm is now deprecated but remains available for specific environments README.md41-44:
Sources: README.md19-44
The recommended Windows installation uses an irm (Invoke-RestMethod) pattern to execute the remote setup script README.md31-34:
Windows Package Manager (WinGet) is supported for native Windows installation README.md36-39:
Sources: README.md31-39
Title: "CLI Initialization and Authentication Flow"
Sources: README.md46 CHANGELOG.md23
Users can configure specific behaviors via environment variables:
CLAUDE_CODE_MAX_SUBAGENT_SPAWN_DEPTH: Controls how deep nested subagents can spawn (default is 3) CHANGELOG.md32CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH: (Windows) Path to the preferred bash/sh binary CHANGELOG.md21CLAUDE_AX_SCREEN_READER: Set to 1 to enable specialized accessibility echoing CHANGELOG.md23Upon installation and usage, Claude Code collects feedback and usage data. Users should be aware of the following:
Sources: README.md60-73 CHANGELOG.md21-32
To start using Claude Code, navigate to your project directory and execute the claude command README.md46
You can verify the installation and troubleshoot configuration issues using internal tools:
/model: Select and verify the active model (e.g., claude-opus-5 is the new default) CHANGELOG.md9 CHANGELOG.md18/config: View and modify settings like workflowSizeGuideline or sandbox.network.strictAllowlist CHANGELOG.md10-13/mcp: List and verify Model Context Protocol server connections CHANGELOG.md16claude --teleport: Verify repository context matches the session CHANGELOG.md25\u prefixed paths (e.g., C:\Users) were corrupted in tool inputs CHANGELOG.md38--mcp-config entries skipped by validation CHANGELOG.md12Refresh this wiki
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