Claude Code Install Guide | The Four Languages

Ways to Use Claude Code

Before we install anything, let's look at the three ways you can use Claude Code. This helps you understand what we are setting up and why.

1. Terminal (Command Line)

This is what we will install in this guide. You open your terminal, type claude, and start talking. It is a text-based conversation directly with your computer.

🖥️ Why it is good

The terminal is the cleanest way to use Claude Code. You are speaking directly to your computer with no extra layers, no dependencies on other software, and no middlemen. It is the most reliable option, it gets updates first, and it gives Claude the most control over your files and system. This is why we use the terminal throughout this course.

2. Code Editors (VS Code, Cursor)

VS Code is a free code editor made by Microsoft. Claude Code has an extension for it. If you install VS Code and the Claude Code extension, you get the same Claude conversation inside a visual editor where you can also see your files and folders in a sidebar.

Cursor is another code editor built on the same foundation as VS Code. It adds its own AI features on top. Both editors work with Claude Code in the same way.

📁 Why it is good

If you like seeing your files visually, a code editor can feel more approachable. You can browse your folders, open files by clicking on them, and see Claude's changes highlighted in real time. Some people find this less intimidating than a blank terminal. You can download VS Code from code.visualstudio.com or Cursor from cursor.com.

3. Claude Desktop App

The Claude desktop app (from claude.ai) is the chat interface most people know. It recently added the ability to connect to your local files, bringing it closer to what Claude Code can do in the terminal.

💬 Why it is good

The desktop app has the friendliest interface. It looks and feels like a normal chat window. If the terminal feels too technical and a code editor feels like too much software, the desktop app is the gentlest way in.

🧭 Why We Use the Terminal in This Course

All three options talk to the same Claude. The difference is the wrapper around it. The terminal has no wrapper. It is the most direct line between Claude and your computer, and you own every connection. You decide what gets installed, what gets activated, and you have full control over your system.

In our experience, the terminal is also significantly less buggy than the apps built on top of it (VS Code, Cursor, the Claude desktop app). Those apps add their own layers of complexity, their own update cycles, and sometimes their own payment plans on top of what you are already paying for Claude. The terminal adds none of that. It is just you, Claude, and your files.

🔄 You Can Always Switch Later

Nothing locks you in. If you start with the terminal and later decide you want a visual file browser, install VS Code or Cursor and keep going. Your project files, your root system, your memory, all of it stays exactly the same regardless of which interface you use.

Open Your Terminal

The terminal is a text-based way to talk to your computer. Instead of clicking through menus and folders, you type short commands. That blank screen with a blinking cursor is completely normal. It is waiting for you to type something.

You will use the terminal to install a few things and to start Claude Code each day. You do not need to memorize commands. This guide gives you every command to type, and once Claude Code is running, you just talk to it in plain language.

How to Open It

Mac: Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight. Type Terminal. Press Enter.

Windows: Press the Windows key. Type PowerShell. Press Enter.

A window will open with a blinking cursor. That is your terminal. You are ready.

⚡ The Terminal is Powerful

The terminal can do anything on your computer, which means it can also break things if you type the wrong command. The good news: every command in this guide has been tested and is safe. Just follow the steps exactly as written. And once Claude Code is running, it always asks for your permission before doing anything.

This is also why we set up GitHub for version control: your work is backed up at every step. And once your system is running, you have multiple layers of memory protecting you. Your GitHub repository stores every version of every file. Claude Code keeps transcripts of every session you have ever had. And your personal memory system (session learnings, fact files, daily logs) means nothing important gets lost, even if something goes wrong.

🎙️ You Do Not Have to Type Everything

Claude Code has built-in voice. Type /voice in the terminal to activate it, hold the spacebar to speak. It is free, no extra tools needed. You can also use tools like WhisperFlow or Superwhisper for voice-to-text anywhere on your computer, but for Claude Code, /voice is all you need. You can also drag screenshots into the terminal and Claude will see them. Talk to it the way you would talk to an assistant.

Install Homebrew (Mac Only)

🪟 Windows Users

Skip this lesson entirely. Homebrew is only for Mac. Click "Mark complete" and move on to Lesson 4.

Why You Need This

Homebrew is a package manager for Mac. Think of it as an app store for developer tools, except you install things by typing one command instead of clicking through websites and installers. We will use it in the next lesson to install Node.js cleanly.

Install Homebrew

Open your terminal (Cmd + Space, type Terminal, press Enter)

Copy and paste this entire command, then press Enter:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Wait. It will ask for your Mac password (the one you use to log in). Type it and press Enter. You will not see the characters as you type. That is normal.

Follow any instructions it shows at the end. On newer Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4), it may tell you to run two extra commands to add Homebrew to your path. Copy and paste those exactly.

Verify It Worked

Type this and press Enter:

brew --version

If you see a version number (like Homebrew 4.x.x), you are done. If you see "command not found", close the terminal, open a fresh one, and try again.

💡 What Just Happened?

You installed a tool that lets you install other tools with one command. Instead of downloading installers from websites, you can now type brew install [thing] and it handles everything. You will use this in the next lesson.

Install Node.js

Why You Need This

Node.js is the engine that Claude Code runs on. You will never use Node.js directly. You just need it installed so that Claude Code can work. Think of it like needing a battery inside a remote control: you do not interact with the battery, but the remote will not work without it.

Install with Homebrew (Recommended)

If you installed Homebrew in the previous lesson, this is one command:

Open your terminal and type:

brew install node

Wait about 30 seconds. Text will scroll by. When you see your cursor again, it is done.

Install from the Website

Go to nodejs.org

Click the big green "LTS" button. A file will download.

Run the installer. Click Next through everything. Accept the defaults. About 2 minutes.

Close your terminal and open a fresh one (important: the terminal needs to restart to see the new installation).

Verify It Worked

Type this and press Enter:

node --version

If you see a version number (like v22.x.x or similar), you are done.

🔧 If It Says "Command Not Found"

Close the terminal completely and open a fresh one. Then try node --version again. If it still does not work, restart your computer and try once more. This fixes the problem almost every time.

Install Claude Code

Before You Start

You need a Claude Pro subscription ($20/month). If you do not have one yet, go to claude.ai and sign up for Pro. This is what gives you access to Claude Code.

Install It

Open your terminal and type this exactly:

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

Wait 30 to 60 seconds. Text will scroll by. When you see your blinking cursor again, it is done.

Test it. Type claude and press Enter.

If you see Claude's welcome message, you are done. Claude Code is installed.

🔧 If "claude" Does Not Work

Close the terminal completely, open a fresh one, and type claude again. This fixes the problem almost every time. The terminal needs to restart to recognize newly installed commands.

First Time Setup

The first time you run claude, it will ask you to log in to your Anthropic account. This is the Claude Pro account you signed up for. Follow the instructions on screen: it will open a browser window, you log in, and come back to the terminal. This only happens once.

💡 What Is npm?

npm is a tool that comes with Node.js (which you installed in the previous lesson). It installs JavaScript packages. You do not need to understand npm. You just used it once to install Claude Code, and you are done with it.

Open Claude Code in Your Project

Claude Code needs to run inside your project folder. This is how it finds your root file and all your system files. If you open Claude Code from the wrong folder, it will not know who you are.

📁 Do Not Have Your Project Folder Yet?

You need to download the starter system first. Head to the GitHub Guide and complete Lessons 1 through 3, then come back here.

Navigate to Your Folder and Start Claude

Open your terminal and type:

cd ~/my-business

Replace my-business with whatever you named your folder. If you put your folder on the Desktop, type cd ~/Desktop/my-business instead. The ~ is a shortcut for your home folder, but you can also leave it out and just type cd my-business if the folder is in your home directory.

Start Claude Code. Type claude and press Enter.

Claude Code will read your root file (CLAUDE.md) automatically. You will see it reference "The Four Languages" in its startup. That means it found your project. You are in.

📌 Every Time You Start a Session

From now on, every time you want to work: open your terminal, type cd ~/my-business, then type claude. Two commands. That is your daily start. Every time you finish a session, type "save all" before closing. This tells Claude to save everything you worked on. Get into this habit early. You should also save when you see the context indicator in the bottom right corner drop to around 10%.

What Are Skills?

Your starter system comes with 40+ pre-built skills. Skills are instructions that tell Claude how to do a specific task. They live in a hidden folder inside your project. You do not need to read or edit them.

You just type a skill name and Claude follows the instructions:

# Type a skill name and Claude does the rest
/onboarding    - walks you through setting up your system
/morning       - starts your day with a check-in
/evening       - wraps up your day and saves your work

That / before the name is how Claude knows you are running a skill. You will learn specific skills throughout the course. For now, just know: if the course says "type /something", it is a skill, and Claude knows what to do.

Understanding Your Files

You do not need to learn markdown. Claude writes it for you. You just tell it what you want in plain language. Claude handles the formatting, the files, the folders. You talk, it builds.

💻 Claude Works on Your Actual Computer

When you tell Claude to create a file, it creates a real file. This is what makes it powerful. Claude always asks for your permission first. Before it creates, edits, or deletes anything, it shows you what it wants to do and waits for you to say yes.

🌐 Want Claude to Browse the Web?

You can give Claude Code the ability to read websites, research topics, and pull information from URLs. See the Web Access guide in Grow Your System when you are ready.

When You Get Stuck, Screenshot It

The terminal is hard to copy from. When something breaks, take a screenshot and drag it into Claude Code. Claude reads images and figures out what is happening, faster than copy-pasting error text. Use this whenever a command fails or output looks wrong.

🎉 You Are All Set!

Claude Code is installed, your project is connected, and you know how to start a session. Next up: set up your GitHub repository so your work is backed up.

GitHub Guide

✨

Guide Complete!

You finished all 6 lessons. Claude Code is ready to go.