Installation & Setup

Install

macOS / Linux / WSL:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Homebrew (macOS):

brew install --cask claude-code

WinGet (Windows):

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

First Run

cd your-project
claude

You’ll be prompted to log in via browser. Requires one of:

• Claude Pro / Max subscription
• Claude Team / Enterprise account
• Anthropic API key
• Third-party provider (AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI)

Verify

claude --version
claude doctor       # detailed diagnostic

Update

claude update       # manual update

Or configure auto-updates in settings.json:

{
  "autoUpdatesChannel": "latest"   // or "stable"
}

Configuration File Locations

Scope	Path	Shared via Git?
Managed (org)	System / MDM directories	IT deployment
Local (personal)	.claude/settings.local.json	No (gitignored)
Project (team)	.claude/settings.json	Yes
User (all projects)	~/.claude/settings.json	No

Priority order: Managed > Local > Project > User > CLI flags

Useful .gitignore Entries

.claude/settings.local.json
CLAUDE.local.md
.claude.local.json

🧠 Quick Recall

• Trick: “irm on Windows, curl on Mac/Linux, doctor heals.”
• Settings precedence = MLPU: Managed > Local > Project > User.

👨‍🏫 Teach It

• Say: install is one line; login is a browser tab.
• Show: claude doctor — the health check they’ll use forever.
• They’ll trip on: Homebrew/WinGet installs don’t auto-update (native does).

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Learning path: ⬅ 00-overview.md · Index · ➡ 02-quickstart-first-session.md