Installing Claude Code

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Terminal

For macOS, Linux, WSL:

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

Warning

If you prefer Homebrew, you can also use brew install, but note that this method doesn’t support auto-updates.

Visual Studio Code

Open your Extensions panel and search for “Claude Code.” Look for the extension by Anthropic with the blue verification check. Hit install.

Which One Should I Use?

If you want to stay on the cutting edge, the terminal is your best bet — features ship there first. The IDE integrations offer a nearly identical experience if you prefer Claude Code to feel more intertwined with your code editor.
Desktop is great for letting Claude run in the background while you handle other tasks.
Claude Code on the web is a solid option if you want to remotely work on projects through a GitHub repository.

Your first prompt

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When using Claude Code, try to be as descriptive as possible with your prompt.

Choosing a Permission Mode

You can choose how much oversight to keep while Claude works. Press Shift + Tab to cycle between modes.

Manual mode: Claude asks permission each time it wants to edit a file or run a command.
Auto-accept mode: File edits are automatically approved, but commands still require your permission.
Auto mode: Claude works without permission prompts while a background safety check screens each action; when something is blocked, Claude usually finds a safer approach or asks you for the go-ahead.

Plan Mode

Plan mode takes your prompt and uses read-only tools to analyze your codebase and research your suggested implementation. It will ask clarifying questions along the way, then return a detailed plan it can execute.

Plan mode is great for planning complex changes or doing a safe code review. Many times you’ll be asking Claude to handle multi-step implementations toward a feature, and this is exactly where Plan Mode excels.

Your first prompt |

Installing Claude Code

Terminal

Visual Studio Code

Which One Should I Use?

Your first prompt

Choosing a Permission Mode

Plan Mode