https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup#native-install-recommended
Step 1: Open Terminal (Mac: press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter | Linux: search for "Terminal" in apps | Windows: search for "PowerShell")
Step 2: Check if Node.js is installed
node --version
Step 3: If Step 2 shows "command not found", install Node.js (npm comes with it automatically)
For Mac:
brew install node
Don't have Homebrew? Install it first:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh>)"
For Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y nodejs npm
For Linux (Fedora):
sudo dnf install -y nodejs npm
For Windows: Download from https://nodejs.org and run the installer
Step 4: Verify npm is installed (should show automatically after installing Node.js)
npm --version
Step 5: Install Claude Code using the installer for your system
For Mac or Linux:
curl -fsSL <https://claude.ai/install.sh> | bash