Claude Code einrichten: Vom Download bis zur ersten Stunde

Posted on Oct 13 • Originally published at aicoding-guide.com

Originally published at https://aicoding-guide.com.

Two things trip people up on a first install of Claude Code: which install method to pick, and what to check once it is in.

The short answer: pick the install method by whether it auto-updates. Only the native installer and npm update themselves; Homebrew, WinGet and the Linux package managers are manual. Then verify with claude --version and claude doctor before starting your first session.

Everything below comes from the official documentation as fetched on 2026-10-14. For what Claude Code is, see What Claude Code is; this page goes in the order you actually type things.

The free plan does not include it Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Claude Console account. The documentation is explicit: "The free claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code access." Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform and Microsoft Foundry also work. For what each plan costs, see Claude Code pricing and plans.

This is the first fork in the road. Only the native installer and npm update themselves.

On macOS, Linux and WSL the native install is one line:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode On Windows the command depends on your shell. Your prompt shows PS C:\ in PowerShell and C:\ without the PS in CMD.

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode The install command shows no progress while it downloads. When it finishes, open a new terminal window before checking.

Glossary Release channel: the autoUpdatesChannel setting takes "latest" (the default — new versions as they ship) or "stable" (typically about a week old, skipping releases with major regressions). Homebrew picks by cask name instead: claude-code is stable and claude-code@latest is latest.

The npm package needs Node.js 22 or later. Do not use sudo npm install -g — the documentation warns it leads to permission issues and security risks.

claude --version Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode A working installation prints a version number such as 2.1.211 (Claude Code). If you get command not found, the install directory is not on your PATH yet.

For a fuller check, claude doctor prints read-only installation and settings diagnostics without starting a session: install health, settings-file validation errors, and warnings with suggested fixes. It also reports the result of the most recent update attempt.

claude doctor Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode Then start it in the project you want to work in:

cd /path/to/your/project claude Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode The first run prompts you to log in through your browser. If you have set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY and you approve the key when Claude Code asks whether to use it, the login prompt is skipped. Once you are logged in, the credentials are stored.

Windows gives you native or WSL, and the difference that matters most is whether sandboxing is available.

On native Windows, Git for Windows is optional but worth having: it provides Git Bash, which backs the Bash tool. Without it, Claude Code runs shell commands through the PowerShell tool. If Git Bash cannot be found, point at it in settings:

{ "env": { "CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH": "C: \\ Program Files \\ Git \\ bin \\ bash.exe" } } Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode The first hour Once a session is open, work through these in order.