How to install and configure Claude Code, step by step

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Claude Code installation is straightforward as long as you follow a few simple steps.
• Projects are scoped by directory, so setup location matters.
• Proper setup unlocks fast, stable, agentic development workflows.

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Claude Code has been making waves in the development world. I recently used Anthropic’s coding assistant to build a complex and fairly sophisticated iPhone app from start to finish.

I started by using Claude Code inside Apple’s Code Intelligence feature of Xcode, but found Code Intelligence to be buggy. It crashed or hung fairly consistently. I confirmed that it was Code Intelligence, not Claude Code, causing the issues, because when I tried using OpenAI’s Codex in Code Intelligence, I encountered the same buggy behavior.

Also: How to create your first iPhone app with AI – no coding experience needed

When I set up Claude Code to run from the terminal via command line, everything settled down. I had an incredibly productive experience. That’s what we’ll discuss in this article: how to set up Claude Code in the terminal, and how to get it working with Xcode.

Please don’t think this article will only be helpful if you’re planning to code an Apple app. Everything I’m going to show you applies to other apps as well. It’s just that my project is an iPhone app, so that’s what will be in my examples.

Let’s get you signed up

Here’s the thing: You can’t get a lot of agentic coding done with the free tier of Claude. You will need to sign up for the Pro plan ($17/month) or the Max plan (starting at $100/month). I recommend starting with the Pro plan. After about five hours, if you decide you like Claude Code, you’ll have to move to the Max plan, but it’s fairly easy to do.

I’ve found that you get a lot of mileage from the Max plan. I’ve been using it extensively this month, and it hasn’t cut me off yet. That puts Claude Code at about $100/month less than OpenAI’s Codex, which starts at $200/month if you do any ongoing development.

Next, you’ll need to connect to GitHub. I found that even if you don’t want to use GitHub, you still need to connect to it.

GitHub is a best practice that many developers use, but not all projects need GitHub, especially if you’re a lone developer. So, if you’re already way into GitHub, you’re golden.

Also: Claude Code made an astonishing $1B in 6 months – and my own AI-coded iPhone app shows why

If you’re not using GitHub, don’t bother trying to avoid it. Signing up for GitHub is free, and so is creating repos. Claude has some level of separation anxiety. It will not move on with the necessary setup steps without a fully authorized GitHub connection. Fortunately, the process is pretty much on rails, so follow my guidelines, and you’ll get past this pretty easily.

I have a GitHub account and some repositories, so I created a new repository and connected it to that. You’ll first need to authorize your connection.

Next, you’ll need to connect your repos. It says you’re installing the Claude Code GitHub app, but that’s not entirely accurate. You’re adding some tracking files. The real install will come later.

Now, it will ask where to install Claude Code. This is a selection box for all your GitHub accounts. You just need to choose your account. As I said, the real Claude Code install will come later. You’re just playing along to keep the robot happy.

Here’s another one. This time, you’re specifying the repository you want to hook Claude Code up to. I’m working on a 3D printing spool filament inventory system, so mine is called “filamentory.” That’s not its final name, but it works for now.

OK, you’re now hooked up enough to start with the real install. Let’s do that next.

Install Claude Code on your computer

Claude Code will run inside various development environments, but it’s designed for and works best inside your terminal application. I was a bit hesitant about it, because I didn’t want to switch back and forth between my terminal and my IDE, but it turned out to be a very smooth, very easy way to go.

Also: AI could double the US economy’s growth rate over the next decade, says Anthropic

Get started by pointing your browser to Claude’s settings, clicking the little braces icon (shown at 1 below), and then the “Install instructions here” link (shown at 2).

Next, you’ll see a command line. In my case, I’m using a Mac as my development machine, so I chose the Mac environment. Select the option that is right for you, click it, and then copy the command line.

Paste that into your terminal program, and press Enter.

Let it run until it says it’s complete.

But, alas, it’s not really complete. Notice in the following screenshot that the original command line is shown at 1. At 2, the installer indicates that a path change is required. It shows you the command line for that. So, at 3, I went ahead and pasted in that command line and hit return.

Now, Claude Code is installed.

Get started coding

Here’s the big secret about using Claude Code: Everything works from the current working directory. So, if you have a project in /a/b/c/project1 and another in /a/b/c/project2, Claude running in project1 will know nothing of project2. And Claude, when running in project2, will know nothing of project1.

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As long as you keep that in mind, and cd to the proper directory before initiating Claude, all will be good. So let’s do that. I keep my Development folder in My Documents. It’s an easy way to make sure it gets picked up on all the backup sweeps, and it works. I have a fairly deep folder structure inside, but my current iPhone project is located in a folder called xcode.

So, the first thing I do is cd to that folder. Then, go ahead and launch Claude by typing ‘claude’ on your command line. Claude will perform a series of startup steps that will be repeated for each new project folder you set up. Here, it’s asking about the theme. Dark, of course.

Next, it will need to connect to your subscription. Most of you will go through the subscription option, so select that.

Next, you’ll need to authorize the link.

At this point, Anthropic will share with you the facts of life. Press Enter to accept the fact that our robot overlords are fallible.

I strongly recommend you let Claude Code use its recommended settings. You can change things later, if you wish. But this is the most straightforward way to get things working.

Now, you need to confirm you’re in the right folder, want to work on it, and trust what’s in it. Trust is an ephemeral thing. At some point, you have to trust something, or you’ll be completely on your own (Mom Cautionary Life Lesson #47).

And now, we’re here.

You could start working now, but there are a few more things you should do to ensure everything is set up correctly. We’ll jump into that next.

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Initializing and first steps

Claude Code utilizes several slash commands that modify its behavior. You can even add your own slash commands down the road.

The first one you should run is /init. It will scan your folder, create a CLAUDE.MD file, which it can use as a reference, and generally become familiar with your code.

As you can see, it has built up an understanding of what’s inside my codebase.

My folder is not pristine. I initially created the project using Claude in Xcode with Code Intelligence. That process was documented in this article. So, as Claude does its /init process, it’s getting to know that code.

Finally, when it completed that scan, I gave Claude its first agentic assignment. I wanted it to dig through the mess that Code Intelligence left and ensure there were no duplicate files or code instances.

From here, I went on to “vibe code” my way to a fully working iPhone app. I hope this helped you get started.

Claude’s new Slack integration

Here’s a quick mention of another way to talk to Claude Code: via Slack. Anthropic announced this a few days ago as a research preview.

Also: I tested GPT-5.2 and the AI model’s mixed results raise tough questions

I think it’s an interesting approach, but I’d be concerned about accidentally typing something into Slack and having it send Claude into some kind of agentic tizzy. It’s worth considering, but don’t get carried away with this interaction mode until you do some more research. It’s probably best to wait until the feature comes out of beta.

Have you tried Claude Code?

What about you? Have you tried Claude Code yet, either inside an IDE or from the terminal? If so, how did it compare to tools like OpenAI Codex or built-in Code Intelligence features? Do you prefer AI coding assistants embedded directly in your editor, or do you find a command-line workflow more stable and productive? And how do pricing, reliability, and setup friction factor into whether you’d adopt a tool like this long-term? Let us know in the comments below.

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