Claude Code Quick Start: Master AI-Powered Coding Assistance in Minutes
A step-by-step guide to setting up Claude Code—Anthropic’s AI coding assistant—covering installation, login, and your first code change, with tips for...
Claude Code is an AI-driven coding assistant designed to simplify common development tasks, from analyzing project structures to making code edits. This quick start guide will help you get up and running with the tool in just a few minutes.
Before starting, ensure you have: an open terminal or command prompt (new users can refer to a terminal guide), an existing code project, and access to Claude—via a subscription (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise), Claude Console account, or supported cloud providers like Amazon Bedrock. Note: In mainland China, you may need to configure your network to access endpoints like claude.ai and the Anthropic API; check the official network configuration guide for details.
Step 1: Install Claude Code. Use native methods for your OS: For macOS/Linux/WSL, run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. For Windows PowerShell: irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. For Windows CMD: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd. Native installations update automatically. Alternative methods (apt, dnf, apk) are available for specific Linux distributions.
Step 2: Log in. Launch an interactive session with claude—you’ll be prompted to authenticate via browser. Supported account types include Claude subscriptions, Console, cloud providers, or organizational gateways. Use /login later to switch accounts; credentials are stored for future use.
Step 3: Start a session. Navigate to your project directory and run claude. The prompt shows version, model, and working directory. Use /help for commands or /resume to continue past conversations.
Step4: Ask your first question. Query Claude to understand your project: e.g., “what does this project do?” or “explain the folder structure.” The tool reads files automatically—no manual context needed. You can also ask about its features: “can Claude Code work with Docker?” or “how to create custom skills?”
Step5: Make your first code change. Try a simple task like “add a hello world function to the main file.” Claude will find the right file, suggest changes, seek approval, and edit once you agree.
Claude Code is available across multiple interfaces: web, desktop app, VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Slack, and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab). Check the official docs for all options.
Sources
- Claude Code Quickstart Documentation (Chinese Version), https://code.claude.com/docs/zh-CN/quickstart