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This page covers system requirements, platform-specific installation details, updates, and uninstallation. For a guided walkthrough of your first session, see the quickstart. If you’ve never used a terminal before, see the terminal guide.

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System requirements

Claude Code runs on the following platforms and configurations:
  • Operating system:
    • macOS 13.0+
    • Windows 10 1809+ or Windows Server 2019+
    • Ubuntu 20.04+
    • Debian 10+
    • Alpine Linux 3.19+
  • Hardware: 4 GB+ RAM, x64 or ARM64 processor
  • Network: internet connection required. See network configuration.
  • Shell: Bash, Zsh, PowerShell, or CMD.
  • Location: Anthropic supported countries

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Additional dependencies

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Install Claude Code

Prefer a graphical interface? The Desktop app lets you use Claude Code without the terminal. Download it for macOS, Windows, or Linux.New to the terminal? See the terminal guide for step-by-step instructions.
To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods:
macOS, Linux, WSL:
Windows PowerShell:
Windows CMD:
If you see The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator, you’re in PowerShell, not CMD. If you see 'irm' is not recognized as an internal or external command, you’re in CMD, not PowerShell. Your prompt shows PS C:\ when you’re in PowerShell and C:\ without the PS when you’re in CMD.If the install command fails with syntax error near unexpected token '<', a 403, or another curl error, see Troubleshoot installation to match the error to a fix and for alternative install methods.Git for Windows is recommended on native Windows so Claude Code can use the Bash tool. If Git for Windows is not installed, Claude Code uses PowerShell as the shell tool instead. WSL setups do not need Git for Windows.
Native installations automatically update in the background to keep you on the latest version.
You can also install with apt, dnf, or apk on Debian, Fedora, RHEL, and Alpine. After installation completes, open a terminal in the project you want to work in and start Claude Code:
Claude Code opens an interactive session in your terminal. If you encounter any issues during installation, see Troubleshoot installation and login.

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Set up on Windows

You can run Claude Code natively on Windows or inside WSL. Pick based on where your projects are located and which features you need: Option 1: Native Windows Run the install command from PowerShell or CMD. You do not need to run as Administrator. Installing Git for Windows is optional. It enables the Bash tool by providing Git Bash. Whether you install from PowerShell or CMD only affects which install command you run. Your prompt shows PS C:\Users\YourName> in PowerShell and C:\Users\YourName> without the PS in CMD. If you’re new to the terminal, the terminal guide walks through each step. After installation, launch claude from any terminal.
  • Without Git for Windows, Claude Code runs shell commands via the PowerShell tool.
  • With Git for Windows, Claude Code uses Git Bash for the Bash tool. If Claude Code can’t find Git Bash, set the path in your settings.json file:
When Git for Windows is installed, the PowerShell tool is rolling out progressively as an additional option alongside Bash. Set CLAUDE_CODE_USE_POWERSHELL_TOOL=1 to opt in or 0 to opt out. See PowerShell tool for setup and limitations. Option 2: WSL Open your WSL distribution and run the Linux installer from the install instructions above. You install and launch claude inside the WSL terminal, not from PowerShell or CMD.

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Alpine Linux and musl-based distributions

Installing Claude Code on Alpine and other musl/uClibc-based distributions requires bash and curl for the install command, and libgcc, libstdc++, and ripgrep at runtime. Alpine doesn’t include bash or curl by default, so the documented install command fails with a not found error until you install them. Install these packages using your distribution’s package manager, then set USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP=0. This example installs the required packages on Alpine:
On Alpine, ripgrep is in the community repository. If apk reports that the package is missing, add the community repository to /etc/apk/repositories, using your Alpine version:
Run apk update to refresh the package index, and retry the apk add command. Then set USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP to 0 in your settings.json file:

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Verify your installation

After installing, confirm Claude Code is working:
A working installation prints a version number such as 2.1.211 (Claude Code). If this fails with command not found or another error, see Troubleshoot installation and login. For a more detailed check of your installation and configuration, run claude doctor:
claude doctor prints read-only installation and settings diagnostics without starting a session, including install health, settings-file validation errors, and any warnings with suggested fixes.

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Authenticate

Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console account. The free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code access. You can also use Claude Code with a third-party API provider like Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud’s Agent Platform, or Microsoft Foundry. After installing, log in by running claude and following the browser prompts. If the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set, Claude Code prompts you once to approve the key instead of opening a browser. See Authentication for all account types and team setup options.

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Update Claude Code

Native installations automatically update in the background. You can configure the release channel to control whether you receive updates immediately or on a delayed stable schedule, or disable auto-updates entirely. Homebrew, WinGet, and Linux package manager installations require manual updates by default.

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Auto-updates

Claude Code checks for updates on startup and periodically while running. Updates download and install in the background, then take effect the next time you start Claude Code. Run claude doctor to see the result of the most recent update attempt. On macOS and Linux, the native installer manages the launcher at ~/.local/bin/claude as a symlink into ~/.local/share/claude/versions/. If you replace that launcher with your own script or symlink, auto-update and claude update leave it in place: new versions still install under the versions/ directory, and your launcher decides which version runs. Before v2.1.207, the auto-updater replaced a custom launcher at that path with its own symlink on every update. With a custom launcher, Claude Code also keeps every installed version on disk because it can’t tell which version the launcher needs. claude doctor reports a launcher that the native installer didn’t create. To let Claude Code manage the launcher again, remove ~/.local/bin/claude and run claude update. If an npm global install can’t auto-update because the npm global directory isn’t writable, Claude Code shows a one-time notice at startup, and claude doctor lists the available fixes. See permission errors during installation for details.
Homebrew, WinGet, apt, dnf, and apk installations do not auto-update by default; see below to opt in for Homebrew and WinGet. To upgrade Homebrew manually, run brew upgrade claude-code or brew upgrade claude-code@latest, depending on which cask you installed. For WinGet, run winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode. For Linux package managers, see the upgrade commands in Install with Linux package managers.To have Claude Code run the upgrade command for you on Homebrew or WinGet, set CLAUDE_CODE_PACKAGE_MANAGER_AUTO_UPDATE to 1. Claude Code then runs the upgrade in the background when a new version is available and shows a restart prompt on success. The upgrade targets only the Claude Code package and does not affect other software you have installed.On WinGet the upgrade may fail while Claude Code is running because Windows locks the executable. In that case Claude Code shows the manual command instead. apt, dnf, and apk continue to require a manual upgrade because those commands need elevated privileges.Known issue: Claude Code may notify you of updates before the new version is available in these package managers. If an upgrade fails, wait and try again later.Homebrew keeps old versions on disk after upgrades. Run brew cleanup periodically to reclaim disk space.

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Configure release channel

Control which release channel Claude Code follows for auto-updates and claude update with the autoUpdatesChannel setting:
  • "latest", the default: receive new features as soon as they’re released
  • "stable": use a version that is typically about one week old, skipping releases with major regressions
Configure this via /config → Auto-update channel, or add it to your settings.json file:
For enterprise deployments, you can enforce a consistent release channel across your organization using managed settings. Homebrew installations choose a channel by cask name instead of this setting: claude-code tracks stable and claude-code@latest tracks latest.

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Pin a minimum version

The minimumVersion setting establishes a floor. Background auto-updates and claude update refuse to install any version below this value, so moving to the "stable" channel does not downgrade you if you are already on a newer "latest" build. Switching from "latest" to "stable" via /config prompts you to either stay on the current version or allow the downgrade. Choosing to stay sets minimumVersion to that version. Switching back to "latest" clears it. Add it to your settings.json file to pin a floor explicitly:
In managed settings, this enforces an organization-wide minimum that user and project settings cannot override. The minimumVersion pin only constrains updates. To make Claude Code refuse to start outside a version range, use the managed settings requiredMinimumVersion and requiredMaximumVersion instead. Updates also respect the requiredMaximumVersion ceiling. See available settings.

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Disable auto-updates

Set DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER to "1" in the env key of your settings.json file:
DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER only stops the background check; claude update and claude install still work. To block all update paths, including manual updates, set DISABLE_UPDATES instead. Use this when you distribute Claude Code through your own channels and need users to stay on the version you provide.

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Update manually

To apply an update immediately without waiting for the next background check, run:
When an update installs, the command reports Successfully updated from <old version> to version <new version>. If you’re already on the newest version, it reports Claude Code is up to date (<version>). Installs managed by Homebrew, WinGet, or apk report Claude is up to date! instead.

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Advanced installation options

These options are for version pinning, Linux package managers, npm, and verifying binary integrity.

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Install a specific version

The native installer accepts either a specific version number or a release channel (latest or stable). The channel you choose at install time becomes your default for auto-updates. See configure release channel for more information. To install the latest version (default):
To install the stable version:
To install a specific version number:
To confirm which version installed, run claude --version: the command prints the exact version you passed, such as 2.1.89 (Claude Code).

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Install with Linux package managers

Claude Code publishes signed apt, dnf, and apk repositories. Each repository offers two channels: stable serves a version that is typically about one week old, skipping releases with major regressions, and latest serves every release as soon as it ships. The commands below configure the stable channel, which fits most users; each tab also shows the latest repository URL. Package manager installations do not auto-update through Claude Code; updates arrive through your normal system upgrade workflow. All repositories are signed with the Claude Code release signing key. Before trusting the key, verify it as described in each tab.