Installing Claude Code CLI¶

This guide explains how to install the Claude Code CLI, which is required for installing and managing plugins like Fellow.

Why Install the CLI?¶

What you need the CLI for: - ✅ Installing plugins (like Fellow) - ✅ Managing plugin configuration - ✅ Configuring MCP servers - ✅ Using Claude Code in terminal

What you don't need the CLI for: - Using the VS Code extension for basic conversations - Code generation and editing in VS Code - @-mentioning files in VS Code

Installation by Operating System¶

macOS¶

Method 1: Homebrew (Recommended)

# Install using Homebrew
brew install claude

# Verify installation
claude --version

Method 2: Download Installer

1. Visit https://code.claude.com
2. Download the macOS installer
3. Run the .pkg installer
4. Verify installation:

   claude --version
   

Linux¶

Method 1: Install Script (Recommended)

# Download and run installer
curl -fsSL https://code.claude.com/install.sh | sh

# Verify installation
claude --version

Method 2: Manual Download

1. Visit https://code.claude.com
2. Download the Linux installer for your distribution
3. Follow installation instructions
4. Verify installation:

   claude --version
   

Windows¶

Method 1: winget

# Install using Windows Package Manager
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

# Verify installation
claude --version

Method 2: Download Installer

1. Visit https://code.claude.com
2. Download the Windows installer
3. Run the .exe installer
4. Verify installation in PowerShell:

   claude --version
   

Verification¶

After installation, verify the CLI is working:

# Check version
claude --version

# Check help
claude --help

# Try listing plugins (should be empty initially)
claude plugin list

Expected output:

Claude Code CLI v1.2.3

Post-Installation Setup¶

Authentication¶

The first time you run Claude Code, you'll need to authenticate:

# Start Claude Code (will prompt for authentication)
claude

# Or authenticate explicitly
claude auth login

Follow the prompts to authenticate with your Anthropic account.

Configuration¶

Claude Code stores configuration in:

Plugin Directory¶

Installed plugins are stored in:

Installing Fellow After CLI Setup¶

Once the CLI is installed, you can install Fellow:

# Add as local marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add https://github.com/jingnanzhou/fellow.git

# Install Fellow from local marketplace
claude plugin  install fellow@local_marketplace

# Verify Fellow is installed
claude plugin list

See the Installation Guide for detailed Fellow installation instructions.

Using with VS Code¶

After installing the CLI and Fellow:

1. Install VS Code extension:
2. Open VS Code
3. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X or Ctrl+Shift+X)
4. Search "Claude Code"

5. Click Install

6. Fellow automatically works in VS Code:

7. No additional setup needed!
8. All Fellow commands available in VS Code
9. Hooks work identically

See the VS Code Integration Guide for details.

Troubleshooting¶

Issue: "claude: command not found"¶

Problem: The CLI is not in your PATH

Solution (macOS/Linux):

# Check if claude is installed
which claude

# If not found, add to PATH (example for bash)
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Or for zsh
echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/bin"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Solution (Windows): 1. Search for "Environment Variables" in Start menu 2. Edit "Path" variable 3. Add Claude Code installation directory 4. Restart terminal

Issue: Permission denied¶

Problem: Insufficient permissions during installation

Solution (macOS/Linux):

# Use sudo for system-wide installation
sudo brew install claude

# Or use user-local installation
brew install claude --user

Issue: Version outdated¶

Problem: Old version of Claude Code CLI

Solution:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew upgrade claude

# Linux
curl -fsSL https://code.claude.com/install.sh | sh

# Windows
winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Updating Claude Code CLI¶

To update to the latest version:

macOS¶

brew upgrade claude

Linux¶

curl -fsSL https://code.claude.com/install.sh | sh

Windows¶

winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Uninstalling¶

To remove Claude Code CLI:

macOS¶

brew uninstall claude

Linux¶

# Remove binary
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/claude

# Remove configuration (optional)
rm -rf ~/.claude

Windows¶

# Uninstall via Windows Settings
# Or use winget
winget uninstall Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Next Steps¶

After installing the CLI:

1. Install Fellow - Install the Fellow plugin
2. Quick Start Guide - Build your first knowledge base
3. VS Code Integration - Use Fellow in VS Code (optional)

Resources¶

• Claude Code Website: https://code.claude.com
• CLI Documentation: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli.md
• Installation Help: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/installation.md

CLI installed? Ready to install Fellow!