Installing Claude Code Prerequisites

By / October 31, 2025

Prerequisites: Installing Claude code prerequisites for web application development.

Before you can start building AI-powered web applications, you need to install some essential development tools. This guide will walk you through everything you need on macOS.

  • Time Required: About 1 hour
  • Skill Level: Beginner-friendly

What You’ll Install

  • Node.js and npm (JavaScript runtime and package manager)
  • Visual Studio Code (code editor)
  • Git (version control)
  • GitHub account (code hosting)
  • Claude Code (AI coding assistant)

Step 1: Install Node.js and npm

Node.js is the JavaScript runtime that powers Next.js and modern web development. npm (Node Package Manager) comes bundled with Node.js and helps you install other tools and libraries.

Option A: Using the Official Installer (Recommended for Beginners)

Download Node.js

  • Open your web browser and go to nodejs.org
  • You’ll see two download buttons. Click the LTS version (Long Term Support)
  • Download the macOS Installer (.pkg file)
  • The file is about 30MB and should download to your Downloads folder

Run the Installer

  • Open your Downloads folder and double-click the `.pkg` file
  • Click “Continue” through the installation wizard
  • Accept the license agreement
  • Choose your installation location (keep the default)
  • Enter your Mac password when prompted
  • Click “Install” and wait 2-3 minutes for installation to complete
  • Click “Close” when finished

Verify Installation

  • Open Terminal
  • Type the following command and press Enter:
node --version
  • You should see something like “v20.11.0”
  • Now check npm:
npm --version
  • You should see something like “10.2.4”

If you see version numbers for both commands, congratulations! Node.js is installed correctly.

Option B: Using Homebrew (Recommended for Developers)

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that makes installing developer tools easier. If you plan to do a lot of development, this is the better option.

Install Homebrew First (if you don’t have it)

  • Open Terminal
  • Copy and paste this entire command:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
  • Press Enter and follow the prompts
  • Enter your Mac password when requested (you won’t see it as you type)
  • The installation takes about 5 minutes
  • Follow any additional instructions Homebrew displays

Install Node.js via Homebrew

Once Homebrew is installed, in Terminal run:

brew install node

This will download and install the latest stable version of Node.js.

Verify Installation

In Terminal run:

node --version
npm --version

You should see version numbers for both.

Step 2: Install Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, powerful code editor that’s perfect for web development. It has excellent support for JavaScript, TypeScript, and React.

Download and Install

  • Go to code.visualstudio.com
  • Click the big Download Mac Universal button
  • Open your Downloads folder and find VSCode-darwin-universal.zip
  • Double-click to unzip it
  • Drag the Visual Studio Code app to your Applications folder
  • Open VS Code from Applications or Spotlight

Install Recommended Extensions

Extensions add powerful features to VS Code. Here are the must-haves for this course:

  • Click the Extensions icon in the left sidebar (or press `Cmd + Shift + X`)
  • Search for and install each of these:
    • ES7+ React/Redux/React-Native snippets
    • Tailwind CSS IntelliSense
    • Prettier – Code formatter
    • TypeScript Vue Plugin (Volar)

To install each one:

  • Type the extension name in the search box
  • Click the blue “Install” button
  • Wait for the green checkmark

Step 3: Install Git

Git is version control software that tracks changes to your code and lets you collaborate with others. You’ll use it to save your work and deploy to the web.

Check if Git is Already Installed

Many Macs come with Git pre-installed. Check by opening Terminal and running:

git --version

If you see a version number like “git version 2.39.0”, you already have Git! Skip to Configure Git below.

If you see “command not found”, continue with installation.

Install Git via Homebrew (Easiest)

If you installed Homebrew in Step 1, in Terminal run:

brew install git

Install Git via Official Installer (Alternative)

  • Go to git-scm.com
  • Click Download for macOS
  • Run the installer and follow the prompts

Configure Git

After installation, you need to tell Git who you are:

In Terminal, run:

# Set your name (use your real name)
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

# Set your email (use the email you'll use for GitHub)
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Verify your configuration:

git config --list

You should see your name and email in the output.

Step 4: Create a GitHub Account

GitHub hosts your code online and lets you deploy web applications. You’ll need an account to follow this course.

  • Go to github.com
  • Click “Sign Up” in the top right
  • Enter your email address (use the same one you configured Git with)
  • Create a strong password
  • Choose a username (this will be part of your project URLs)
  • Complete the verification puzzle
  • Check your email and verify your account

Tips for choosing a username:

  • Keep it professional if you plan to share projects publicly
  • Short and memorable is best
  • You can use this for your portfolio later

Step 5: Install Claude Code

Claude Code is Anthropic’s command-line tool that acts as your AI pair programmer. It can scaffold projects, debug code, and help you learn.

Install via npm

In Terminal, run:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

The “-g” flag installs it globally so you can use it from anywhere.

Verify installation:

In Terminal, run:

claude --version

You should see the version number.

Note: You’ll need an Anthropic API key to actually use Claude Code, but we’ll get that in Week 1, Day 1.

Installation Checklist

Before starting Week 1, verify you have everything:

  • Node.js installed (v18.x or higher)
  • npm installed (comes with Node.js)
  • VS Code installed
  • VS Code extensions installed (ES7+ React, Tailwind IntelliSense, Prettier)
  • Git installed and configured with your name and email
  • GitHub account created and verified
  • Claude Code installed

Test Your Complete Setup

Run all these commands in Terminal to verify everything works:

# Check Node.js
node --version

# Check npm
npm --version

# Check Git
git --version

# Check Claude Code

If all commands run without errors and return version numbers, you’re ready to start Week 1! 🎉

Troubleshooting Common Issues

How to fix “node: command not found”?

Solution 1: Close and reopen Terminal, then try again.
Solution 2: Check if Node.js is in your PATH
Solution 3: Reinstall Node.js using the official installer.

How to fix “Permission denied” when installing npm packages globally?

Solution: Fix npm permissions:

In Terminal, run:

mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Then retry the installation.

How to fix “xcrun: error: invalid active developer path”

This happens after macOS updates. Install Xcode Command Line Tools:

In Terminal, run:

xcode-select --install

What to do when VS Code won’t open from Terminal?

Add VS Code to your PATH:

  • Open VS Code
  • Press `Cmd + Shift + P`
  • Type “shell command”
  • Select “Install ‘code’ command in PATH”
  • Restart Terminal

Why does Git ask for password every time?

Set up SSH keys with GitHub:

What’s Next?

Once you’ve completed all installations and the checklist above, you’re ready to begin Lesson 1: Building Your First AI Chat Interface (coming soon).

You’ll create a web application where users can chat with Claude AI, and by the end of the week, you’ll have it deployed live on the internet!

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