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Setup and First Start

Setting Up Claude Code

In the masterclass "Agentic Coding" you learned a way of working with coding agents that is independent of any tool. In this course you put it into practice with Claude Code, Anthropic's coding agent. You set it up, learn where the masterclass concepts are found in Claude Code, configure it securely, and work through the practice project step by step.

As of October 2026 Claude Code is developed continuously, often weekly. This course describes the state of October 2026 and is based on the official documentation at code.claude.com/docs. If a screen or command looks different for you, the documentation is authoritative. In Claude Code, /help always shows you the current commands.

What You Need

  • A subscription: Claude Code is included in Anthropic's Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, and Enterprise plans. The free account is not enough. Alternatively, you can pay per use via the Claude Console. Pro is enough to get started (as of October 2026: 20 US dollars per month when billed monthly). You can find current prices at claude.com/pricing.
  • A computer: macOS 13 or later, or Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11, at least 4 GB of RAM, and an internet connection.
  • Git for the practice project. How to check whether Git is installed is explained in the masterclass lesson "Workspace and Basics".

Two Ways: Desktop App or Terminal

Claude Code comes in several variants. Two are important for this course:

Recommended for getting started. The Claude app for Mac and Windows has a "Code" area. There you choose a project folder, chat with Claude Code, and see changes as a color diff. You don't need a terminal and don't have to install anything else.

  1. Download the app from claude.com/download and install it.
  2. Sign in with your Anthropic account.
  3. Click Code at the top. If the app asks you to upgrade, you don't have the right subscription.

More options. In the terminal you start Claude Code with the command claude. This variant supports all features and is the basis of the official documentation. Installation takes two minutes (see below).

The desktop app and the terminal read the same settings files and the same CLAUDE.md. So you can switch at any time.

There are also extensions for the code editors Visual Studio Code and JetBrains, as well as a web version. The concepts in this course apply everywhere.

Installing in the Terminal

Open the terminal (Mac: the "Terminal" program; Windows: "PowerShell") and paste the matching command. It comes from the official documentation:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Alternatively with Homebrew: brew install --cask claude-code. This variant does not update itself, though.

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

The command is for PowerShell (the prompt starts with PS C:\). You don't need administrator rights. "Git for Windows" is also recommended. Without Git for Windows, Claude Code runs commands with PowerShell.

The installer shows no progress while it downloads. Afterward, open a new terminal window and check:

claude --version

If a version number appears, everything is ready. If the terminal reports "command not found" or "not recognized", it can't find the program yet. The documentation describes the fix under "Troubleshoot installation". The command claude doctor checks the installation in detail.

Practical Tip: A version installed this way updates itself in the background. So you don't need to worry about updates. If you prefer a slightly older, proven version, you can choose the "stable" channel in the settings.

First Start and Sign-In

  1. In the terminal, go to a project folder, for example cd Projects/hike-planner.
  2. Start Claude Code with claude.
  3. On first start, the browser opens for sign-in. Sign in with your Anthropic account. If the browser doesn't open, press c to copy the sign-in link.
  4. Claude Code asks whether you trust the files in this folder. Only confirm this in folders whose origin you know.

Then you see an input line. Here you write your tasks, just like in a chat. /status shows version, account, and model; /help shows all commands. You exit Claude Code by pressing Ctrl+C twice or with the command /exit.

Subscription, Costs, and Data Protection

With a subscription you pay a fixed monthly price. Usage is limited within time windows: if you work a lot, you eventually reach the limit and have to wait. /usage shows how much of your quota is used and what costs the most. Pay-per-use billing via the Claude Console is intended for teams and companies. There you can set spending limits per workspace.

Check your data protection setting With the personal plans (Free, Pro, Max, Ultra) you can choose whether Anthropic may use your data to train future models. This also applies to code that Claude Code reads. If the option is on, Anthropic may keep the data much longer and use it for training. You change the setting at claude.ai/settings/data-privacy-controls. With business plans (Team, Enterprise) and the API, Anthropic says it does not train on your data. If you work with customers' code, clarify beforehand whether the customer agrees and which plan and which setting are appropriate. More on this in the course "AI & Data Protection in Business".
Exercise: Setup and first task
  1. Install Claude Code as the desktop app or in the terminal and sign in.
  2. Check your account's data protection setting.
  3. Open the folder hike-planner from the masterclass practice project (desktop: choose the folder; terminal: cd into the folder, then claude).
  4. Give the task: "Explain this project to me: what is it for, which files are there, and what does each one do? Don't change anything."
  5. Type /usage and see how much this first task used. In the desktop app you also find the commands by typing /.
Which account is not enough to use Claude Code?
Correct. Claude Code requires Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise, or a Claude Console account. The free account doesn't include Claude Code.
Not quite. Pro and Team include Claude Code. Only the free account is not enough.
Key Takeaways:
  • Claude Code needs a subscription (Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise) or a Claude Console account.
  • Desktop app for an easy start, terminal for all features. Both use the same settings.
  • Installation with one command, check with claude --version. Updates come automatically.
  • On first start: sign-in in the browser and the question of whether you trust the folder.
  • Check the data protection setting in your account before working with other people's code.

This lesson is part of a course with final exam and certificate. View the course "Claude Code in Practice"

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