Claude Code
Claude Code is Anthropic's terminal coding agent. It installs in your shell, reads your repo, edits files, runs commands, and calls Claude with tool use. It speaks MCP natively (the protocol it kicked off). The native install handles macOS, Linux, WSL, and Windows; there's also a Homebrew cask, a winget package, a VS Code / Cursor / JetBrains extension, a desktop app, and a web surface. Every page below is sourced from docs.anthropic.com/claude-code. Sush hasn't standalone-installed it yet — he uses Claude through GitHub Copilot CLI today.
- CC.1 Claude Code, plainly sourced
Five-minute orientation to Claude Code — what it is, where it runs, what it costs, and where it shines vs Codex CLI / Aider / Cursor / GitHub Copilot CLI.
- CC.2 Install Claude Code on macOS sourced
Three install paths for macOS — native installer (recommended), Homebrew cask, and a manual npm fallback. Auth on first run, sanity-check, and where files land.
- CC.3 Install Claude Code on Windows sourced
Three install paths for Windows — winget (recommended), PowerShell installer, and WSL2 + native Linux script. Plus the Git for Windows requirement and PowerShell-vs-CMD trap.
- CC.4 Auth — login, API key, or Bedrock/Vertex sourced
Three ways to authenticate Claude Code — claude.ai subscription login (easiest), Anthropic Console API key (pay-as-you-go), or third-party provider via Bedrock or Vertex (enterprise / governance). Pros, cons, where credentials live.
- CC.5 MCP integration in Claude Code sourced
Claude Code speaks MCP natively. How to add servers (filesystem, git, browser, Slack, custom), where they're configured, project-scoped vs global, and the trust gates Anthropic ships.
- CC.6 Slash commands and subagents sourced
Two extension surfaces that pay off in week one — slash commands for quick custom prompts, and subagents for delegating sub-tasks to a scoped instance of Claude. Where they live, when to use each.
- CC.7 What Claude Code is good at (and where it isn't) sourced
Real use cases where Claude Code earns its keep — refactoring across many files, investigating bugs in unfamiliar code, generating tests, drafting docs from code, scripted batch fixes. Plus the kinds of work where it gets in the way.
- CC.8 Pitfalls and common errors sourced
The rough edges Claude Code users hit in week one — rate limits, context-window blowouts, hallucinated commands, MCP server hangs, auth confusion, runaway costs. What causes each and how to plan around it.