Installing Claude Code without the old Node.js setup

Claude Code no longer needs Node.js for the normal installation. The current native installer puts the command on your computer and keeps it updated.

I am using the terminal version here, as the next articles build on it and it shows most clearly what Claude Code is doing. Claude Code also has desktop, web, and editor interfaces.

Before you start

You need:

• macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 (build 1809) or later, or a supported Linux such as Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+, or Alpine 3.19+
• 4 GB of RAM and an internet connection
• an account that can use Claude Code

You can sign in with a Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan. Claude Console credits and supported enterprise cloud providers are also options. The free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code access. I would still check the official Claude Code quickstart before installing, as plan names and requirements change.

You do not need Node.js. The installer places a self-contained binary on your computer.

Install Claude Code

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt on Windows, or Terminal on macOS and Linux.

Windows PowerShell

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

Windows Command Prompt

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

If you are not sure which one you are in, look at the prompt. PowerShell starts the line with PS, Command Prompt does not. The error message tells you too: The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator means you ran the CMD command in PowerShell, and 'irm' is not recognized means the opposite.

macOS, Linux, or WSL

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

These commands download and run Anthropic's installer. Copy them from the official installation page, as an installer command is not something I would take from a random screenshot or forum reply.

When it finishes, close the terminal and open a new one. This reloads the list of commands available in your shell.

If you already use a package manager

Anthropic also publishes Claude Code through the usual package managers, which is convenient if that is how you install everything else:

brew install --cask claude-code      # macOS
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode  # Windows

There are signed apt, dnf, and apk repositories for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL, and Alpine as well. The setup page has the exact commands and signing keys.

One trade-off worth knowing before you choose: the native installer updates itself in the background, and the package managers do not. If you install through Homebrew, WinGet, apt, dnf, or apk, updating stays your job.

Verify the installation

Run:

claude --version

A working installation prints something like 2.1.211 (Claude Code).

For a fuller check, run:

claude doctor

This prints diagnostics about the installation and your settings without starting a session, including any settings file that failed to load. It is the first thing I would run when something looks wrong.

Now open the folder you want Claude Code to work with, then start it:

cd path/to/your/project
claude

Claude Code asks you to sign in the first time. Follow the browser prompt and choose the account your plan or credits belong to.

Start Claude Code inside the project folder. Your whole user directory gives it more scope than it needs (and more places to make an unhelpful change).

If the command is not found

First, close the terminal completely and open it again. Then run:

claude --version

If the command still is not found, check the install location.

On macOS or Linux:

ls -la ~/.local/bin/claude

On Windows PowerShell:

Test-Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\claude.exe"

If the file exists but the command is unavailable, follow Anthropic's PATH troubleshooting steps. Edit the user PATH only, as the binary belongs to your account. Do not switch to an administrator terminal or put sudo in front of the installer as a general fix.

Git for Windows is optional

You do not need Git for Windows to run Claude Code. Without it, Claude Code runs shell commands through PowerShell. With it, Claude Code uses Git Bash instead, which is closer to how the examples in this guide behave and what most documentation assumes.

I would install it, but treat it as a preference rather than a blocker. If you do, install Git for Windows, keep its normal PATH option, then close and reopen PowerShell.

Run this to confirm Windows can find Git:

git --version

Then start Claude Code again.

If you run Claude Code inside WSL rather than on Windows directly, you do not need Git for Windows at all.

If you get a permission error

The native installer writes under your user directory, so it should not need administrator access. My rule here is simple: if a user-level installer suddenly asks for full control of the computer, stop and check why.

On macOS or Linux, check whether the expected folders are writable:

test -w ~/.local/bin && echo "bin is writable" || echo "bin is not writable"
test -w ~/.claude && echo "claude folder is writable" || echo "claude folder is not writable"

If one is not writable, use the official permission troubleshooting to correct that folder's ownership. Fix the named folder. A blanket sudo install can leave you with root-owned files and a second problem.

Do you still need npm or Node.js?

No. The native installer above places a self-contained binary, and nothing in that path touches Node.js.

The npm route still exists and now delivers the same native binary, so the difference is mostly how it gets onto your machine. Older guides that open by telling you to install Node.js first are describing a setup Claude Code has moved past.

What still causes trouble is keeping two installations at once, because they can point at different versions. If you have used Claude Code before and the reported version looks wrong, run claude doctor and check for a second installation using Anthropic's troubleshooting guide. Keep one and remove the other.

Updates

The native installation checks for updates automatically and installs them in the background. To request one immediately, run:

claude update

If you installed through Homebrew, WinGet, or a Linux package manager, updates come from that tool instead: brew upgrade claude-code, winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode, or your usual system upgrade.

Once it is connected, open one small project and ask Claude Code to explain what is inside. That will teach you more than another setup screen.