Setup overview
Claude Code works best with a few supporting tools already in place. This page provides an overview of what you will install for this course; the next two pages walk through step-by-step installation instructions.
The full install list
You will need to install at most 8 tools, depending on whether you are using a mac or a windows computer.
| Tool | What it's for | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xcode Command Line Tools | A suite of software development utilities for macOS. Needed to run Homebrew | ✓ | ✗ |
| Homebrew | Package manager used to install everything else below, on a Mac | ✓ | ✗ |
| Node.js + npm | Runs Claude Code, which is distributed as an npm package | ✓ | ✓ |
| Git | Tracks changes an agent makes to your files, so you can roll one back | ✓ | ✓ |
| Miniconda | Gives agent-written Python scripts a consistent environment to run in | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pandoc | Converts agent-drafted documents into Word, PDF, and other formats | ✓ | ✓ |
| VS Code | Editor you'll use to browse and read an agent's files | ✓ | ✓ |
| Claude Code | The agent itself | ✓ | ✓ |
What each tool does, and why it's here now
Homebrew (Mac only)
The standard package manager for Mac — a single command-line tool for installing, updating, and removing other software. Once it's in place, most of the rest of this list becomes one short command each. Windows has no equivalent; each tool there gets its own installer instead.
Node.js and npm
Node.js is a JavaScript runtime, and npm is the package manager that ships with it. Claude Code is distributed as an npm package, so installing Node.js is a required step. This is also needed for adding MCP extensions.
Git
Git tracks changes to files over time. It allows you to roll back to an earlier version if needed. It also allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously without overwriting each other's work.
Miniconda
Miniconda is a small, lightweight tool that helps you manage programming languages and software tools on your computer. Think of it as a bare-bones starter kit that gives you just the core engine (Python and the Conda manager) for coding.
Pandoc
Pandoc is a free tool that acts like a universal translator for text files. It lets you convert a document from one format—like Markdown—into dozens of other formats, such as Word, PDF, HTML, or ePub.
VS Code
A code and text editor. YOu can use it to open the folders an agent is working in, read the files it produces, and run Claude Code from its built-in terminal.
Claude Code
Claude Code is an agentic, terminal-based AI coding assistant developed by Anthropic. Unlike traditional chat interfaces that only generate text, it operates directly inside your local development environment to read files, edit code, run tests, execute terminal commands, and manage Git workflows through natural language.
Choose your operating system
The next page walks through installing all eight tools, in order. Pick the one that matches your laptop.