Opening the terminal is your first step into the world of AI engineering. Here is the revised guide with simplified language and clear instructions for your Mac.
1. How to Open the Terminal
The Terminal is a built-in app that allows you to talk directly to your computer using text commands.
- Option 1 (Fastest): Press Command (⌘) + Spacebar on your keyboard, type “Terminal”, and press Enter.
- Option 2: Open your Finder (the smiley face icon), go to Applications, open the Utilities folder, and double-click Terminal.
2. Installation Methods
Once your Terminal window is open, choose one of the methods below.
Option A: Native Installer (Recommended)
This is the simplest way. It handles everything for you automatically.
Type and then press enter:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Option B: NPM Installation
Use this only if you already use Node.js for web development.
Type and then press enter:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Simple Tip for Beginners: Sometimes your computer might block this command because it thinks it doesn’t have “permission” to change files. Instead of using a “Master Password” (called sudo) which can be messy, it is much safer to use a tool called nvm. This creates a private folder just for your apps so they don’t get stuck behind a digital “locked door.”
3. Authentication & Initialization
Now you need to tell the computer which Claude account is yours.
- Launch the tool: Type and then press enter: claude
- Sign In: The Terminal will show you a short code and automatically open a web page. Sign in to your Claude account on that page and type in the code from the Terminal.
- Check for Success: To make sure it’s working perfectly, Type and then press enter:
claude doctor
4. Basic Commands
Claude Code works inside whatever folder you are currently “standing” in within your Terminal.
| Command | Action |
| claude | Start a new conversation. |
| claude –continue | Pick up right where you left off last time. |
| /exit | Type this to close the session when you are done. |
| ? | Type this if you get stuck and need a list of options. |
5. Helpful Hint: The “Instructions” File
If you want Claude to remember how you like your code written, create a simple text file in your project folder named CLAUDE.md. You can type your rules there (like “Always use Python” or “Make my code very easy to read”), and Claude will read it every time it starts up.