Installing Claude Code on Ubuntu

These are my notes to help me remember the steps I took to install Claude Code on Ubuntu for use in the Terminal.

Node.js and NPM are required:

sudo apt install nodejs npm

If you get an error that looks like:

Install Claude Code

$ npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Possible Error

If you get:
npm ERR! code EACCES
npm ERR! syscall mkdir
npm ERR! path /usr/local/lib/node_modules
npm ERR! errno -13
npm ERR! Error: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir

Tthat’s a “Standard npm global install permissions issue” and you fix it with:

mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Run Claude Code

In the Terminal, next type: claude

You’ll be asked to Select login method:

1. Claude account with subscription · Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise
2. Anthropic Console account · API usage billing
3. 3rd-party platform · Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry, or Vertex AI

I chose 1 because I’m using Pro. It then opened up a new tab in my browser and authenticated because I was already logged in there.

You’ll be asked if you trust the directory you chose to start claude in. Select Yes and let the magic begin:

Take a Tour:

Type /powerup

Helpful Commands:

• Just talk to it
• /help shows available commands
• Ctrl+C cancels whatever it’s doing
• Ctrl+D or type exit to quit