Pre-class setup · Claude Code

Set up Claude Code

Six tools, opinionated picks. Install in order — each one takes about a minute. By the end you'll have Claude Code running in your terminal and the foundations for every other AI tool we use in class.

What you'll install

Tool	Why
git	Track your work, undo mistakes
Volta	Manages Node.js without pain
Node.js	Required by Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex
uv	Manages Python without pain
Python	Most research tools are Python
Claude Code	The AI that does the work

On Windows? Install WSL2 first

Skip this if you're on native Linux. WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) gives you a real Ubuntu shell inside Windows — every command in this tab runs inside that shell. Setup is about five minutes plus a reboot.

Open PowerShell as administrator (right-click the Start menu → "Windows PowerShell (Admin)") and run:

wsl --install

This pulls in WSL2 and the default Ubuntu distribution in one step. Reboot when prompted. After the reboot, Ubuntu opens automatically and asks you to create a Linux username and password — pick something you'll remember, you'll use it for every sudo from here on.

From now on, run every command in this tab inside the Ubuntu terminal (search "Ubuntu" in the Start menu), not PowerShell.

Already running Windows 10 below build 19041, or hit a snag? Microsoft's WSL install guide walks through the older manual path and edge cases.

Already have WSL2 and Ubuntu installed? Open Ubuntu and continue with the steps below.

1. git

Track changes to your files. Undo mistakes. Required by most development tools.

git is pre-installed on most Macs. Type git in Terminal — if it's not installed, macOS will prompt you to install it. Click Install and wait.

git --version

sudo apt update && sudo apt install git
git --version

Install Git for Windows. Accept the defaults; it ships with a usable bash shell (Git Bash) too.

git --version

2. Volta

Volta manages Node.js versions so you don't have to.

curl https://get.volta.sh | bash

Reload your terminal

exec zsh

curl https://get.volta.sh | bash

Reload your terminal

exec bash

Volta has a Windows installer — download and run the latest .msi from the Volta releases page. Then open a fresh PowerShell window so the install lands on PATH.

3. Node.js

Required by Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Codex.

volta install node
node --version

You should see a version number like v22.x.x.

4. uv

A fast Python package manager. Handles Python versions and project dependencies.

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Reload your terminal

exec zsh

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Reload your terminal

exec bash

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Open a fresh PowerShell window after install.

5. Python

uv python install 3.12
uv run python --version

You should see Python 3.12.x.

6. Claude Code

The main AI tool — conversational assistant right in your terminal.

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

Reload your terminal

exec zsh

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

Reload your terminal

exec bash

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

Open a fresh PowerShell window after install.

Verify

claude --version

First run of claude will open a browser tab to log in to your Anthropic account. No Claude Desktop app required.

You're ready when… typing claude in your terminal launches the assistant and accepts a prompt.

Next: install the RMAI skill pack

Claude Code on its own is the engine. The skill pack is the toolbelt — 12 curated skills and plugins we install on every machine: development workflow, browser automation, documentation lookup, frontend design, diagrams, and writing.

Each skill has a one-line install command on the skills site.

Browse the skill pack → Back to AI tools

Troubleshooting

'Command not found' after installing?

Reload your terminal: exec zsh on Mac, exec bash on Linux/WSL2, or close and reopen the PowerShell window on Windows. If that doesn't work, open a brand new terminal window — install scripts edit your shell config, but already-open shells don't pick up the change.

My work laptop blocks the curl installer

Some locked-down machines won't run curl … | bash. Tell us before the session — we'll either get you on a personal laptop for the day or pair you with someone who has a working environment so you can still do every exercise.

I'm stuck — how do I get help before the session?

Email hello@realmindsai.au. We respond within 48 hours. Don't burn an hour fighting an installer — send us a screenshot.

Source mirrored from just-ask-your-computer / toolkit / core-stack.