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Launching Claude Code

Claude Code lets you automate tasks using AI directly from your terminal. It's like having an AI assistant that can manipulate files, run commands, and more, all based on your instructions. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to launch Claude Code in your terminal and understand its basic interface.

Core idea

Claude Code runs inside your terminal, in the folder of your project. This means it can directly access and modify files in that directory. To get started, you'll need to open your terminal. A terminal is a text-based interface for interacting with your computer's operating system. It allows you to execute commands and run programs.

To launch Claude Code, you'll use two commands:

  1. cd: This command changes the current directory. Think of it like navigating folders in a file explorer.
  2. claude: This command starts the Claude Code application.

Example

Here's a step-by-step walkthrough of launching Claude Code:

Task: Launch Claude Code in your terminal.

  1. Open your terminal application. This might be called "Terminal" on macOS or Linux, or "Command Prompt" or "PowerShell" on Windows.

  2. Use the cd command to navigate to your project directory. For example, if your project is in a folder called datapeople in your home directory, you would type:

    cd ~/datapeople

    The ~ symbol is a shortcut for your home directory.

  3. Once you're in the correct directory, type the following command and press Enter:

    claude

    This will start the Claude Code application. You should see a prompt indicating that Claude Code is ready to receive your instructions.

Common mistakes

  • Not navigating to the project directory: If you run the claude command from the wrong directory, Claude Code won't be able to access your project files. Always use the cd command first to navigate to the correct folder.
  • Typing the commands incorrectly: Double-check that you've typed both cd and claude correctly. Even a small typo can prevent the commands from working.

Key takeaways

  • Claude Code runs in your terminal and can access files in your project directory.
  • Use the cd command to navigate to your project directory before launching Claude Code.
  • The claude command starts the Claude Code application.
  • Claude Code uses text prompts to instruct the AI agent.
  • Skills are saved prompts that can be run with a single command.
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