SOP-002: Claude Code Installation

Document Control

• SOP ID: 002
• Version: 1.0
• Status: Active
• Last Updated: December 2024
• Review Cycle: Monthly

Overview

Complete installation and configuration guide for Claude Code, Anthropic's agentic coding assistant.

Purpose

Standardize the installation, configuration, and optimization of Claude Code across development environments.

Prerequisites

• [ ] Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 12+, or Linux
• [ ] Node.js 18+ installed
• [ ] Git installed and configured
• [ ] Valid Anthropic API key
• [ ] 4GB+ available disk space

Installation Procedure

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     CLAUDE CODE SETUP FLOW                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                      │
│   [Download] ──► [Install] ──► [Configure] ──► [Verify]           │
│       ▼             ▼              ▼              ▼                │
│   Get binary    Run setup    Set API key    Test command           │
│                                                                      │
│   [Customize] ──► [CLAUDE.md] ──► [Permissions] ──► [Ready]       │
│        ▼              ▼                ▼              ▼            │
│   Set aliases    Add context    Allow tools    Start coding        │
│                                                                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 1: Download Claude Code

macOS

# Using Homebrew
brew install anthropic/tap/claude-code

# Or direct download
curl -L https://releases.anthropic.com/claude-code/latest/mac -o claude-code
chmod +x claude-code
sudo mv claude-code /usr/local/bin/

Windows

# Using winget
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

# Or PowerShell download
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://releases.anthropic.com/claude-code/latest/win" -OutFile "claude-code.exe"
Move-Item claude-code.exe "C:\Program Files\Claude Code\"
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", $env:Path + ";C:\Program Files\Claude Code", "User")

Linux

# Debian/Ubuntu
wget https://releases.anthropic.com/claude-code/latest/linux-deb
sudo dpkg -i claude-code_latest_amd64.deb

# Generic Linux
curl -L https://releases.anthropic.com/claude-code/latest/linux -o claude-code
chmod +x claude-code
sudo mv claude-code /usr/local/bin/

Step 2: Initial Configuration

# Set API key
claude-code config set api_key sk-ant-api03-...

# Set default model
claude-code config set model claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

# Configure editor integration
claude-code config set editor vscode  # or vim, emacs, etc.

# Set working directory behavior
claude-code config set auto_cd true

Step 3: Create CLAUDE.md File

Create a CLAUDE.md file in your project root:

# Project: [Your Project Name]

## Overview
Brief description of your project.

## Tech Stack
- Language: Python 3.11
- Framework: FastAPI
- Database: PostgreSQL
- Testing: pytest

## Key Commands
```bash
# Run tests
pytest tests/

# Start dev server
uvicorn main:app --reload

# Build for production
docker build -t myapp .

Project Structure

src/
├── api/         # API endpoints
├── models/      # Data models
├── services/    # Business logic
└── utils/       # Utilities

Coding Conventions

• Use type hints
• Follow PEP 8
• Write docstrings for all functions
• Test coverage minimum: 80%

### Step 4: Configure Permissions

```bash
# Create settings file
mkdir -p ~/.claude
touch ~/.claude/settings.json

Edit ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "tools": {
    "allowlist": [
      "bash",
      "read",
      "write",
      "edit",
      "grep",
      "git"
    ],
    "dangerous_commands": {
      "require_confirmation": [
        "rm -rf",
        "git push --force",
        "DROP TABLE",
        "DELETE FROM"
      ]
    }
  },
  "context": {
    "max_files": 50,
    "exclude_patterns": [
      "node_modules/**",
      "*.pyc",
      ".git/**",
      "dist/**",
      "build/**"
    ]
  },
  "safety": {
    "container_mode": false,
    "backup_before_edit": true,
    "max_file_size_mb": 10
  }
}

Step 5: Install MCP Servers (Optional)

# Install common MCP servers
npm install -g @anthropic/mcp-filesystem
npm install -g @anthropic/mcp-git
npm install -g @anthropic/mcp-web

# Configure MCP
claude-code mcp add filesystem
claude-code mcp add git
claude-code mcp add web

Step 6: Verify Installation

# Check version
claude-code --version

# Run diagnostic
claude-code diagnose

# Test basic command
claude-code "What files are in the current directory?"

# Test with specific model
claude-code --model claude-3-5-haiku-20241022 "Hello, Claude Code!"

Advanced Configuration

Custom Commands

Create ~/.claude/commands.json:

{
  "commands": {
    "review": "Review this code for bugs, performance, and best practices",
    "test": "Write comprehensive unit tests for this code",
    "docs": "Generate documentation for this module",
    "refactor": "Refactor this code for better readability and maintainability",
    "security": "Perform a security audit of this code"
  }
}

Usage:

claude-code review main.py
claude-code test api/endpoints.py

Shell Aliases

Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

# Claude Code aliases
alias cc='claude-code'
alias ccr='claude-code review'
alias cct='claude-code test'
alias ccd='claude-code docs'
alias ccp='claude-code "Create a pull request with these changes"'

# Quick commands
ccfix() {
  claude-code "Fix the error: $1"
}

ccplan() {
  claude-code "Create an implementation plan for: $1"
}

Troubleshooting

Issue: "Command not found"

# Solution: Add to PATH
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin
source ~/.bashrc

Issue: "API key invalid"

# Solution: Reconfigure
claude-code config set api_key [your-key]
claude-code config verify

Issue: "Permission denied"

# Solution: Check tool permissions
claude-code permissions list
claude-code permissions add bash

Issue: "Context too large"

# Solution: Limit context
claude-code --max-files 10 "Your command"
# Or update exclude patterns in settings.json

Best Practices

1. CLAUDE.md Files: Always maintain project-specific CLAUDE.md
2. Version Control: Commit .claude/settings.json for team consistency
3. Security: Never allow dangerous commands without confirmation
4. Context Management: Exclude large/binary files from context
5. Backup: Enable backup_before_edit for safety

Performance Optimization

Context Optimization

{
  "performance": {
    "cache_responses": true,
    "cache_ttl_minutes": 30,
    "parallel_file_reading": true,
    "compress_context": true
  }
}

Resource Limits

{
  "limits": {
    "max_memory_mb": 2048,
    "max_cpu_percent": 80,
    "timeout_seconds": 300
  }
}

Verification Checklist

• [ ] Claude Code installed and in PATH
• [ ] API key configured and verified
• [ ] CLAUDE.md file created in project
• [ ] Permissions configured appropriately
• [ ] Shell aliases set up (optional)
• [ ] MCP servers installed (optional)
• [ ] Diagnostic tests pass
• [ ] Can execute basic commands

See Also

• SOP-001: API Setup
• SOP-003: MCP Configuration
• SOP-006: CLAUDE.md Creation
• Workflow-001: Explore-Plan-Code

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Next Step: Configure MCP servers with SOP-003: MCP Setup