CLI Setup Guide¶

Quick reference for setting up developer CLIs in your terminal. Each section covers one CLI — install whichever ones you need.

Prerequisites¶

Code editor installed (Cursor or VS Code) — see Step 2
Git installed — see Step 3

Claude Code¶

Anthropic's AI coding CLI. Requires a Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscription.

Official docs: code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart

Install¶

macOS / Linux¶

Open Terminal and run:

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

Windows PowerShell¶

Open PowerShell and run:

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

Windows CMD¶

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

Set Up Your PATH¶

Your PATH is a list of folders your computer checks when you type a command. If Claude Code's folder isn't in that list, your terminal won't recognize the claude command.

After installation, you may need to configure your PATH so claude works from any directory.

macOS / Linux¶

The installer usually updates your shell profile automatically. If claude isn't recognized:

Close and reopen your terminal, or
Run one of these commands depending on your shell:

# For zsh (default on modern Macs)
source ~/.zshrc

# For bash
source ~/.bashrc

If the command still isn't found, add Claude Code to your PATH manually:

# For zsh
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.claude/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

# For bash
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.claude/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Windows¶

The installer should add Claude Code to your PATH automatically. If claude isn't recognized:

To add it manually: 1. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter 2. Go to Advanced > Environment Variables 3. Under "User variables", select Path > Edit 4. Click New and add %USERPROFILE%.local\bin 5. Restart your terminal

Windows users

You need Git for Windows installed — it provides Git Bash, which Claude Code requires. If Git Bash isn't detected, open PowerShell and run:

$env:CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH="C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe"

Log In¶

Start Claude Code and log in with your Claude account:

claude

You'll be prompted to authenticate in your browser. Follow the prompts to connect your Claude subscription.

Once logged in, your credentials are stored and you won't need to log in again.

Verify Installation¶

Test that everything is working:

claude --version

Then start a conversation with Claude:

cd ~/Desktop/my-project  # replace with your actual project folder
claude

Ask Claude a question to confirm it's working:

> what does this project do?

Troubleshooting¶

"command not found: claude" - Close and reopen your terminal - On Mac, run source ~/.zshrc or source ~/.bashrc - Check the PATH setup section above

Authentication fails - Make sure you have an active Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscription - Try running /login inside Claude Code to re-authenticate - Check your browser completed the authentication flow

Permission denied during install (Mac/Linux) - The install script may need sudo access - Try: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sudo bash

Slow or hanging responses - Check your internet connection - Try exiting (Ctrl+C) and starting a new session

Installation succeeded but claude command hangs - Ensure you're in a directory with a project (not an empty folder) - Try claude --help to verify the CLI responds

Ask AI for help

If you're stuck, paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini:

I'm trying to install [Claude Code / Codex CLI / Gemini CLI] on [Mac / Windows / Linux] and getting this error: [paste the error message]. I followed the installation steps. What should I try next?

Essential Commands¶

Command	What it does
`claude`	Start interactive mode
`claude "task"`	Run a one-time task
`claude -c`	Continue most recent conversation
`claude commit`	Create a Git commit
`/help`	Show available commands (inside Claude Code)
`/login`	Re-authenticate (inside Claude Code)
`exit` or Ctrl+C	Exit Claude Code

Resources¶

OpenAI Codex CLI¶

OpenAI's command-line coding agent. Requires Node.js 22+ and an OpenAI API key.

Install¶

npm install -g @openai/codex

Authenticate¶

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Verify¶

codex --version

Resources¶

Codex CLI documentation

Gemini CLI¶

Google's command-line AI coding assistant. Requires Node.js 18+ and a Google account.

Install¶

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Verify¶

gemini --version

Resources¶

Gemini CLI documentation

GitHub CLI¶

Manage GitHub pull requests, issues, and repos from your terminal. Requires a GitHub account.

Install¶

macOS¶

brew install gh

Windows¶

winget install --id GitHub.cli

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)¶

sudo apt install gh

For other Linux distributions, see the official install instructions.

Authenticate¶

gh auth login

Follow the browser prompts to connect your GitHub account.

Verify¶

gh --version

Resources¶

GitHub CLI manual