Install and Update Claude Code CLI: Mac, Linux, Windows

Installing Claude Code is one command per platform – curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash on macOS, Linux, and WSL, or irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex in Windows PowerShell – and updating is either automatic (the default) or one claude update. The part most pages skip is everything after that first command: which install method to pick when you have four, how the autoupdater behaves and how to turn it off, how to pin a specific version, and how to uninstall each method cleanly. This page is that reference, one table per job, current as of v2.1.224 (August 2026).¹

TL;DR

• Use the native installer. It has no Node.js dependency, ships the tested binary per platform, and has been the default since v2.1.113. The npm package is legacy – deprecated since v2.1.15, and it now requires Node.js 22+.¹
• Updates are automatic by default: Claude Code checks at startup and periodically during sessions, downloads in the background, and applies on the next launch. claude update forces one now.²
• Turning updates off is two different switches: DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1 stops background updates; DISABLE_UPDATES=1 (v2.1.118+) blocks every update path including a manual claude update.²
• Pin a version by passing it to the installer: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s 1.0.58. Check what you run with claude --version; browse what changed with /release-notes.¹²
• When anything misbehaves, run claude doctor – it reports install type, version, and detected issues, and since v2.1.205 the in-session /doctor diagnoses and fixes setup problems.²

How Do I Install Claude Code CLI?

One command, by platform:

# macOS, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

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

Prefer a package manager? Both are first-class:

brew install --cask claude-code          # macOS / Linux (stable channel)
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode      # Windows

Then run claude in a project directory and authenticate with a Claude Pro/Max/Team subscription or an Anthropic API account.¹ The native installer needs no Node.js, no sudo, nothing pre-installed. If you must use the legacy npm path (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code), it requires Node.js 22 or later and should never be run with sudo – root-owned global modules create permission problems that outlive the install.¹ Already on npm? claude install migrates you to the native binary in place.

For first-session setup – authentication choices, the first prompt, permission modes – the quickstart walkthrough covers the path from zero to first result.

Which Platforms Does Claude Code Support?

The recurring Windows question: native Windows works, but WSL 2 gives you the Linux-identical experience, and the native installer runs the same way inside it.¹

How Do I Update Claude Code?

You usually don’t have to. Claude Code auto-updates by default – it checks for a new version at startup and periodically during sessions, downloads in the background, and applies the update the next time it launches.² To force an update immediately, or if you’ve disabled the autoupdater:

claude update

Package-manager installs update through their own channel – brew upgrade --cask claude-code, winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode – and since v2.1.129, setting CLAUDE_CODE_PACKAGE_MANAGER_AUTO_UPDATE=1 lets those installs run the package-manager upgrade in the background and prompt for a restart.²

Controlling updates is two distinct switches, and the difference matters in locked-down environments:

Set either as an environment variable or under "env" in settings.json.²

How Do I Install a Specific Version?

Pass the version to the installer – useful for reproducing a bug, holding a team on a known-good release, or rolling back:

# Specific version
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s 1.0.58

# Latest, explicitly
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s latest

# Windows PowerShell, specific version
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1))) 1.0.58

Confirm with claude --version, and read what any release changed with the in-session /release-notes picker.² If you pin, pair it with DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1 – otherwise the autoupdater will politely un-pin you at the next launch. (Use DISABLE_UPDATES=1 instead when you also want manual claude update locked out.)

How Do I Uninstall Claude Code?

Match the uninstall to the install method:

Your configuration lives separately in ~/.claude/, so removing the binary does not delete settings, skills, or history – delete that directory too only if you want a truly clean slate.¹

The Whole Lifecycle in One Table

And when something is off – wrong version reported, command not found after an update, an install that half-applied – claude doctor from the shell reports installation type, version, and detected issues, while /doctor inside a session (v2.1.205+) runs a full checkup that can fix what it finds.² The full Claude Code guide covers everything past installation: configuration, permissions, hooks, MCP, and subagents.

FAQ

How do I update Claude Code CLI to the latest version?

Run claude update, or simply restart – Claude Code checks for updates at startup and during sessions by default, downloading in the background and applying on next launch. Homebrew and winget installs update via brew upgrade --cask claude-code and winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode instead.

Does Claude Code update automatically?

Yes, by default: it checks at startup and periodically while running, then applies the downloaded update on the next launch. DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1 turns background updates off while keeping manual claude update; DISABLE_UPDATES=1 blocks every update path.

How do I install Claude Code on Windows?

Run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex in PowerShell (or winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode). Native Windows 10+ is supported on x64 and ARM64, but WSL 2 is the recommended path for full Linux parity – run the Linux install command inside it.

Do I need Node.js to install Claude Code?

No – the recommended native installer has no Node.js dependency. Only the legacy npm package (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code, deprecated since v2.1.15) needs Node, and it requires Node.js 22 or later. If you are on the npm install, claude install migrates you to the native binary.

How do I check which version of Claude Code I have?

claude --version from the shell, or /release-notes inside a session for an interactive changelog picker. claude doctor additionally reports the installation type and any detected setup issues.