Shayan Rais
105 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
105 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
# Windows Setup
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[Back to Day 0](Day0.md)
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## Prerequisites
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You need **Node.js v18 or higher** and **npm** (bundled with Node.js).
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## Step 1: Install Node.js
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### Option A: Via nodejs.org Download Page with fnm (Recommended)
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**fnm** (Fast Node Manager) is officially recommended by Node.js. It's fast, lightweight, and lets you switch Node versions easily if needed later.
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1. Open your browser and go to [nodejs.org/en/download](https://nodejs.org/en/download).
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2. You'll see a row of dropdowns that says: **"Get Node.js® vXX.XX.X (LTS) for __ using __ with __"**. Set the dropdowns as follows:
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| Dropdown | Select |
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|----------|--------|
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| Version | **vXX.XX.X (LTS)** — keep the default LTS version, don't change it |
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| OS | **Windows** |
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| Package Manager | **fnm** (under "Recommended (Official)") |
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| Package Format | **npm** — keep the default |
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3. The page will show you the exact commands to run. Open **PowerShell as Administrator** (right-click the Start menu > "Terminal (Admin)" or search for PowerShell > right-click > "Run as administrator").
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4. Copy and paste the commands from the page. They will look something like this:
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```powershell
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# Step 1 — Install fnm
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winget install Schniz.fnm
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# Step 2 — Configure fnm environment (add to your PowerShell profile)
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fnm env --use-on-cd --shell powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression
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# Step 3 — Install Node.js
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fnm install 24 # The page will show the exact version number
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```
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> The version number may differ from above — always use whatever the website shows.
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5. **Close and reopen your terminal** after installation. This is important so that `node` and `npm` are available in your PATH.
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> **Why fnm?** It's in the "Recommended (Official)" category on the Node.js download page, installs in seconds (written in Rust), and works natively on Windows — unlike nvm which requires a separate community port for Windows.
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### Option B: Official .msi Installer (Alternative)
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If you prefer a traditional installer:
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1. Go to [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org). The homepage shows a big **"Download Node.js (LTS)"** button.
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2. Click it to download the `.msi` file.
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3. Run the installer:
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- Click **Next** through the wizard.
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- Accept the license agreement.
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- Keep the default install location (`C:\Program Files\nodejs\`).
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- On the "Tools for Native Modules" screen, **check the box** for "Automatically install the necessary tools" — this installs build tools you may need later.
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- Click **Install** and wait for it to finish.
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4. **Restart your terminal** after installation.
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### Option C: Using winget (One-liner)
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If you have `winget` (built into Windows 10/11):
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```powershell
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winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
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```
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Close and reopen your terminal after installation.
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## Step 2: Verify Node.js
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Open a **new** terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal) and run:
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```powershell
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node --version
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npm --version
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```
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Both commands should print version numbers. If you get "not recognized", restart your terminal or check that Node.js is in your PATH.
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## Step 3: Install Claude Code
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```powershell
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npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
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```
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> If you get a permission error, open your terminal as **Administrator** (right-click > Run as administrator) and run the command again.
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## Step 4: Verify Claude Code
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```powershell
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claude --version
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```
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You should see the Claude Code version printed. Now head back to [Day0.md](Day0.md) for authentication setup.
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---
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## Notes
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- **Recommended terminal:** Windows Terminal or PowerShell. The classic Command Prompt works but has limited features.
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- **WSL users:** If you prefer running Claude Code inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), follow the [Linux guide](linux.md) instead — WSL is a full Linux environment.
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- **PATH issues:** If `claude` is not recognized after install, npm's global bin directory may not be in your PATH. Run `npm config get prefix` to find it, then add the resulting path to your system's PATH environment variable.
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