Claude Code for Beginners Tutorial [Full Course]

0:00 – 18:29

Getting Started: Installation and Your First Session

Claude Code isn't just another code completion tool—it's an npm application that transforms your terminal into an AI-powered development partner. Installation takes minutes: `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code`. But here's where it gets interesting. On Ubuntu EC2 instances, that standard command might throw permission errors, forcing you down a rabbit hole of chmod commands. The solution? Use the native installer: `curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash`. This manual approach bypasses npm's permission dance entirely. Your first session reveals Claude's thinking process through to-do lists. When you ask it to create a Python script that reads a CSV file, Claude doesn't just dump code—it plans: "analyze requirements, create virtual environment, write reader function, handle exceptions." Each step gets a checkbox. This transparency matters because it lets you interrupt bad assumptions early. If Claude decides to use pandas for a simple task, you can course-correct before it generates hundreds of lines. The `/init` command creates a claude.md file—think of it as Claude's memory for your project. It analyzes your folder structure, identifies the tech stack, and documents setup instructions. This file becomes Claude's context anchor. Every time you start a new session, Claude reads this first, preventing the "what is this project again?" confusion that plagues other AI tools. For a Flask app, it might note: "This is a member data processor. Uses Python 3.12. Activate with `source venv/bin/activate`. Run with `python app.py`." Simple, but powerful when you return after a week away.