Claude Code Goes Native: Install the Official CLI

Claude Code now ships native installers for macOS, Linux, Windows, and WSL. The npm version was always temporary, so you should switch to the native build.

Why Switch?

The native Claude Code binary is faster, more reliable, and maintained as the official distribution. The npm version was a temporary solution while the native version was being developed.

Uninstall the npm Version

Warning

If you currently have Claude Code installed via npm, remove it first to avoid conflicts.

npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Install the Native Version

Pick the method that matches your operating system.

macOS

Homebrew:

brew install --cask claude-code

Linux

Installation script:

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

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Same as Linux:

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

Windows PowerShell

PowerShell script:

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

Note

On macOS, the Homebrew cask handles updates automatically via brew upgrade. On Linux and WSL, re-run the install script to update.

Verify Installation

Confirm it works:

claude --version

Tip

To diagnose any issues, run claude /doctor:

claude /doctor

You should see the version number, which confirms you are running the native CLI.

What's Next?

Claude Code handles codebase questions, command execution, and coding tasks from the terminal. See the documentation for the full feature set.