The Comms Stack
The Build by The Comms Stack

Setup guide

Install the Claude desktop app, install Git, and open Claude Code with a folder selected. Most people only need this guide for the Git step.

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Install the Claude desktop app

Claude Code lives inside the Claude desktop app — there's nothing extra to install beyond the app itself. Download it at claude.ai/download, choose macOS or Windows, install it, and sign in with your Claude Pro account. If your IT department restricts software installs, use a personal computer instead — admin privileges are required.

Install Git

This is the trickiest step in the entire course — and the one most people get stuck on. Be patient with it. Every computer is set up a little differently (operating system, security settings, IT policies, what's already installed), so the installer can branch in ways no single set of instructions can fully predict. The good news: it's also the last time anything will feel this unfamiliar. Once Git is installed, everything from here on happens in plain English inside Claude Code.

Your safety net: ask Claude to walk you through it.

Open Claude Chat (the regular chat in the Claude desktop app or in your browser — not Claude Code yet) and tell it: "I'm installing Git on [Mac / Windows] and I want you to walk me through it step by step. I'll share screenshots if I get stuck."

If anything on your screen looks different from what's described, or you hit an error message, take a screenshot and paste it directly into the chat. Claude can read screenshots and will tell you exactly what to click next. This works for every part of the install.

Git is a behind-the-scenes tool that Claude Code uses to manage files on your computer. You'll never use it directly — it just needs to be there. Download it at git-scm.com/downloads, run the installer, and accept every default it offers. The installer will show you a lot of technical options — ignore all of it and just keep clicking Next (or Continue) until it's done.

A few notes before you install:
  • Already have Git? If you've done any coding before, it's probably already installed. Claude Code will check automatically — if it's there, you're all set.
  • Windows users: The installer includes something called Git Bash, which Claude Code needs. It's checked by default — just don't uncheck it.
  • Hit a wall? Screenshot whatever you're seeing and paste it into a Claude chat. That's almost always faster than guessing.

Open Claude Code and pick a folder

  1. Open the Claude desktop app. You'll see the regular chat interface.
  2. Look at the upper-left corner of the window. You'll see three small icons. The third one — </> — is Claude Code. Click it to open a new session. This is where all five modules of this course happen.
  3. Pick a folder when Claude Code asks. The first time you open Claude Code, it asks where to work. This is the parent folder where your projects will live — choose your home folder or Documents folder. (It's not the project folder itself; Claude Code will create that for you when you paste the prompt.)
  4. You'll see a chat interface, just like regular Claude — except this version can create and edit files on your computer. That's the only difference. Type instructions in plain English, exactly like you would in a normal chat.
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