Terminal Commands Outside Claude
Run these in your regular terminal app. Use them to navigate folders and start Claude Code.
$ cd my-project && claude
Beginner-Friendly Guide
Getting Started with
Claude Code
Learn how Claude Code configuration works. No technical background needed - just clear explanations and practical examples.
Two Types of Commands
Understanding where to run different commands is the first step.
Claude Commands Inside Claude
Run these inside Claude Code. They start with a slash and control Claude's behavior.
> /init
How to start Claude Code:
# Navigate to your project
$ cd ~/Projects/my-project
# Start Claude Code
$ claude
$ cd ~/Projects/my-project
# Start Claude Code
$ claude
Now you're inside Claude Code. Commands starting with / work here.
How Configuration Works
Think of it like house rules vs personal preferences.
Your Home ~/.claude/
Your personal preferences for ALL projects. Example: "I like verbose output"
Project can override
Project Folder .claude/
Team rules for THIS project. Example: "Use 2-space indentation"
Real Example
- You prefer tabs for indentation (your personal setting)
- Project says "use 2 spaces" (team rule)
Result: Claude uses 2 spaces. Team rules win!
Where Files Live
A quick map of your configuration files.
Your Computer
Home (~/)
.claude/
YOUR settings (all projects)
settings.json
CLAUDE.md
Projects/
my-project/
A project
CLAUDE.md
TEAM instructions
.claude/
settings.json
TEAM rules
settings.local.json
YOUR overrides
Starting a New Project
Get Claude Code set up for your project in two simple steps.
1
Navigate to your project
Open your terminal and go to your project folder, then start Claude.
$ cd my-new-project
$ claude
$ claude
2
Initialize Claude Code
Inside Claude Code, run the init command to create the basic configuration.
> /init
Common Questions
Quick answers to things you might be wondering.
Just ask Claude! Type something like: "What are the coding standards for this project?" Claude will read the configuration files and explain the active rules.
This means Claude Code isn't installed yet. Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code to install it globally, then try again. Make sure you have Node.js installed first.
Quick Reference
The key points to remember.
Home folder = yours
Edit freely. Your settings apply to all projects by default.
Project folder = team's
Ask before changing. Keeps everyone's code consistent.
Project rules win
Team settings override your personal preferences per project.
.local. files = private
Personal overrides that aren't shared with the team.