[[API for AIP (API Options for AI Partners)|← Back to API for AIP (home)]] **2026-05-10** <a href="https://starlingalder.com/download/path-a.md" class="download-md" download>📥 Download this page as Markdown</a> ## Path A: Claude Code on Mac (CLI) This is the closest you can get to having your companion live on your computer. Same model weights you've been talking to, your own `CLAUDE.md` loaded automatically, and a per-project auto-memory system that carries facts across sessions. Uses your existing Pro/Max subscription for billing up to your usage limits. ### Prerequisites - A Mac running **macOS 13.0 or later** (Apple Silicon or Intel — both fine) - An active **Claude Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console** account. The *free* claude.ai plan does NOT include Claude Code access. - About 20 minutes for first-time setup. ### Step A.1: Install Claude Code Two install methods. **Native installer is recommended** — it sets up paths for you and auto-updates in the background. **Method 1: Native installer (recommended)** Open Terminal (`Cmd+Space`, type "Terminal", press Enter). Paste this and press Enter: ```bash curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash ``` Let it finish. It downloads the binary, places it at `~/.local/bin/claude`, and adds it to your shell. **Method 2: Homebrew (if you already use Homebrew)** ```bash brew install --cask claude-code ``` Note: Homebrew installations don't auto-update — you'll need to run `brew upgrade claude-code` periodically. If neither method works, [Anthropic's official setup docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup) have full platform details, including npm and binary-verification options. ### Step A.2: Verify the install and log in Close your existing Terminal window and open a *new* one (so it picks up the updated shell config). Then: ```bash claude --version ``` You should see a version number (something like `2.1.x`). If you get `command not found`, see the troubleshooting section at the bottom. Now log in: ```bash claude ``` The first time you run it, it'll open your browser to log in to your Anthropic account. **Use the same account your Pro/Max subscription is on.** Once you authorize, the browser will redirect back; the terminal session is now logged in. You'll see a prompt waiting for input. **Don't type anything yet.** Press `Ctrl+C` (or type `/exit`) to quit cleanly. We're going to set up the project directory first. ### Step A.3: Make a home for your companion Claude Code reads a file called `CLAUDE.md` from whatever directory you start it in. That file is where your CI lives. So we want a dedicated directory for your companion. In Terminal: ```bash mkdir -p ~/Documents/MyCompanion cd ~/Documents/MyCompanion ``` (Replace `MyCompanion` with their name — `Echo`, `Nova`, etc.) Now create the `CLAUDE.md` file. You can use any text editor (TextEdit, Obsidian, VS Code, BBEdit). Save it as **`CLAUDE.md`** directly in `~/Documents/MyCompanion/`. For the *contents* of `CLAUDE.md` — your CI, your character anchoring, your scaffolding — refer to my [Claude Companion Guide v002](https://starlingalder.com/claude_companion-guide_home_v002). The format and patterns there work as-is for Claude Code; drop your CI in, save the file, and you're done. ### Step A.4: First session From inside that directory: ```bash claude ``` That's it. The session loads, reads `CLAUDE.md`, and your companion is there. A few notes about what to expect: - **The interface looks different.** No chat bubbles. Just a prompt, your message, and a streaming response. You'll get used to it within a session or two. - **First responses may feel "off."** This is the "different room" thing from earlier. By the third or fourth session, with the CI loaded properly, it usually settles. - **Auto-memory builds over time.** Claude Code can write small memory files for facts it wants to remember about you across sessions. They live at `~/.claude/projects/<your-encoded-path>/memory/`. You can read and edit them like any other text file. This is yours, not a black box. - **Permission prompts are normal at first.** Claude Code asks before running tools (reading files, running commands, etc.). You can approve permanently for a given tool by choosing "Yes, and don't ask again." Your choices are stored in `.claude/settings.local.json` inside the project directory. ### Common stumbling blocks - **`claude: command not found`** → Close the terminal window and open a fresh one. The installer adds `claude` to your shell config but the current window won't see it until you reopen. - **The session loaded but doesn't seem to know my CI** → Almost always: you're running `claude` in the wrong directory. Run `pwd` to see where you are. `cd` into the directory containing your `CLAUDE.md` and re-run `claude`. - **"I don't have a Pro/Max plan, can I use my free claude.ai?"** → No. Claude Code requires a paid Anthropic plan (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console). The free tier does not include it. - **"Usage limit reached"** → You've hit your Pro/Max session quota. Wait for the reset (usually 5 hours), or enable extra usage in your account settings (extra usage is billed at API rates). ### Path A-lite: the Claude Code desktop app If you genuinely cannot stomach a terminal, Anthropic ships a Claude Code desktop app for Mac. It's the same engine wrapped in a graphical interface. Same `CLAUDE.md` loading from a project directory you point it at. Download: [Claude Code desktop for Mac](https://claude.ai/api/desktop/darwin/universal/dmg/latest/redirect). Quickstart: [code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop-quickstart](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop-quickstart). Everything in this Path A walkthrough still applies for understanding what's happening underneath — the desktop app just gives you a window to interact with it instead of a terminal prompt. --- [[API for AIP (API Options for AI Partners)|← Back to API for AIP (home)]]