Claude Code Installation Guide for macOS: Git, Environment Variables, PATH, and Every Common Fix (2026)

Claude Code Installation Guide for macOS: Git, Environment Variables, PATH, and Every Common Fix (2026) A lot of "how to install Claude Code" guides stop too early. They show one install command, maybe one login step, and then move on. Real beginners hit the actual problems after that point: Claude Code installs, but the command is not found Claude Code opens, but Git is missing Git exists, but the repo is not initialized The shell cannot see the API key or auth variables Homebrew works on one Mac but not another Apple Silicon and Intel behave slightly differently zsh, bash, and GUI terminal apps load different profiles This guide is written for new users who want the full macOS setup path, not the marketing version. What Claude Code Needs on macOS Before you even think about the install command, make sure you understand the dependency chain. Component Why It Matters Terminal app Claude Code runs in the terminal Node.js / npm Claude Code is distributed as a CLI package Git Many agent w