Master Claude Code: The Ultimate Unofficial Guide

Are you looking to harness the full power of Claude Code, Anthropic's powerful AI development tool? This unofficial yet incredibly comprehensive guide, sourced from the actively maintained zebbern/claude-code-guide GitHub repository, is your go-to resource for mastering every command, configuration, and advanced feature – including many that aren't widely known or officially documented.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is a specialized version of Anthropic's Claude AI designed to assist developers directly with coding tasks, debugging, and project management. It can be integrated into your development workflow, providing intelligent assistance and automation capabilities.

Getting Started: Installation and Setup

This guide provides detailed installation instructions for various operating systems and environments, ensuring you can get Claude Code up and running no matter your setup:

• NPM Global Installation: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code (Requires Node 18+)
• macOS: Using Homebrew with Node.js.
• Arch Linux AUR: yay -S claude-code or paru -S claude-code.
• Docker: Containerized setup via ghcr.io/rchgrav/claudebox:latest.
• Windows via WSL: Anthropic's recommended path, using Ubuntu on Windows Subsystem for Linux.
• Build from Source: For cutting-edge commits or local patches.

Once installed, learn how to configure your API key, set basic defaults, and perform a health check using claude /doctor to ensure everything is working correctly.

# Install globally
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Configure your API key (get from console.anthropic.com)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-your-key-here"

# Test installation
claude "Hello, Claude!"
claude /doctor

Demystifying MCP (Model Context Protocol)

One of Claude Code's most powerful features is its integration with MCP, allowing it to connect with external services, databases, and tools. This guide breaks down:

• Understanding MCP: How it extends Claude's capabilities.
• MCP Setup & Configuration: Basic commands like claude mcp list, claude mcp add, and managing your ~/.claude.json configuration file for MCP servers.
• Popular MCP Servers: Examples of integrating with Git, GitHub, PostgreSQL, Puppeteer, and more.
• MCP Tool Permissions: How to manage permissions for various MCP tools, ensuring secure operation.

Comprehensive Commands Reference

The guide offers an exhaustive list of Claude Code commands, categorized for easy navigation:

• CLI Commands: Interactive mode (claude), one-shot queries (claude -p "query")