The complete, always-current guide to Claude Code — from your first session to expert workflows.
Every command, flag, hook, MCP, subagent, and best practice — plus a one-command terminal + Ghostty setup. Beginner-friendly, accurate, and cited.
📖 Read the guide → · 🧭 Learning path · ⚡ Cheatsheet
On a fresh Mac, go from zero to a fully-configured Claude Code + Ghostty with one command — no git or Homebrew needed first; the script installs everything:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bogdanmatasaru/claude-code-guide/main/install.sh | bashThen open Ghostty, type claude, and log in. → Full setup guide
Before you run it, so nothing is a surprise. The script installs Xcode Command Line Tools, Homebrew, Ghostty, a font, Node, gh, jq and Claude Code; writes configs under ~/.claude and ~/.config; and appends PATH and alias lines to ~/.zshrc. It is interactive: at the end it asks — optionally — whether you also want to configure a second, non-Anthropic model provider. That step prompts for an API key and stores it in plaintext at ~/.claude-alt/settings.json (mode 600). The default answer is no, declining changes nothing, and --no-ask skips the question entirely.
Piping a script to bash runs code from the internet. See exactly what it would do first:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bogdanmatasaru/claude-code-guide/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dry-runWant to preview it first, or clone instead?
# Clone and run manually (same result):
git clone https://github.com/bogdanmatasaru/claude-code-guide.git
cd claude-code-guide && ./setup.shYou can also read install.sh and setup.sh before running either.
Already set up? Jump straight to the Cheatsheet or pick your Learning path.
The official docs are excellent reference material — but they don't hold your hand on day one, and they don't show you the workflows. This guide is the missing layer:
- Structured for every level — tutorials to learn, how-to guides to get the job done, and a deep reference to look anything up (Diátaxis).
- Simple → complex — a first-timer and a power user both find their level.
- Accurate & cited — facts checked against the official docs and version-stamped.
- Copy-paste assets — drop-in
CLAUDE.mdtemplates, slash commands, hooks, and settings. - A real environment, not just docs — a reproducible one-command setup plus cost and rate-limit monitoring you won't find in other guides.
| Section | For |
|---|---|
| 🚀 Getting started | Install → first win → first real session |
| 🛠️ Guides | Task recipes: onboard a codebase, fix a bug, refactor, parallel work, CI |
| 📚 Reference | One page per feature: CLI, hooks, MCP, skills, subagents, settings, models… |
| 🧠 Explanation | Mental models: how it works, the context window, when to use what |
| 💻 Environment | Terminal & Ghostty, the setup.sh bootstrap, cost monitoring |
| ⭐ Best practices | Curated, attributed tips — official vs community |
| 🧩 Asset library | CLAUDE.md templates · commands · hooks · settings · skills |
- New to Claude Code? → Quickstart (5 min)
- Want a map? → Learning path (diagnostic → personalized track)
- Need a fact fast? → Cheatsheet (one page, Cmd-F friendly)
- Optimizing? → Cost & context · Subagents · Hooks
This guide stays valuable only if it stays accurate and current — and that's a team sport. Corrections, new recipes, and assets are all welcome, no matter how small. See CONTRIBUTING.md and look for good first issue.
MIT © Bogdan Matasaru. A community guide — not affiliated with Anthropic. "Claude" and "Claude Code" are trademarks of Anthropic. Facts are cited against the official docs; when in doubt, code.claude.com/docs is the source of truth.