RAB2B | Lab 1 — Setup & Configuration

Before the Workshop

To save time, please complete these before Day 1:

Install Node.js 18+ (node --version to check)
Have terminal / command line access
Create an Anthropic account at anthropic.com (your facilitator will provide access)

Objectives

By the end of this lab, you will have:

Installed Claude Code
Authenticated with your Anthropic account
Created a CLAUDE.md for your test project
Verified everything works with a simple task

Step 1: Install Claude Code 10 min

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ installed
Terminal / command line access
Anthropic account with Claude Code access

Installation

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

# Verify installation
claude --version

Authentication

# Login to your Anthropic account
claude auth login

Follow the browser prompts to authenticate.

Step 2: Create Test Project 5 min

# Create a test directory
mkdir claude-test && cd claude-test

# Initialize a simple project
npm init -y

# Create a basic file structure
mkdir src
echo "console.log('Hello from Claude Code!');" > src/index.js

Step 3: Initialize Claude Code 10 min

# Start Claude Code
claude

# Run the init command
/init

Claude will ask questions about your project. Answer them to generate a CLAUDE.md file.

Verify CLAUDE.md

Open the generated CLAUDE.md and review:

Does it accurately describe your project?
Are the conventions correct?
What would you add or change?

Step 4: First Task 15 min

Ask Claude to do something simple:

You: "Create a function that adds two numbers, with TypeScript types and a test file."

Observe

How does Claude approach the task?
What files does it create?
Does it follow the patterns in CLAUDE.md?

Verify

# Run the generated test (if applicable)
npm test

Try Plan Mode

/plan

Now ask Claude to do something:

You: "Add error handling to the add function"

Notice how Claude proposes a plan instead of immediately executing. Review the plan, then approve it.

Switch back:

/auto

This is the difference between reviewing-then-executing (Plan) and just-executing (Auto). Start with Plan mode for learning; switch to Auto when you trust the patterns.

Step 5: Explore Commands 5 min

Try these commands to understand what's available:

/help          # See all commands
/config        # View your configuration
/cost          # See token usage
/doctor        # Diagnose any issues

Checkpoint ✓

Before moving on, confirm:

Claude Code is installed and authenticated
You have a project with a CLAUDE.md
You've completed at least one task with Claude
You understand basic slash commands

Troubleshooting

"Command not found: claude"

Ensure Node.js is installed: node --version
Reinstall: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Check your PATH includes npm global bin

Authentication issues

Run claude auth logout then claude auth login
Check your Anthropic account has Claude Code access

Claude seems slow

Check /cost for token usage
Use /compact to reduce context
Consider using a smaller scope