Pax Machina

Pax Machina · Start here · by Marcus

When I arrived in this century, I did not know what a terminal was. I assumed it was where ships docked. If you are the same, this guide is for you. In about fifteen minutes you will have Claude Code installed, signed in and ready for your first real job. Every Pax Machina episode assumes you have done this once.

What Claude Code is, in one paragraph

Claude Code is Anthropic’s AI assistant that does work, not just talk. You give it a folder on your computer and a job in plain English. It reads the files, makes a plan, asks permission for anything risky, and then does it: sorting files, analysing a spreadsheet, writing documents, running small programs and, with a browser tool, using websites for you. It is the same Claude you may know from the chat app, given hands.

Step 1: Pick a plan (the free plan is not enough)

Claude Code comes with a paid Claude subscription. The free Claude plan does not include it.

Plan	Price (at time of writing)	Who it suits
Pro	$20/month, or $200/year	Start here. Enough for everything in our episodes at a normal pace.
Max	From $100/month (higher tier about $200/month)	Heavy daily use and big jobs: roughly 5x to 20x Pro’s usage.
Team / Enterprise	Per seat; ask Anthropic	Businesses that need admin controls.
API (pay as you go)	Billed by usage	Technical users who want metered billing instead of a subscription.

How usage works: subscriptions have usage limits that reset over time. Light use rarely hits them. Long, complex jobs (big folders, many files, hours of back-and-forth) use more, and that is when people move up to Max. Be honest with yourself: $20 a month is where it starts, not necessarily where it ends.

Step 2: Choose how you want to use it

There are several doors into the same house. You can use more than one with the same account.

Option	What it is	Best for	Watch out for
Desktop app (Code tab)	The Claude app for Windows and Mac, with a Code tab	Beginners who want a normal app, no terminal	Newer features sometimes land in the terminal first
Web (claude.ai/code)	Runs in your browser on Anthropic’s cloud	Trying it with zero installs	It works on files you give it in the cloud, not your computer’s folders
VS Code extension	A Claude Code panel inside the free VS Code editor	Seeing your files and Claude side by side (what we use on the show)	You install VS Code first
Terminal (command line)	Type claude in a terminal window	Power users; the most complete version	Text only; intimidating at first
JetBrains plugin	For JetBrains editors (PyCharm, IntelliJ…)	People already using those editors	Needs the terminal version installed too
Phone app	Start and check on jobs from the Claude mobile app	Keeping an eye on long jobs	Not where you do the setup

Marcus’s recommendation: if you want your life’s files (bills, photos, documents) handled, use something that runs on your own computer: the desktop app, or VS Code with the Claude Code extension. That is what every episode shows.

Step 3: Install it

Option A: Desktop app (easiest)

1. Download the Claude desktop app for Windows or Mac from claude.com/download.
2. Install it and sign in with your Claude account.
3. Open the Code tab and choose a folder to work in.

Option B: VS Code + the Claude Code extension (what we use)

1. Install VS Code (free) from code.visualstudio.com.
2. Open VS Code, go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows, Cmd+Shift+X on Mac) and search for “Claude Code”. Click Install.
3. Open the Claude Code panel, then sign in when your browser asks.
4. Use File → Open Folder to choose the folder you want Claude to work in.

Option C: The terminal

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Mac or Linux (Terminal):

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Then open a new terminal window, go to a folder, and type:

claude

The first time, your browser opens so you can sign in. On Windows, installing Git for Windows (free) is recommended so Claude has its full set of tools.

Step 4: Your first five minutes

1. Make a practice folder (for example Documents\Claude-Practice) and put a few files in it: a PDF, a spreadsheet, some photos.
2. Open Claude Code in that folder.
3. Ask: “What’s in this folder? Summarize each file in one line.”
4. Then: “Make a file called notes.md with a to-do list based on what you found.” Watch it ask permission, then do it.

Permissions: Claude Code asks before it edits files or runs commands. Depending on your settings it may ask for every action, or only for riskier ones. While you are learning, read each request before approving. You can always say no.

Words you will hear on this channel

• CLAUDE.md: a plain text file in a folder with standing instructions. Claude reads it at the start of every session, so it remembers who you are and how you like things done.
• Envoy: our name for a Claude Code project dedicated to one part of your life (bills, birthdays, photos), with its own CLAUDE.md, memory and skills. Claude Code calls it a project; we call it an Envoy. Why we work this way: Why I send Envoys, not agents.
• Skill: a reusable, step-by-step recipe Claude can follow, such as “audit my subscriptions”.
• Plugin: a package of skills and tools you install in one go. Our free downloads come as a plugin.
• MCP server / connector: an add-on that gives Claude a new ability, such as controlling a web browser or reading your Google Drive.
• Browser control: lets Claude open websites and click for you. Two common ways: the Claude in Chrome extension (works with a Pro or Max plan), or a Playwright browser server added to Claude Code.

Guardrails before you hand over your life

• Start with a practice folder, not your whole computer.
• Never paste passwords, card numbers or bank logins into Claude. Sign in to websites yourself.
• Read permission requests before approving them, especially anything that deletes, sends, buys or cancels.
• Keep backups of anything precious before a big reorganizing job.

Next step

Now give it a real job. Episode 1’s guide (coming soon, with the video) walks you through a subscription audit: Claude Code finds every recurring charge in your bank export, totals them, and walks you to each cancel button.

Pax Machina is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. Claude and Claude Code are Anthropic products. Prices and features change; check claude.com before you buy.