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Claude Code Beginner's Guide: Your AI Assistant in the Terminal

A step-by-step guide for Hong Kong and Macau users to install and use Claude Code — not just for coding, but for writing, research, file management, and more.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic's official command-line AI assistant. It runs directly in your terminal, understands your files and projects, performs a wide range of tasks, and communicates with you through natural language.

Many people assume it's just a tool for programmers — it's much more than that. Whether you're writing code, drafting articles, doing research, organizing files, or learning something new, Claude Code can help. Think of it as an all-purpose assistant sitting right beside you, ready whenever you need it.

What Can You Do With It?

  • Software Development — Generate, modify, and debug code in any major language
  • Writing & Editing — Draft emails, polish articles, translate documents
  • Research & Analysis — Search the web, analyze data files, summarize documents
  • File Operations — Batch rename, format conversion, Git version control
  • Learning & Q&A — Explain any concept in plain language, guide you step by step

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have the following:

  • A macOS computer (Windows and Linux are also supported with a similar installation process)
  • Claude Max or Pro subscription: Claude Code requires an active Claude subscription. If you don't have one yet, check out our Apple ID registration guide to subscribe via the App Store
  • Stable internet connection: Since Hong Kong and Macau do not have direct access to Claude services, we recommend setting up OpenHK proxy service first to ensure a reliable connection
  • Sign in to Claude first: After connecting to OpenHK, open claude.ai in your browser and sign in to your account — this will make the Claude Code CLI authorization step smoother later

Installation

1. Open Terminal

On macOS, press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight, type "Terminal", and press Enter.

2. Run the Install Command

Paste the following command in your terminal and press Enter:

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

3. Verify Installation

After installation, run the following command to confirm it was successful:

claude --version

If you see a version number, the installation was successful.

4. First Launch and Login

In your terminal, type:

claude

On first launch, Claude Code will guide you through signing in to your Claude account. Follow the prompts to complete authorization in your browser.

Getting Started

Navigate to Your Working Directory

Use the cd command to enter the folder where you want Claude Code to work, for example:

cd ~/Documents/my-project

cd stands for "change directory", and ~ represents your home directory. Common operations:

  • cd ~/Desktop — Switch to Desktop
  • cd ~/Documents — Switch to Documents folder
  • cd .. — Go back to the parent directory

Launch Claude Code

Once you're in the target folder, type the following to start:

claude

Claude Code will automatically understand the file structure in the current folder.

Try These Prompts

You can ask Claude Code questions or give instructions in natural language, for example:

  • "Write a formal leave request email for me"
  • "Rename all .jpeg files in this folder to a date-based format"
  • "Explain what an API is in the simplest way possible"
  • "Read data.csv and tell me the top 5 products by sales"
  • "Add a date formatting function in src/utils.ts"
  • "Search the web for 2026 Hong Kong tech trends"

Switch Models

Claude Code uses the Sonnet model by default. To switch to the more powerful Opus model, type in the conversation:

/model

Press Enter to open the selection menu, choose Opus, then use the left/right arrow keys to switch the thinking effort level, and press Enter to confirm:

  • High effort — Deeper thinking, suitable for most complex tasks
  • Max effort — Maximum thinking intensity, for the most challenging problems

Higher effort means higher "IQ" and better output quality, but it also consumes your usage faster. We recommend using High effort for everyday use, and switching to Max effort only for particularly difficult problems.

Use Plan Mode

For larger tasks, you can have Claude Code create a plan before taking action. Press Shift + Tab or type /plan to switch to Plan Mode.

In Plan Mode, Claude Code will analyze your requirements, research relevant files, and propose a detailed execution plan for your review. It only starts working after you approve the plan. This helps avoid wrong turns, especially for complex tasks.

Set Up CLAUDE.md for Your Project

If you're using Claude Code in an existing project, we highly recommend running the /init command first:

/init

Claude Code will analyze your entire project structure and automatically generate a CLAUDE.md file. Think of this file as a "project briefing" for Claude — it includes:

  • Project architecture — folder structure, frameworks, and technologies used
  • Common commands — how to build, test, and deploy your project
  • Code style — naming conventions, common patterns, etc.

Why does this matter? Every time you start Claude Code, it automatically reads CLAUDE.md. This means Claude understands your project context from the very beginning — no need to explain everything from scratch each time.

You can also manually edit CLAUDE.md at any time to add any project rules or preferences you want Claude to remember.

Useful Commands

Within a Claude Code session, you can use these slash commands:

  • /init — Generate a CLAUDE.md project briefing for the current project
  • /model — Switch AI model (e.g., /model opus)
  • /plan — Enter plan mode, plan first then execute
  • /help — View all available commands
  • /clear — Clear current conversation history
  • /compact — Compress conversation context to free up memory

Tips

  • Just say what you need: No need for prompt templates — describe what you want in the most natural way
  • Leverage file context: Claude Code can read files in your directory, so feel free to reference file names directly
  • Use Plan Mode for complex tasks: Let Claude plan first, review, then execute — avoids wrong turns
  • Use CLAUDE.md: Run /init to generate a project briefing so Claude understands your project every time it starts

FAQ

Q: Browser doesn't open automatically during login? Manually copy the URL shown in your terminal and paste it into your browser to complete authorization.

Q: Can't connect to Claude services? Make sure your OpenHK proxy service is properly configured and active.

Q: Permission error during installation? Try adding sudo before the command: sudo curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh, then enter your computer password.

Q: Can I use it even if I don't know how to code? Absolutely! Claude Code is far more than a coding tool. You can use natural language to write emails, organize files, do research, learn new topics, and much more.