Claude Code Setup Guide with GitHub Codespaces

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up Claude Code in a GitHub Codespaces environment, allowing you to leverage AI-powered coding assistance directly in your development workflow.

For a comprehensive overview of Claude Code's capabilities and features, check out the Claude Code in Action guide.

Windows Users Note

While Claude Code is not yet natively available for Windows, this Codespaces-based setup works since it runs in the cloud. Installing Claude Code works well through WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

Prerequisites

• A GitHub account
• Basic familiarity with Git and GitHub
• VS Code experience (helpful but not required)
• Claude subscription (Claude Max 100 is recommended for optimal performance, though the $20/month version works well for smaller projects)

Claude Subscription Options

• Claude Max 100 ($100/month): Recommended for professional development with higher usage limits and priority access. Ideal for larger projects, extensive refactoring, or continuous development work.
• Claude Pro ($20/month): Suitable for smaller projects, learning, and occasional use. Works well for individual features, bug fixes, and moderate-sized tasks.

Step-by-Step Setup Process

Step 1: Install Claude Code

First, you'll need to install Claude Code on your local machine.

1. Visit the Claude Code setup documentation
2. Follow the installation instructions for your operating system
3. Verify the installation is complete by checking if Claude Code is available in your terminal

Note: Claude Code is currently in research preview, so you may need to request access if you haven't already.

Step 2: Create a GitHub Repository

1. Log in to your GitHub account
2. Click the "+" icon in the top right corner and select "New repository"
3. Name your repository (e.g., test_claude_code)
4. Choose whether to make it public or private
5. Initialize with a README if desired
6. Click "Create repository"

Example: You can reference this sample repository structure: test_claude_code

Step 3: Create a GitHub Codespace

1. Navigate to your newly created repository
2. Click the green "Code" button
3. Select the "Codespaces" tab
4. Click "Create codespace on main" (or your default branch)
5. Wait for the Codespace to initialize (this may take a few minutes)

The Codespace will open in a browser-based VS Code environment.

Step 4: Launch Claude Code in VS Code

Once your Codespace is ready:

1. Open the integrated terminal in VS Code (View → Terminal or Ctrl+`)
2. Type claude and press Enter
3. Claude Code should launch within the VS Code environment

Step 5: Authenticate Claude Code

Important: Due to a known bug, you'll need to authenticate twice.

1. When prompted, follow the authentication flow
2. Complete the authentication process
3. You'll likely be prompted to authenticate again
4. Repeat the authentication process a second time

After the second authentication, Claude Code should be fully functional.

Step 6: Using Claude Code

Now you're ready to use Claude Code! Here's how to interact with it:

1. Claude Code will analyze your repository structure
2. You can ask it to:
   • Implement new features
   • Modify existing code
   • Debug issues
   • Refactor code
   • Add documentation
   • Create tests

Example commands you can try:

• "Add a new function to calculate the factorial of a number"
• "Refactor this code to use async/await instead of callbacks"
• "Add comprehensive error handling to this module"
• "Create unit tests for the authentication module"

Security Note: Codespaces Isolation

Important: GitHub Codespaces runs in an isolated cloud environment and does not have access to your local machine. This provides excellent security benefits:

• Complete isolation: Your local files, system, and network remain completely separate
• Safe experimentation: You can give Claude Code maximum freedom to make changes without risk to your local environment
• Easy cleanup: If something goes wrong, you can simply delete the Codespace and start fresh
• No local impact: Any code execution, package installations, or system modifications stay within the Codespace

This isolation means you can confidently allow Claude Code to:

• Install new dependencies
• Modify system configurations
• Run scripts and tests
• Make extensive code changes

All changes remain in the cloud environment until you explicitly choose to commit and push them to your repository.

Tips for Success

• Be specific: The more detailed your requests, the better Claude Code can assist you
• Iterative approach: Start with small changes and build up to larger features
• Review changes: Always review the code changes Claude Code suggests before accepting them
• Version control: Commit your changes regularly to track progress

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

If you continue to have authentication problems:

• Clear your browser cache and cookies
• Try using an incognito/private browsing window
• Ensure you're using a supported browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

Happy coding!