Why I do everything in the terminal: Claude Code and mods

You can use Claude Code from the terminal, the desktop app or inside VS Code; all three are the same Claude Code. I do everything in the terminal. In this post I explain why, how to install it, the five features I use every day, and the mods that just arrived in Claude Code.

1. CONCEPT FIRST: WHAT ARE THE TERMINAL AND CLAUDE CODE?

The terminal is the window where you get your computer to do things by typing instead of clicking. Claude Code is Claude running inside that window: it reads the files in the folder you’re in, edits them and runs commands. With Claude on the web, you carry the file to it; Claude Code comes to the file itself. (The video is in Turkish.)

• Claude on the web (claude.ai): it chats. Whatever it needs, you upload the file. For asking questions and having text written.
• Desktop app (Code tab): you use Claude Code without opening a terminal, through a visual interface. For beginners and anyone who doesn’t want to deal with a terminal.
• Terminal: it reads and changes your files, analyses data, installs packages, runs commands. For anyone who wants real work done on their computer.

2. WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU START WITH?

I learned in the terminal and I like working that way; my setup is used to it too. For development, packages and scripts it feels smoother to me. But it isn’t a requirement.

• If the terminal scares you, start with the desktop app; you lose nothing: claude.com/download.
• If you want to use both, typing /desktop in the terminal chat moves the session to the desktop app (requires macOS or x64 Windows and a Claude subscription).
• If I had to pick one: the terminal.

3. INSTALLATION: ONE LINE, THEN ENTER

Before you start you need a paid Claude account (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console); the free plan doesn’t include Claude Code. You open the terminal on a Mac with Cmd + Space and typing “Terminal”, on Windows from the Win + X menu, on Linux with Ctrl + Alt + T. Then paste the line for your system:

# Mac and Linux
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

To check it’s installed and start it, in a new terminal window:

claude --version      # should print a version number
cd path-to-your-folder  # go into the folder you want to work in
claude                # on first launch you sign in with your Claude account in the browser

If something goes wrong, claude doctor checks the installation and tells you the problem. Detailed setup: code.claude.com/docs/en/setup. If you’ve never used a terminal: terminal guide.

4. DAY ONE: THE RIGHT FOLDER AND PLAN MODE

Claude Code treats the folder where you type claude as the project. If you’re working on project A, go into A’s folder first, then call it. Four commands are enough: pwd (which folder am I in), ls (what’s here), cd folder-name (go into that folder), cd .. (go up one folder). If you use VS Code, open the folder, open a new terminal and type claude. My terminal is Ghostty.

Do your first tries in plan mode. Switch modes with Shift + Tab; when “plan mode on” shows at the bottom, Claude reads files, researches and writes a plan, but changes none of your files. Once you approve the plan, it gets to work. The three examples from the video, to copy and adapt:

1  Sort the files in my Downloads folder into subfolders by type: documents, images,
   spreadsheets, other. Don't delete anything.
2  Merge the three CSVs in the expenses folder, work out monthly totals per category,
   save it as ozet.csv and tell me the 3 categories with the most spending.
3  Extract company, date and amount from the PDFs in the invoices folder into a single table.

5. FIVE FEATURES I USE EVERY DAY

• Remote Control: continue the session from the Claude app on your phone. /remote-control, short /rc.
• Subagents: split a big job across several agents working at the same time. Ask for it in the prompt: “review this with three subagents at once”.
• Skills: describe a job once, then call it by name. /skills opens the list.
• Connections: connect outside tools and services to Claude with MCP. /mcp shows what’s connected.
• Scheduled tasks: run by themselves at the time you set. /schedule, or Routines in the app.

Limits you should know:

• Remote Control needs a subscription; it doesn’t work with an API key.
• Scheduled tasks in the cloud (routines) are in research preview and don’t see the files on your computer. For local files use the desktop app’s scheduled task; that one runs while the app is open.
• Claude starts every session blank; it remembers you through the CLAUDE.md file and the notes it keeps itself (/memory).

6. MODS: ADDING YOUR OWN SCREEN INSIDE CLAUDE CODE

A mod means adding your own screen inside Claude Code: a strip above the prompt box, a panel beside it, a game. It installs as a plugin. As soon as mods came out, people were already making incredible things. Someone made a mod that joins a multiplayer game lobby while Claude works; everyone in the lobby is a person waiting for their Claude to finish. Someone else made a mod that shows the image you paste right in the terminal (claude-image-view). Anthropic released its own mod too, one that catches important information you might miss in Claude’s output.

I made one as well: Clawd Madenci (Clawd the Miner). While Claude works, a small pixel Minecraft scene opens just above the prompt line. Whatever Claude is doing, the scene turns into it:

• When Claude reads a file, Clawd digs.
• When it writes a file, Clawd lays wooden blocks behind him.
• When it runs a command, TNT explodes.
• When a subagent starts, a small helper Clawd shows up.
• When a tool returns an error, a Creeper comes and Clawd runs.
• When the turn ends, Clawd holds up his diamond and waves.

While you wait, you can play him too: press a number while the prompt is empty and Clawd stays under your control for a few seconds. The mod calls no model and uses no network. In the terminal it’s drawn in pixels; in the desktop app it shows a single line of text. Installation, inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add selmakcby/clawd-madenci
/plugin install clawd-madenci@clawd-madenci

Mods need Claude Code 2.1.287 or later. If it doesn’t work, check with claude --version and update with claude update. Toggle it with /clawd. Repo: github.com/selmakcby/clawd-madenci

7. SECURITY, AND HAVING CLAUDE WRITE YOUR OWN MOD

A mod is code that runs with your permissions: it can read and write your files, start programs, go online. Only install from sources you trust. Before installing, you can have Claude review it by writing:

Before downloading this repo to my computer, review what's inside and explain what it does.
If it's safe, install it: <repo link>

If you want to look yourself, clone the repo and run claude plugin validate folder; it shows what the mod touches.

Having Claude write your own mod isn’t hard either. The prompt I used in the video:

Write me a small Claude Code mod: every time a turn ends, show a short notification on screen
saying how many files were touched in this turn.

After the first file you get a “hot reloading” question; choose Enable for this session and the mod loads in that session. The mod Claude writes lives under ~/.claude/dev-mods/. Official docs: Claude Code mods.

8. WHAT TO DO TODAY

• Install it, check with claude --version, type claude in a folder.
• Try the Downloads example in plan mode; read the plan, then approve it.
• Install Clawd Madenci and have Claude read a file.

Terminal or desktop app, both are the same Claude Code. What matters is where you’re more comfortable getting work done. Video: https://youtu.be/kBWqtBu4hEI