Install what Offplate needs

Offplate runs inside Claude Code on your own computer. Three things have to be installed first. This page covers all three on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and how to check each one worked. Budget about fifteen minutes the first time.

What you need, and why

• Claude Code, with a paid Claude plan. This is the program that reads the kit and does the work. Offplate is a set of files it follows, so on its own it does nothing.
• Node.js, version 18 or newer. The kit's small scripts are written for it: the setup wizard, the health check, and the hooks that keep your memory tidy.
• git. Your control plane is a git repo, which is how your notes keep a history and how memory can sync between your computers. You do not need to know any git commands; the kit runs them.

The three official sources, if you would rather go straight there: Anthropic's Claude Code docs at docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code, nodejs.org, and git-scm.com/downloads. Download from those sites only.

Windows

1. Node.js. Go to nodejs.org and download the Windows installer for the version marked LTS. Run it and accept the defaults.
2. git. Go to git-scm.com/downloads, choose Windows, and run the installer. The defaults are fine. It also installs Git Bash, a terminal you can use anywhere.
3. Claude Code. Follow the install steps in Anthropic's Claude Code docs, then sign in with your Claude account when it asks.
4. Close every terminal window and open a new one. New installs are only visible to terminals opened afterward. This is the most common reason a fresh install looks broken.

macOS

1. Node.js. Go to nodejs.org and download the macOS installer for the version marked LTS. Run it and accept the defaults.
2. git. Open Terminal and type git --version. macOS offers to install the developer command line tools, which include git; accept and wait. If you prefer an installer, git-scm.com/downloads has one for macOS.
3. Claude Code. Follow the install steps in Anthropic's Claude Code docs, then sign in with your Claude account.
4. Quit Terminal and open it again so it picks up what you just installed.

Linux

1. git is usually already there. Check with git --version. If it is missing, install it with your package manager, for example sudo apt install git on Debian or Ubuntu, or sudo dnf install git on Fedora.
2. Node.js. Your distribution's package often lags behind. Check what you have with node -v; if it is older than 18 or missing, use the official downloads and package instructions at nodejs.org.
3. Claude Code. Follow the install steps in Anthropic's Claude Code docs, then sign in with your Claude account.
4. Open a new shell so the new commands are on your path.

Check that each one worked

Type these three lines into a terminal, one at a time, pressing Enter after each. Each should print a version number.

node -v
git --version
claude --version

Node has to print 18 or higher. The other two only have to print something. If all three answer, you are done installing.

Opening a terminal in a folder

Unzip your Offplate download first, then open a terminal in the unzipped folder, the one that holds START-HERE.md.

• Windows. Open the folder in File Explorer, right click an empty part of the window, and choose the terminal option in the menu ("Open in Terminal", or "Git Bash Here" if you installed Git Bash). If you see neither, open Terminal from the Start menu and type cd, a space, then drag the folder onto the window and press Enter.
• macOS. In Finder, right click the folder and choose Services, then "New Terminal at Folder". If it is not listed, turn it on in System Settings under Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Services. Or open Terminal, type cd and a space, drag the folder in, and press Enter.
• Linux. Most file managers have "Open in Terminal" in the right click menu. Otherwise open a terminal, type cd and a space, drag the folder in, and press Enter.

To confirm you are in the right place, type ls (Windows Terminal without Git Bash: dir). You should see START-HERE.md listed.

If a command is not found

"command not found" or "is not recognized" means the terminal cannot see that program yet. In order:

1. Close the terminal and open a new one. A terminal that was already open when you installed something will not find it.
2. Restart the computer if a new terminal still cannot find it. On Windows this fixes most of the rest.
3. Check the spelling. It is node -v with one dash, and git --version and claude --version with two.
4. Run the installer again and let it finish without changing options. A cancelled or partly finished install leaves the command missing.
5. Still stuck? Email support@getoffplate.com with what you typed and exactly what came back, and we will work it out with you. If we cannot get you running, you get your money back.

If node -v prints a number below 18, install the current LTS version from nodejs.org over the top of it and check again in a new terminal.

You are ready: run /setup

In the terminal you opened in the Offplate folder:

claude

Then type /setup and press Enter. The wizard asks a few questions, shows you a preview of every file before it writes anything, and waits for your yes. Nothing is sent, posted, or paid on its own.

Back to the Offplate home page