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Ben Basha edited this page Jul 15, 2025 · 2 revisions

Installation Guide

This guide will walk you through installing Claude Autopilot on any platform.

Prerequisites

Before installing Claude Autopilot, ensure you have the following:

Required Dependencies

  1. VS Code 1.74.0 or later

  2. Claude Code CLI

  3. Python 3.8 or later

    • Download from python.org
    • Verify installation: python --version or python3 --version

  4. Node.js 16.x or later (for development only)

Installation Methods

Method 1: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  3. Search for "Claude Autopilot"
  4. Click "Install" on the extension by Ben Basha
  5. Reload VS Code if prompted

Method 2: Command Line

code --install-extension benbasha.claude-autopilot

Method 3: VSIX File

  1. Download the latest .vsix file from Releases
  2. Open VS Code
  3. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  4. Click the "..." menu → "Install from VSIX"
  5. Select the downloaded .vsix file

Platform-Specific Setup

Windows

Python Installation

# Using winget
winget install Python.Python.3.11

# Or download from python.org
# Make sure to check "Add Python to PATH" during installation

Claude Code Installation

# Follow the official Claude Code installation guide
# Ensure claude.exe is in your PATH

Verification

python --version
claude --version

macOS

Python Installation

# Using Homebrew (recommended)
brew install python@3.11

# Or use the built-in Python 3
python3 --version

Claude Code Installation

# Follow the official Claude Code installation guide
# Ensure claude is in your PATH

Verification

python3 --version
claude --version

Linux

Ubuntu/Debian

# Python installation
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

# Claude Code installation
# Follow the official installation guide for your distribution

Fedora/RHEL

# Python installation
sudo dnf install python3 python3-pip

# Claude Code installation
# Follow the official installation guide for your distribution

Verification

python3 --version
claude --version

Post-Installation Setup

1. Verify Dependencies

After installation, Claude Autopilot will automatically check for dependencies:

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Run command: Claude: Start Claude Autopilot
  3. Check the dependency status in the Claude Autopilot panel

2. Configure Settings

Access Claude Autopilot settings:

  • File → Preferences → Settings → Extensions → Claude Autopilot

Essential settings to review:

  • claudeLoop.session.skipPermissions: Enable for automation
  • claudeLoop.sleepPrevention.enabled: Keep computer awake during processing
  • claudeLoop.logging.enabled: Enable for troubleshooting

3. Test Installation

  1. Open a workspace in VS Code
  2. Run: Claude: Start Claude Autopilot
  3. Click "Add Message" and enter a simple test message
  4. Click "Start Processing" to verify everything works

Troubleshooting Installation

Common Issues

"Claude not found" Error

Solution:

  1. Verify Claude Code is installed: claude --version
  2. Check if claude is in your PATH
  3. Restart VS Code after installing Claude Code
  4. On Windows, restart your terminal/PowerShell

"Python not found" Error

Solution:

  1. Verify Python is installed: python --version or python3 --version
  2. Check if Python is in your PATH
  3. On Windows, ensure "Add Python to PATH" was checked during installation
  4. Restart VS Code after installing Python

Permission Errors

Solution:

  1. Ensure VS Code has necessary permissions
  2. On macOS/Linux, check file permissions in your workspace
  3. Try running VS Code as administrator (Windows) or with sudo (Linux) temporarily
  4. Check the claudeLoop.session.skipPermissions setting

Extension Won't Load

Solution:

  1. Check VS Code version compatibility (1.74.0+)
  2. Disable other Claude-related extensions temporarily
  3. Restart VS Code
  4. Check the VS Code Developer Console for errors

Detailed Troubleshooting

For more detailed troubleshooting, see:

Development Installation

For contributors and developers:

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/benbasha/claudeloop.git
cd claudeloop

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Compile

npm run compile

4. Test in Extension Development Host

  • Open the project in VS Code
  • Press F5 to launch Extension Development Host
  • Test your changes in the new VS Code window

5. Package (Optional)

# Install VSCE globally
npm install -g vsce

# Package extension
vsce package

Updating Claude Autopilot

Automatic Updates

VS Code automatically updates extensions by default.

Manual Updates

  1. Go to Extensions in VS Code
  2. Find Claude Autopilot
  3. Click "Update" if available

Development Updates

git pull origin main
npm install
npm run compile

Uninstallation

From VS Code

  1. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  2. Find Claude Autopilot
  3. Click "Uninstall"

From Command Line

code --uninstall-extension benbasha.claude-autopilot

Next Steps

After successful installation:

  1. Read the Quick Start Guide
  2. Configure settings for your workflow
  3. Explore use cases for inspiration
  4. Join our community discussions

Installation guide last updated: July 2025

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