Claude Code missing or too old

Claudette runs your installed Claude Code, so without one it can’t start a tab. When Claude Code is missing, too old or won’t answer, Claudette shows a setup screen before anything else. The first launch describes the screen; this page is for fixing what it says.

Claude Code isn’t installed

Claudette found no claude on your PATH or where Claude Code installs to, or no file at the path you gave it. The screen’s text says which.

Choose Install Claude Code. It runs Claude Code’s own installer and shows what it prints, and when it’s done Claudette carries on by itself. Installing Claude Code from the setup screen has the command it runs.

Or install Claude Code yourself:

  1. Install Claude Code with Claude Code’s setup instructions. Install instructions on the screen opens them.
  2. Choose Check again.

If Claude Code is installed but Claudette can’t find it:

  • Use Choose claude… to pick the claude program. Claudette remembers it in Settings → Claude Code → Path to claude.
  • On macOS and Linux, a Claudette started from the Dock or a launcher doesn’t see the PATH your terminal does. It reads your login shell’s, so check that your shell’s startup files add the folder claude is in: see Claude can’t find a program.
  • If the screen says a path doesn’t exist, the path in Settings points at a file that’s gone. Use Choose claude… to pick the right file.

Install Claude Code didn’t work

The screen shows the installer’s output, and its last lines under it.

  • Nothing happens for a while. The installer prints nothing while it downloads Claude Code. Wait a few minutes before deciding it’s stuck.
  • It failed. The installer couldn’t reach downloads.claude.ai, through a proxy or a firewall for example, or Claude Code isn’t available where you are. On macOS and Linux it needs curl. Run the command the screen shows in a terminal to see more, and see Claude Code’s Troubleshoot installation.
  • It finished, but Claudette still can’t use Claude Code. The screen says what Claudette found. Restart Claudette, or use Choose claude… to pick claude in ~/.local/bin (claude.exe in .local\bin in your user folder on Windows).

You have the Claude desktop app

The Claude desktop app isn’t Claude Code. It keeps a copy of Claude Code for its own use, which it replaces whenever it updates, and Claudette doesn’t run it. When Claude Code isn’t installed and the desktop app is, the setup screen says so: choose Install Claude Code, which installs it beside the desktop app.

If Path to claude, or a file you chose with Choose claude…, is one of the desktop app’s, the screen says That’s the Claude desktop app, not Claude Code, or That’s the copy of Claude Code the Claude desktop app keeps for its own use, with the path. On Windows the app is C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Claude_…\app\claude.exe, which is easy to find when you search for claude.exe. Choose Install Claude Code, or use Choose claude… to pick Claude Code’s own claude.

Claude Code needs an update

The screen says which version Claudette found. Claudette needs 2.1.284 or later.

  • Choose Update now. It runs the update for the way Claude Code was installed and shows the output. When it works, Claudette checks again by itself.
  • If Update now isn’t offered, or fails, update Claude Code yourself and choose Check again. Claude Code’s updates has the command for each way of installing it.

Claude Code didn’t respond

Claudette runs claude --version to read the version. The screen says what went wrong: the command failed, ran too long, or printed something that isn’t a version. Run claude --version in a terminal. If that fails too, Claude Code itself needs repairing: reinstall it. If it works, choose Check again, or Choose claude… if a different claude should be used.

This Claude Code install isn’t supported yet

On Windows, Claude Code installed with npm can leave only a claude.cmd launcher, which Claudette can’t start. Choose Install Claude Code to install the native build of Claude Code, or use Choose claude… to pick claude.exe.

A version newer or older than the one Claudette was tested with

Claudette records the newest Claude Code version it was checked against, currently 2.1.312. Only the minimum, 2.1.284, is required, so neither of these stops anything. They’re notes:

  • Newer. Settings → Claude Code says Newer than the last tested version (2.1.312). Claude Code ships often, and Claudette is built to skip what it doesn’t know. If something looks wrong after an update, see Diagnostics and logs.
  • Older than the last tested, but at the minimum or above. Settings → Claude Code says Older than the last tested version (2.1.312); updating is recommended. When the update badge offers a newer version, its card adds Claudette was last tested with 2.1.312.

A tab that starts and then says Claude Code is too old

Claude Code can refuse to run itself if it’s older than Anthropic allows. The tab says so, and you update Claude Code in Settings → Claude Code and restart the tab. See A tab that won’t start.

See also

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Claudette is made by dotBunny under the MIT license. Privacy policy

Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic, PBC. Godot and the Godot logo are trademarks of the Godot Foundation; the logo is by Andrea Calabró, under CC BY 4.0. Unity is a trademark or registered trademark of Unity Technologies or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. Unreal®, Unreal Engine®, and the Unreal Engine® logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. Other brands or product names are the trademarks of their respective owners. The logo is used with Epic's permission. Perforce, P4V and the Perforce logo are trademarks of Perforce Software, Inc. or one of its affiliates; the logo is used with Perforce's permission. Claudette isn't sponsored by, affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. Other names are trademarks of their owners.

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