ML 200: Claude Code Agent on Ubuntu (20 pts extra)

What You Need

Purpose

Installing Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop

If you have an Intel-compatible processor, see the instructions here.

If you have a Mac M1 or later, you have an ARM processor. Download the Ubuntu Desktop ISO installer file here and install the OS into a virtual machine from that.

Make sure the virtual hard disk is at least 100 GB in size.

Purchasing Claude Code Credits

Go to claude.ai

Log in with Google, or create an account and log in with it.

The Claude page opens, as shown below.

At the top center, click the tiny "Get Pro" link.

Purchase a month of the Pro plan, which cost $20 when I did it in April, 2026, as shown below.

Preparing Ubuntu for Use

On your Ubuntu desktop, at the lower left, click the Start button.

Search for Settings and open it.

On the left side, click Power.

Set Screen Blank to Never.

Close Settings. On your Ubuntu machine, in a Terminal, execute these commands: 

sudo apt update
sudo apt install curl -y
sudo apt install open-vm-tools-desktop -y
sudo reboot
After the restart, log in again.

Install Claude Code on Ubuntu

On your Ubuntu machine, in a Terminal, execute this command: 
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the installation, as shown below.

Getting Started with Claude

Execute this command: 
claude
An introductory wizards starts, as shown below.

Make these selections: You see the authenticated Claude Code page, as shown below.

Installing VS Code

In your Ubuntu machine, open Firefox and go to https://code.visualstudio.com/Download

On this page, in the center section, download the appropriate .deb file, which will be either the x64 or ARM64 version, outlined in red in the image below.

On your Ubuntu machine, open a new Terminal and execute these commands: 
cd ~/Downloads
ls
You should see the .deb file, as shown below.

Execute these commands: 
sudo dpkg -i code*
A box pops up asking whether to install a MIcrosoft repository and signing key.

Press Enter to reply "Yes".

VS Code installs, as shown below.

Installing the Claude Code Extension

At the lower left of your Ubuntu desktop, click Start. Click the blue "Visual Studio Code" icon.

In the VS Code window, from the menu bar, click View, Extensions.

Search for "Claude Code".

In the "Claude Code for VS Code" box, click the blue Install button, as shown below.

Click "Trust Publisher & Install".

On the left side, click the Extensions icon, outlined in red in the image above, to close the Extensions pane.

Activating Claude Code within VS Code

In the VS Code window, from the menu bar, click View, Terminal.

In the Terminal pane, execute this command: 

claude
Press Enter to trust your home folder.

Claude is now open within VS Code, ready to execute instructions, as shown below.

Creating a "test" Folder

Send Claude this command:
Create a subdirectory named test and cd into it.
Confirm the command when you are prompted to.

Claude does it, as shown below.

Initializing the "test" Project

Send Claude this command:
/init
Claude tells you that it expects to find files in the directory to work from, as shown below.

Loading a PDF File

Send Claude this command:
Download this file and place it in the test directory: https://labs.cloudsecurityalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/mythosready-20260413.pdf
Approve the use of curl, using option 2 to not ask again.

Initializing the "test" Project Again

Send Claude this command:
/init
Claude still complains that it lacks guidance.

Adding Instructions

Send Claude this command:
Create a "project_overview.txt" file in the test directory, containing this text: I am a research assistant, analyzing files in this directory, helping the user summarize and query them.
Approve the actions.

Initializing the "test" Project Again

Send Claude this command:
/init
Now Claude understands what we are doing, and creates the CLAUDE.md file which serves as its memory, as shown below.

Using the Research Assistant

Send Claude this question:
What is the most important step a company should take to prepare for Mythos?
Claude gives an intelligent answer, as shown below.

Flag ML 200.1: Stats (10 pts)

Send Claude this prompt:
/stats
The flag is covered by a green rectangle in the image below.

References

How I Turned Claude Code Into My Personal AI Agent Operating System for Writing and Research

Posted 4-14-26
Points changed to 20 4-23-26