Everything you’ve learned so far — files, folders, apps, paths — works the same on every mainstream computer. There’s no Mac version of “folder” and Windows version of “folder.” It’s all just folders.
The differences are small, and mostly cosmetic. Quick tour so nothing catches you off guard.
What’s actually different
Two things, mostly:
| Mac | Linux | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home folder | /Users/you | /home/you | C:\Users\you |
| Path separator | / | / | \ (or /) |
That’s most of it. A path on a Mac starts with /Users/, on Linux with /home/, on Windows
with C:\Users\ — but it’s the same chain-of-folders idea you learned two lessons ago. When
you tell Claude about a file, it already knows your system’s conventions; you rarely have to
think about this.
Which one runs Claude Desktop?
This is the one practical difference that matters for the rest of the course.
The Claude Code Desktop app — the friendly, no-terminal way you’ll use Claude — runs on macOS and Windows. There’s no Desktop app for Linux yet.
So:
- On a Mac or Windows? You’re set. You’ll download the Desktop app in the next level and do everything from a normal window — no terminal required.
- On Linux? The Desktop app isn’t available, so you’ll use Claude through the terminal instead. That’s the optional Power Track — a parallel set of lessons that teach the same Claude, driven from a command line. It’s also there for anyone on Mac or Windows who’s curious and wants to go deeper later.
Either way, the ideas in this course are identical. Only the surface — a window you click or a line you type — changes.
You’re done with Level 0
You now have the mental furniture every later lesson assumes:
- Files are dormant bytes with names.
- Folders nest. Together they form a tree.
- Apps do the work; files just sit there.
- A program is a file; running it makes a separate, live copy.
- Paths are addresses, written folder-by-folder.
- Extensions are hints, not laws.
- Your stuff lives in your home folder (most of it, anyway).
- Every OS has the same ideas with slightly different costumes.
That’s the whole foundation. Level 1 is where you finally meet Claude — download the Desktop app, open it on a folder, and have your first conversation.