[BUG] The CLI reports that the Claude command is not found but still works

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2824
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/4453
3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/3172

If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Hey there.

Is there any reason why we need Claude in .local/bin?

I've set my npm prefix that way, Claude works well but I still have the message.

🔍 Command: claude
────────────────────
claude is /Users/xxx/.npm-global/bin/claude

ℹ️  Additional Information:
Version: 1.0.81 (Claude Code)
File type: a /usr/bin/env node script text executable, ASCII text, with very long lines (29314)
Size: 52B

Also reporting the same; using claude with NPM installed globally, i.e.

✗ which claude
/Users/xxxx/.nvm/versions/node/v24.6.0/bin/claude

however Claude still works fine.

Possible solution: show npm error in claude? I had the same issue that was caused by a wrong .npmrc config

Same problem. Running in WSL2. Nothing in my PATH referencing any claude folders. Seems to be working fine otherwise.

 ● Claude command not found at /home/jpreed/.local/bin/claude

jpreed@XPS-8960:~$ which claude
/home/jpreed/.nvm/versions/node/v22.18.0/bin/claude

@jim5359

If you are seeing ● Claude command not found at /Users/[your_user]/.local/bin/claude, then:

• Run claude config get --global installMethod outside claude code
• Run /doctor inside claude.

If your installMethod shows as "native" and claude doctor command shows Config install method: npm, then:

• Run claude config set --global installMethod npm

My guess is that this happens when you tried switching from npm installation to native without noticing some claude session was still running which messes up the configuration.

@mrns This did the trick!

@jim5359 If you are seeing ● Claude command not found at /Users/[your_user]/.local/bin/claude, then: Run claude config get --global installMethod outside claude code Run /doctor inside claude. If your installMethod shows as "native" and claude doctor command shows Config install method: npm, then: * Run claude config set --global installMethod npm My guess is that this happens when you tried switching from npm installation to native without noticing some claude session was still running which messes up the configuration.

@mrns Thanks for the tip. For me, ironically, it turns out turning off WSL support solved the problem, even though I'm using WSL. The WSL support allows specifying the exact location of the binaries, but apparently it didn't work in my setup and turning it off did.

@jim5359 's suggestion did not resolve this for me. I'm using Homebrew to install claude and I have installMethod set to homebrew. I still get:

● Native installation exists but ~/.local/bin is not in your PATH.
Run: echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >>
~/.config/zsh/.zshrc && source ~/.config/zsh/.zshrc

When I launch Claude and running /doctor within claude shows:

Diagnostics
 └ Currently running: native (1.0.117)
 └ Path: /opt/homebrew/bin/claude
 └ Invoked: /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/claude-code/1.0.117/claude
 └ Config install method: homebrew
 └ Auto-updates enabled: false
 └ Search: OK (bundled)
 Warning: Native installation exists but ~/.local/bin is not in your
  PATH
 Fix: Run: echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >>
 ~/.config/zsh/.zshrc then open a new terminal or run: source
 ~/.config/zsh/.zshrc
 Warning: Running native installation but config install method is 
 'homebrew'
 Fix: Run claude install to update configuration

 Press Enter to continue…

Running claude install of course installs claude in ~/.local/bin but that is not what I want. Any other suggestions on how to get rid of the false error?

I had initially used the native installer and switched to npm, I resolved this by updating "installMethod": "native", to "installMethod": "npm", in ~/.claude.json

Can you please provide a working brew installation? This is getting ridiculous. Why would I use npm to install it? npm sucks big time

Yeah, I am getting the same issue, there is no config option anymore, install via brew on Mac:

[I] ❰dan❙~/a(git:main)❱✔≻ claude doctor

 Diagnostics
 └ Currently running: native (2.0.8)
 └ Path: /opt/homebrew/bin/claude
 └ Invoked: /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/claude-code/2.0.8/claude
 └ Config install method: unknown
 └ Auto-updates enabled: default (true)
 └ Search: OK (bundled)
 Warning: Running native installation but config install method is 'unknown'
 Fix: Run claude install to update configuration
 Warning: Leftover npm global installation at /opt/homebrew/bin/claude
 Fix: Run: npm -g uninstall @anthropic-ai/claude-code

 Press Enter to continue…

What does "native" even mean in this context? Claude code stopped working for me randomly, I suspect because of some auto-update mechnism, and I'm trying to diagnose it. I don't see anything other than an npm installation instruction in the readme. My install says my "installMethod is native" but can't find the binary, and /doctor says I have multiple installations but doesn't tell me what to do about that.

Edit for anyone else that might be running into this. The readme doesn't link to this advanced instructions page, which has other setup methods. I have no clue how mine got screwed up though. Just suddenly stopped working.

Upgrading the claude-code formula in brew fixed this for me.

Yeah I don't have the issue anymore too.

Upgrading the claude-code formula in brew fixed this for me.

This work for me too, thanks

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