How to Install Claude Code the Right Way in 2026

I've installed Claude Code three different ways in the past month. Homebrew first, then npm, now the native installer. Each time I thought I had the right answer. Here's what I learned. Homebrew: Where I Started I was running Claude Code v2.1.81 via Homebrew. The new /buddy command - the terminal pet everyone was talking about - needed v2.1.89+. I ran brew upgrade. Nothing happened. Homebrew was 9 versions behind. The problem: Homebrew wraps Claude Code as a cask. Someone has to update the formula after each release, then it goes through review.